UCI backs down on Astana license

The UCI (International Cycling Union) announced that it will suspend a procedure to revoke the Astana Cycling Team's ProTour license on Tuesday. The ProTour Council dropped the action after the team was able to secure funding from its Kazakh sponsors last week.

The UCI threatened to revoke the team's license if it did not fill the required bank guarantee. Normally teams are required to deposit 25% of the total annual salaries of teams and staff with the UCI.  Reports had placed the UCI's bank guarantee request at six million euros, but the team's lawyers had objected to the excessive amount.

Last week, the Kazakh backers of the team paid off all debts to the squad which had been facing non-payment of salaries since April. Team manager Johan Bruyneel announced that the squad had secured funding from the Kazakh federation for the remainder of the season.

Neither the team nor the UCI announced the amount of the bank guarantee.

The UCI left the door open for the license revocation procedure to be re-instated, making it clear that the action has only been suspended.