UCI to review Astana WorldTour licence

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The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) said on Thursday that it will ask the Licence Commission to undertake a full review of the management and anti-doping policies of the Astana Pro Team after several recent doping test positives.

"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," the UCI said in a statement.

"IIya Davidenok has ridden from 1st January 2012 to date for Continental Team Astana and since 1st August 2014 has also been a stagiaire 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 UCI's Licence Commission is responsible for issuing, reviewing, withdrawing and attaching conditions to UCI WorldTour licences and ensuring that licence-holders continuously comply with the terms of the licence.

It is expected that the Astana team will have to appear before the Licence Commission within the next month for an assessment of the team’s level of compliance with the ethical criteria. It will up to the Licence Commission to determine whether and to what extent the team and/or its management is responsible for recent events.

The UCI said it would not comment further at this time.