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UCI gives ProTour status to Astana

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LONDON, England -- Spain's Astana team will be part of the ProTour peloton next season after being belatedly granted a license by the International Cycling Union (UCI).

The team, formed out of the remnants of the scandal-hit Liberty Seguros line-up, was originally excluded after failing to satisfy the UCI that the necessary documentation and guarantees were in place.

Twenty teams have now been granted a licence for 2007, among them American team Discovery Channel and German team T-Mobile.

On Saturday, the UCI granted new licenses or extensions until 2010 to Caisse d'Epargne, T-Mobile, Unibet, Saunier Duval-Prodir and Gerolsteiner.

Team Milram's license to take part in the ProTour was also renewed until 2009.

Entry to the ProTour guarantees teams can take part in 27 top races throughout the year - including the Tour de France, the Spanish Vuelta and the Giro d'Italia.

The Liberty Seguros team folded in May 2006 when the principal sponsor withdrew its support in the wake of an investigation into doping in Spanish cycling which implicated several leading riders.

A coalition of companies from Kazahkstan picked up the tab to back the team which is led by the eastern European country's best known sportsman, Alexandre Vinokourov. Astana is the capital of Kazahkstan.

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