Astana jersey

PAU, Jul 24 (CP) - Team Astana has denied that it will fold in the wake of Alexandre Vinokourov's doping case.

The Swiss team with Kazakh sponsors announced today that it will continue participating in races. The next two appearances of the Astana riders will be the Sachsen Tour (25-29 July) and the Brixia Tour (26-29 July).

The squad thus contradicts media reports that had claimed that the team would fold.

Team Astana's spokeswoman Corinne Druey declared that "the team's management, still in Pau (France), just received the total support of the President of the Cycling Federation of Kazakhstan, Mr Danial Akhmetov."

© Kathrin Bomans