Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali鈥檚 Astana team will keep its WorldTour license, from the International Cycling Union (UCI). The decision by the UCI鈥檚 license committee will allow the team to continue competing聽at the highest levels of the sport.聽
The team came under scrutiny聽last year after a rash of doping violations, including two riders testing positive for the banned blood-booster EPO. Astana was subjected to an audit from the Sport Sciences Institute of the University of Lausanne amid calls to ban the team.聽
The results of the audit, including revelations that some riders appeared to be maintaining a relationship with banned doctor ,聽led UCI president Brian Cookson to seek revocation of聽the team鈥檚 license.
But the license commission did not find sufficient cause to revoke the team鈥檚 credentials, and all signs point to Nibali and his team being allowed to defend their Tour de France title this summer. 聽