Astana license sparks controversy

Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali's Astana team have retained their elite team status for 2015 following a review by the International Cycling Union (UCI), despite being hit by a series of doping affairs.

The UCI had ordered Astana's status to be reviewed after five Kazakh riders from the top-tier team and its development squad tested positive for EPO or steroids since August. Brothers Maxim and Valentin Iglinsky tested positive for banned blood booster EPO, and three riders from the Astana Continental team also tested positive for banned substances. Even team manager Alexandre Vinokourov was banned for two years in 2007 after failing two dope tests during the Tour de France that year.

Astana's license is under two conditions. The team will have to undergo an audit by the Institute of Sport Sciences of the University of Lausanne, who will "determine whether and to what extent the team and/or its management is responsible for the recent events" relating to doping offences.

From 2015, Astana must also adhere to "internal operational requirements", a set of measures which will be compulsory for all World Tour teams from 2017.

Green light, but with conditions

"This remains a very serious situation for our sport given the number of doping cases," said UCI president Brian Cookson. "We shall be following the situation very closely and are awaiting to review the results of the audit. The combined effect of this is that the Astana Pro Team can be considered very much to be on probation."

Still, the terms were seemingly ignored by the Kazakh-based team in a statement on its website.

"Astana Pro Team is happy and proud to announce that we have received a 2015 World Tour License and will race at the highest level of the sport in the upcoming season," the team said.

The World Tour licence guarantees its holder direct participation in next year's top races, including the Tour de France, the Paris-Roubaix classic and the Giro d'Italia, rather than forcing a team to rely on wild-card entries.

In addition, the UCI have also said they will study allegations made by Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport that Italian magistrates had evidence that doctor Michele Ferrari, banned for life in July 2012 for his implication in the Lance Armstrong scandal, was seen at the Astana training camp in November last year. The Italian strongly denied these reports on Tuesday.

jh/al (AFP, AP, Reuters)