PARIS (Reuters) - The International Cycling Union (UCI) is to open an investigation into allegations that Olympic champion Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan bribed Russian Alexandre Kolobnev to win the 2010 Liege-Bastogne-Liege race, the governing body said on Monday.

Vinokourov won the one-day race by beating Kolobnev in a two-man finish.

The investigation is starting because the UCI has received a case file from an Italian public prosecutor who is investigating alleged corruption in cycling.

"Now, in the light of this additional information we received last week from the Italian prosecutor we are opening an investigation into the matter," UCI President Pat McQuaid said. "Both riders have been summoned to the UCI headquarters.

"If Vinokourov and Kolobnev were to be proven guilty the license commission would re-evaluate the world tour licenses of the Astana and Katusha teams."

(Reporting by Julien Pretot, editing by Ed Osmond)