Image 1 of 3 Leading Armstrong to Paris in the Tour de France (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 2 of 3 Expect to see Lance Armstrong in suit and tie this fall if his case goes to arbitration (Image credit: AFP Photo) Image 3 of 3 It's still about the bike: Lance Armstrong back in the saddle (Image credit: Trent Bona Photography)

Stade 2, the weekly television sports show by France 2, claims that the American Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is in possession of blood samples from Lance Armstrong, which they have retested and have now come back positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

A reporter from France 2, Nicolas Geay, claimed he had exclusive information from a source, according to which he "could now reveal" that blood samples taken earlier during Armstrong's career had been retested under the authority of USADA and "ultimately came back positive".

USADA is expected to send the final report to the UCI in two weeks time, according to French television, and make it public at the same time in order to put the governing body of the sport under pressure to ratify their life-time ban for Armstrong.

Armstrong did not want to comment when approached by French television in Montreal, Canada, last week, where he was invited as a guest speaker at the World Cancer Congress. He has always denied taking performance enhancing drugs but chose not to contest USADA's charges, leading to a life-time ban and all results from August 1, 1998 being stripped from his palmares. Armstrong went on record to later state that in his eyes he was still a seven time Tour de France winner.

Cyclingnews attempted to contact USADA but were unable to reach them for comment.