Astana, home to Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali, is to have its WorldTour Licence reviewed after a third member of the squad, llya Davidenok, failed a doping test. Davidenok tested positive for anabolic steroids following a test on August 27, whilst brothers Maxim and Valentin Iglinskiy both tested positive for EPO (erythropoietin) earlier in August.
The International Cycling Union’s (UCI) licence commission will review Astana’s anti-doping policies and wider management conduct. In a statement the UCI say the decision to review, ‘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 rider has the right to request the analysis of the B sample and in accordance with UCI Anti-doping Rules has been provisionally suspended until the adjudication of the matter.’
Astana’s Team Manager, Alexander Vinokourov, completed a two-year bad for doping in 2009 before going on to take Gold in the Men’s Road Race at the London 2012 Olympics.
Further information on Astana at proteam-astana.com
