Astana to take part in the Spanish Vuelta

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The Astana cycling team. Photo: EFE

The Astana cycling team, barred from the Tour of France and Giro d'Italia because of doping violations, will take part in the Spanish Vuelta.

Astana was among the 20 teams named Tuesday as having been invited to compete in Spain's premier cycling race.

“All the teams meet the maximum requirements in terms of ethics, image and administration,” organizers said.

Last year, Astana rider Alexandre Vinokourov was caught blood-doping during the Tour, while teammate Andrej Kashechkin committed the same offense one month later in Turkey after an out-of-competition test.

In 2006, several cyclists on the Astana team, then known as Liberty Seguros, were kicked out on the eve of the Tour after being linked to the Operation Puerto blood-doping scandal in Spain.

The Amaury Sport Organization, which owns the Tour, banned the team from all of it races in 2008. That means Astana rider Alberto Contador won't able to defend his Tour title.