The committee said president Juan Antonio Samaranch would convene the 11-member board in Lausanne on August 20 "with a single item on the agenda: the fight against doping in sport."

The statement said the board would also discuss preparations for an international conference on doping that the IOC announced this week would be held in January in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The IOC initiatives come amid the widespread doping scandal that has overshadowed the Tour de France, with numerous teams and riders under investigation for use of banned performance-enhancing drugs.

International uproar

Mr Samaranch caused an international uproar when he was quoted in a Spanish newspaper interview last Sunday as saying the IOC's list of banned drugs should be drastically reduced, and suggesting that only substances which pose a health risk should be prohibited.

Mr Samaranch has not denied making the statements but said he was misinterpreted.

He has reassured sports administrators that IOC policy has not changed and that all performance-enhancing drugs should be banned.