Astana cycling team keeps top-tier status after doping cases (The Associated Press)

The Astana team of 2014 Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali has survived a review of its top-tier racing status ordered after several doping cases. The International Cycling Union said on Thursday that its independent licensing panel let the Kazakhstan government-backed squad keep World Tour status, which ensures entries to all top races. The UCI asked its panel in February to strip the license after a critical audit of Astana’s anti-doping work conducted by the Institute of Sport Sciences of the University of Lausanne. Instead, Astana will be ”subject to strict monitoring” through the season by the university, including at Nibali’s planned defense of cycling’s biggest prize in July.