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| Alberto Contador © Gallo Images |
Alberto Contador's Astana team was registered on Wednesday to
race on the International Cycling Union's ProTour calendar of
events next year.
The UCI approved the Kazakh-backed team's 2010 season entry but
still wants assurances that Astana can meet its budget.
"The UCI awaits this bank guarantee and is confident it will be
provided soon," the governing body said in a statement.
Contador, the 2009 Tour de France champion, was expected to
leave if Astana was excluded.
The oil-rich Kazakhstan government has said it will back
Astana's total budget for next year, a pledge worth €15 million
($22 million).
Astana riders went without some paychecks last season when
Contador and Lance Armstrong were teammates. Armstrong rode without
a salary and has since set up his own United States-based team,
RadioShack.
"The UCI requested (Astana) to provide an additional bank
guarantee so that the regrettable situation in 2009 would not be
repeated," it said.
Failure to provide that financial security would "reactivate" a
request to the UCI's ProTour Council for Astana's racing licence to
be withdrawn, the UCI said.
Astana's registration brings the total to 17 teams - including
RadioShack and the new Sky team from Britain - that have been
accepted for next season.
The ProTour's council decided on Wednesday to refuse the
registration of Italian team Lampre Farnese Vini featuring star
rider Damiano Cunego. The reason for the refusal was not disclosed.
The UCI's License Commission will next consider Lampre's future.
ProTour teams commit to ride in 16 stage races and one-day
events next season, including the Dauphine Libere in France and
Amstel Gold race in the Netherlands.
These top-tier teams can expect invitations to signature races
like the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia, and one-day classics
such as the Paris-Roubaix and Milan-San Remo.
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