Jakarta Globe – AFP, Dec 11, 2014
Kazakhstan’s Maxim Iglinsky of team Astana. (EPA Photo/Laurent Gillieron) |
Paris.
Doping-scandal tainted Astana, whose leading rider is this year’s Tour de
France winner Vincenzo Nibali, was on Wednesday granted a World Tour license
for the 2015 season by the International Cycling Union.
However,
the UCI said that, while the license had been granted, Astana would have to
agree to conditions, including being audited 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 of the recent events” relating to
doping offenses.
In
addition, it must adhere from 2015 to the “internal operational requirements”,
a set of measures which will be compulsory for all World Tour teams from 2017.
The future
of Kazakh-based Astana had been hanging in the balance after the UCI asked for
a full review of the team’s anti-doping policies.
That was
after brothers Maxim and Valentin Iglinksy, and three riders from the Astana
Continental team, tested positive for banned substances in the past year.
In
addition, the UCI has also said it will study allegations made by Italian media
that Astana met banned doping doctor Michele Ferrari last year.
UCI
president Brian Cookson said: “This remains a very serious situation for our
sport given the number of doping cases. We shall be following the situation
very closely and are awaiting to review the results of the audit.
“Meanwhile,
the team will have to comply with the two requirements imposed by the License
Commission. The combined effect of this is that the Astana Pro Team can be
considered very much to be on probation.”
Meanwhile,
the sport’s governing body also denied a license to French outfit Europcar,
estimating that “the team does not fulfill the financial criteria”.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.