Astana face licence review after third positive test

Paris: The International Cycling Union (UCI) said Thursday it has asked its licence commission to undertake a full review of the management and anti-doping policies of the Astana team after a third case involving one of its riders.

The Kazakhstan-based team of 2014 Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali has already been granted a licence for 2015.

But it could lose this licence or have conditions attached to it after the announcement that Kazakh llya Davidenok has tested positive for an anabolic steroid, after brothers Maxim and Valentin Iglinskiy tested positive for EPO.

The UCI said in a statement: "This follows the serious concerns raised by the fact that two Astana riders Maxim and Valentin Iglinskiy recently tested positive for EPO and the notification this week that llya Davidenok has returned an Adverse Analytical Finding for anabolic androgenic steroids in a sample collected at the Tour de l`Avenir on 28th August 2014.

"IIya Davidenok has ridden from 1st January 2012 to date for Continental Team Astana and since 1st August 2014 has also been a stagiaire (trainee) with Astana Pro Team.

"The rider has the right to request analysis of the B sample and in accordance with UCI Anti-doping Rules has been provisionally suspended until the adjudication of the matter."

The licence commission is the competent body for issuing, reviewing, withdrawing and attaching conditions to UCI WorldTour licences and ensuring that licence-holders continuously comply with the terms of the licence.

"As per the UCI regulations, it is expected that the team will appear before the licence commission within the next month for an assessment of the team`s level of compliance with the ethical criteria so that the appropriate measures can be then taken," the UCI statement added.

"It will be for the licence commission to determine whether and to what extent the team and/or its management is responsible for recent events. The UCI will not comment further at this stage."

The Astana team is run by controversial former rider Alexandre Vinokourov, who was banned for blood doping in 2007-2009.