The Astana cycling team have denied reports they have been stripped of their WorldTour licence by the Independent Licence Commission . Last month the UCI requested that Astana 's licence be revoked by the commission following an independent audit into the team of 2014 Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali , which came after a number of anti-doping infringements by Astana and their feeder team . On Monday , Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported that Astana would lose their WorldTour licence and would only be allowed to apply for a Continental licence , the third tier of professional cycling , saying the decision had been made on March 20 . The Astana cycling team have denied reports they have been stripped of their WorldTour licence . The Licence Commission is due to meet with Astana on Thursday , and the team said they believed that meeting would mark the start of the decision-making process , with no verdict yet in place . An Astana statement said : 'Astana Pro Team has every reason to believe that our meeting on April 2 with the Independent Licence Commission will be a properly conducted legal meeting with due process and is not a foregone conclusion . 'We aim to present evidence that Astana Pro Team is in full compliance with the ethical codes in place and is taking pro-active measures to enhance our role in the global fight against drugs in cycling . ' When Astana were awarded their 2015 licence in December , conditions were attached after five riders linked to the team failed doping tests in 2014 , including brothers Maxim and Valentin Iglinskiy , trainee Ilya Davidenok and two members of Astana 's continental development team - Artur Fedosseyev and Victor Okishev . On Monday , Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported that Astana would lose their WorldTour licence . Astana was made to submit to an audit from the Institute of Sport Sciences of the University of Lausanne as a condition of its licence . At the conclusion of that audit , the UCI asked for Astana 's licence to be revoked , saying the reality of the team 's policies and structures differed markedly from what Astana told the licence commission during a review last December . Kazakhstan-based Astana previously said they would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if their licence was revoked . There has been no suggestion of wrong-doing on the part of Tour winner Nibali . The UCI has not responded to requests for comment on Monday 's report .
Astana cycling team have denied reports they have lost Astana . licence . Last month the UCI requested that Astana 's licence be revoked . Request came after a number of anti-doping infringements by WorldTour Licence Commission is due to meet with Astana on Thursday for talks .