Vincenzo Nibali committed to Astana despite string of doping violations

Vincenzo Nibali has no plans to quit the Astana team despite a fifth failed doping test within their programme.

The Tour de France champion admitted his anger at the controversy surrounding the team earlier this week, and a fifth Astana rider has since been charged with a doping offense.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) asked its Licence Commission last month to "undertake a full review of the management and anti-doping policies of the Astana Pro Team", with two more failed tests since leaving their World Tour future in doubt.

Astana has invested in us and we feel good here. I believe in them and they believe in me.

Two riders from Astana's top tier team, brothers Maxim and Valentin Iglinskiy, have recently tested positive for banned substances and Victor Okishev, Ilya Davidenok and, most recently, Artur Fedosseyev tested positive for steroids from their Continental development team.

All five cases have cast a shadow over the team run by former Tour de France podium finisher Alexandre Vinokourov, whose career was blighted by doping suspicion and a ban for blood doping in 2007.

Vinokourov on Thursday distanced himself from the Astana Continental team, which is run by the Kazakhstan Cycling Federation, and said, as well as removing sporting director Dmitri Sedoun, it is "now suspended from competition" 

Nibali, who labelled the accused riders 'idiots' earlier in week, told Gazzetta dello Sport: "I'm sure I've made the right choice.

"I'm sure the team is going to be given its racing licence, but if some absurd reason that doesn't happen, I'm not leaving, even though I would have every right to.

"It's not just me who is tied up with this team. I have my inner circle of people. There's a group of about six or seven of us. Where do I go?

"Astana has invested in us and we feel good here. I believe in them and they believe in me.

"Let's be clear. Astana and Astana 2 (Continental) are two different things. We've had two (positive) cases with the Iglinskiy brothers, but that was a family affair.

"The other three - I don't even know what they look like - are idiots. I don't know what they have been up to...maybe they were motivated by the idea of getting a contract here and earning a good wage.

"But that's their business. The team has already taken action. The Continental set-up has been suspended and (Dmitri) Sedoun has been removed."