A five man Kazakh delegation representing Team Astana will meet with International Cycling Union on Monday to discuss the team’s ProTour license for 2010 according to Het Nieuwsblad. There is still quite a degree of uncertainty revolving around the team’s future plans.
According to the UCI, the team of Alexandre Vinokourov has not yet fulfilled the requirements regarding the team’s finances and its structure. If the team fails to secure a ProTour license they can say goodbye to Tour de France champion Alberto Contador. The decision should be made by November 20th, the official deadline.
The team has encountered several financial problems in the past. The situation came to a head during the Giro d’Italia when Astana riders, including seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, protested their missing salary payments by fading the names of the delinquent sponsors from their jerseys.