Astana withdraw from Tour of Beijing over Maxim Iglinskiy's positive doping test for EPO
Last Updated: 06/10/14 4:50pm
Astana have withdrawn from this weekend’s Tour of Beijing after Maxim Iglinskiy opted not to contest his positive test for the banned blood-booster EPO.
News of Iglinskiy's failed doping control emerged last week, just three weeks after his brother Valentin admitted to using the same drug in August.
Astana are a part of the Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC), the rules of which state that any member team who return two positive tests within 12 months must voluntarily suspend themselves from racing for eight days.
Maxim Iglinskiy was entitled to ask for his B sample to be tested, but an Astana statement released on Monday said he had turned down the opportunity, triggering Astana's ban and ruling them out of the Tour of Beijing, which takes place from October 10-14.
'Conforms to rules'
The statement said: “Astana Pro Team has moved to act upon the decision by rider Maxim Iglinskiy not to request a counter-analysis of his positive control from 1 August 2014.
“In doing so, the team conforms to rules set by the MPCC, which Astana Pro Team joined in 2013, and has therefore decided to withdraw from the final WorldTour event, the Tour of Beijing.”
Under MPCC rules, Astana’s eight-day suspension must start on the opening day of the next WorldTour race.
In effectively admitting his guilt now, Maxim Iglinskiy enables Astana to serve their suspension at the Tour of Beijing - widely regarded as the least prestigious WorldTour race – and free themselves to take part in January’s 2015 WorldTour-opening Santos Tour Down Under in Australia.
Maxim Iglinskiy tested positive for EPO five days after the last stage of the Tour de France, where he helped Astana team-mate Vincenzo Nibali claim overall victory.
