The International Cycling Union has requested the withdrawal of the Astana team’s license for the 2015 World Tour after an investigation into doping
The International Cycling Union has requested the withdrawal of the Astana team’s license for the 2015 World Tour after an investigation into doping.
The team had been under the spotlight since five of their riders tested positive for banned substances last year.
Astana’s general manager Alexander Vinokurov, who twice tested positive for blood doping on the 2007 Tour de France, has strongly denied any systematic doping by the Kazakh team.
The World Tour licence guarantees its holder direct participation in the top races, including the Tour de France, the Paris-Roubaix classic and the Giro d’Italia.