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Monday, 20 August 2007, 13:59 GMT 14:59 UK

Astana plan return to competition

Andreas Kloeden Team Astana will end their self-imposed exile from competitive cycling in the Grand Prix de Plouay on 2 September.

The team began a one-month break after talisman Alexandre Vinokourov and Andrej Kashechkin failed doping tests in the last six weeks.

Astana had already been banned from competing in the Tour of Spain, which begins in Vigo in September.

The Swiss-based team have not yet revealed which of their riders will compete in Plouay.

Even before Vinokourov and Kashechkin's misdemeanours, Astana rider Matthias Kessler tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone in April.

That was by no means the first time that the team courted controversy.

In its previous guise as Liberty Seguros, the team was strongly linked to the Operation Puerto scandal, and as a result was banned from the 2006 Tour de France.

Vinokourov and Kessler will not compete, as they were both sacked following their respective failed doping tests.




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Related to this story:

Astana banned from Tour of Spain (13 Aug 07 |  Cycling )
Contador insists he is drug-free (10 Aug 07 |  Cycling )
Contador 'not wanted' in Hamburg (08 Aug 07 |  Cycling )
Vinokourov fired by Astana team (30 Jul 07 |  Cycling )
Turning point for the Tour (29 Jul 07 |  Cycling )
Roche hails anti-drugs generation (29 Jul 07 |  Cycling )
No Tour champ this year - LeMond (27 Jul 07 |  Cycling )
Vinokourov fails Tour doping test (24 Jul 07 |  Cycling )
Cycling boss confident for future (25 Jul 07 |  Cycling )
Tour hit by fresh doping failure (25 Jul 07 |  Cycling )

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Tour of Spain website (Eng version)
International Cycling Union
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Grand Prix de Plouay (in French)
Team Astana
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