The UCI president, Brian Cookson, has said that he is unhappy with the spate of five positive drugs tests for the two teams within the Astana structure, but stressed that a decision is expected this coming week on whether the Astana team of Vincenzo Nibali, the Tour de France winner, will receive a WorldTour licence for 2015.
“We’re waiting for the licence commission to make their report, then we’ll decide, based on what they recommend, what action will be taken,” Cookson told the Observer of the Kazakhstan-based team, adding: “I think you will appreciate my view is extremely dim of that situation and I know that the Kaz fed [Kazakh federation] are extremely disappointed.”
Astana’s WorldTour team, for which Nibali rides, had two positive tests in the autumn for the Iglinsky brothers, Valentin and Maxim, while there have been a further three positives among the Astana Continental team in recent weeks. If the WorldTour squad were refused a licence for 2015, they might appeal to the court of arbitration for sport, and if the ban stands Nibali could end up leaving the team. As the situation developed in October, Cookson stated: “The impact on the team could be quite serious.”
Cookson told the Observer on Saturday: “I understand the licence commission will be in touch with UCI management in the next few days. I have to wait to see what they have to say. They can make the recommendation but the management committee takes the action. What I have to do and what the UCI has to do is apply the rules, not make them up – we have to look at what powers we have under the rules and what is an appropriate sanction for when a team or an individual breaks the rules.”
A ruling on the Astana case is expected this Wednesday, 10 December.
In a further twist in the Astana affair which could have ramifications for the licence decision, a rider in the Astana Continental team, Nikita Panassenko, was down to start the Madison at the London World Cup on Saturday wearing Kazakh colours even though the team had been suspended by the Kazakh Federation following its three positive tests.
“As I understand it the rider here is representing the Kazakh Nat team, not Astana,” Cookson said. “I am not aware formally of any disciplinary action by the Kazakh Federation against any riders. At the UCI we have no knowledge of any action being taken against the Astana Continental team. All anti-doping legislation is based on individual sanctions, not a team, so we can’t just dream up suspensions. If a team self-suspends that’s a different matter.”
A UCI statement added: “Astana Continental team must be distinguished from the national federation as the team’s representative/sponsor is not the federation, but a commercial owner. Therefore, riders cannot race under the banner of the Continental Team, however they are not banned from events where they can register on their own or for the national team, for example. Astana Track team is not the same entity as the Continental Team.”
Astana WorldTour team representative attended a hearing at the Licence Commission on 6 November; its continued presence in the WorldTour depends upon its convincing the commission that it has serious internal anti-doping procedures. If it were refused a WorldTour licence it would not gain automatic admission to major events and would have to rely on gaining wild cards.
Meanwhile, Cookson has repeated the call he made in July for the Astana general manager, Alexander Vinokourov, who tested positive for blood doping in 2007, to testify to the UCI’s independent commission into past doping in cycling.
