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"The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that it
has notified UCI Continental Team Astana Kazakh rider Victor
Okishev of an Adverse Analytical Finding of Anabolic Androgenic
Steroids in a sample collected at the Asian Cycling
Championships on 29 May 2014, the UCI said in a statement.
"The rider has the right to request and attend the analysis of
the B sample."
Okishev rides for Astana Continental (third division), which is
technically a different entity to the Astana World Tour (elite)
team.
Sources told Reuters, however, that Okishev's case would be
taken into consideration, although not officially, by the
License Commission, who has been reviewing Astana's case in the
wake of a string of recent doping affairs.
Last month, the UCI officially asked the License Commission to
review Astana's status after the Kazakh outfit was hit by a
third positive doping test this year.
Kazakh brothers Maxim and Valentin Iglinskiy, as well as trainee
Iliya Davidenok, also of Kazakhstan, failed dope tests this
season.
Astana officials were heard by the License Commission on Nov. 6,
a cycling source told Reuters, and the UCI has yet to receive
their recommendations.
Earlier the UCI said Astana, who are managed by ex-doper
Alexandre Vinokourov and have Italian Tour de France champion
Vincenzo Nibali in their ranks, could have "conditions attached
to their license".
Astana are members of the Mouvement Pour un Cyclisme Credible
(Movement for Credible Cycling or MPCC), which enforces stricter
anti-doping rules than the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
In accordance with those rules, Astana suspended themselves for
the season-ending Tour of Beijing last month because they have
had two doping cases in the team in the past 12 months.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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