According to L’Equipe, the International Cycling Union asked his license commission to review the case of the Astana team. Kazakh training, hit by several doping cases in recent months, could be excluded from the World Tour. Vincenzo Nibali and private the next Tour de France.
Why such a turnaround from the UCI
Astana is in the viewfinder of the UCI since the positive controls four of its riders in 2014: the brothers Iglinskiy Valentin and Maxim, and two Kazakh hopes. On December 10, the Kazakh training had yet been allowed to take part in the World Tour in 2015. But according to Team , the UCI grabbed his license commission for reconsideration this folder . No other doping cases has been highlighted. But the international body and its president Bryan Cookson are based on several factors: the new World Anti-Doping Code, which entered into force in 2015, which holds a team that knows at least two doping cases in twelve months; its own regulations (*) and especially the findings of the ISSUL (Institute of Sports Science of the University of Lausanne). In its judgment of 10 December, the license commission had imposed in Astana to submit to an audit of the ISSUL its anti-doping methods. The formation of Alexandre Vinokourov has clearly not enough action undertaken to prevent doping cases arise again from its riders and methods are clearly implicated. “When the auditors asked them to explain their management and organization in place to protect riders from the temptation of doping, they believed a formality while digging their graves” and writes the daily Team .
What is the rest of the procedure?
The license commission must review the case of Astana whose past is heavy and the many ghosts (Bruyneel, Contador, Armstrong ….). In the case of penalties Kazakh training will have the opportunity to turn to the CAS, it will no doubt. The court based in Lausanne then dial a three referees who will give its verdict within “reasonable” a few weeks. Meanwhile, Astana may request that its appeal is suspensive, that his riders can continue to do their job. Again, this will be the CAS to decide. Early 2013, the CAS had been seized in this case by the Katusha team excluded from the World Tour Fuzzy ethical reasons, a few months after the positive control Denis Galimzyanov. The Russian team had a successful, and was able to resume his place in the World Tour. But that was a different era, one where the controversial Pat McQuaid was still president of the UCI.
What sports consequences?
In case of exclusion of Astana The World Tour no longer count as 17 teams, unless the UCI decides to fish Europcar (relegated to the second division for financial reasons), which seems unlikely. The World Tour race organizers, such as the Tour de France, why Astana was automatically registered, will have to pay an additional invitation. In the case of the Tour, it is impossible to imagine that the Kazakh training, which would be downgraded to Continental (the world’s third division) or the lucky. The riders will be free to engage with a new team, even if all the numbers are almost complete at this stage of the season. The UCI, however, could grant exemptions to avoid too many riders end up on the floor. The best elements of Astana, as Fabio Aru, Lars Boom, Jakob Fuglsang and Andrea Guardini, should not have trouble finding takers. As for Vincenzo Nibali, winner of the last Tour de France, the question of salary (€ 3 million per year) could be problematic. But according to Team , the Specialized brand, which sponsors the “Shark of Messina” could help one of the formations that team Saxo-Tinkoff’s, which has already d Alberto Contador, especially Etixx-Quick Step, the team of Patrick Lefevere, which does not count in its ranks a runner can aim for victory in the Tour de France.
(* ) The allocation of the World Tour license is subject to four criteria including ethical criterion. According to UCI regulations, the license may be revoked in four cases:
1. “If the data considered for the award were wrong.”
2. “If the data (…) have changed.”
3. If the team “does not or no longer meets all the conditions.”
4. “If the facts (…) implying that the continuation of the license would seriously harm the interests or reputation of the UCI World Tour.”
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