The World Anti-Doping Agency says the International Cycling Union should help pay the legal expenses for the Floyd Landis appeal, rather than suing the WADA's former president.

The UCI announced last week that it was suing former WADA chief Richard Pound and the WADA for comments it says Pound made critical of the UCI's efforts to combat doping in cycling.

In a statement released Tuesday, the WADA said the allegations against Pound are "unfounded" and promised to "robustly defend" Pound and the agency.

"WADA will be taking all steps necessary to ensure that the court is fully informed of issues and facts relating to doping in cycling. WADA will instruct legal counsel to represent WADA and its former president in this regard, and to robustly defend and reject the unfounded allegations made by the UCI," the statement reads.

The statement goes on to question the UCI's decision to sue, rather than contribute to the USADA's legal expenses related to Landis' appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Hearings for that appeal ended Monday in New York City.

"UCI specifically declined to contribute to the Landis case on the grounds that it had 'no budget' to do so. Yet the appeal was specifically conducted under UCI rules, involved a breach of the sport’s anti-doping policy, and is a major case for the sport," the statement reads.

Pound is a candidate for the presidency of the CAS. He was president of WADA for eight years.