Astana get ProTour green light, Lampre refusedThe Kazakh cycling team Astana, home of Spanish Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, have secured a place on next year's ProTour, official sources announced on Wednesday. Astana are one of 17 teams to have passed the International Cycling Union's (UCI UCI University of California, Irvine UCI Union Cycliste Internationale (International Cycling Union) UCI Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos UCI United Cinemas International (UK) ) entry exam but Italian team Lampre, whose leader is Damiano Cunego, failed to meet the necessary requirements. The assessment procedure, which is undertaken by an independent body, judges whether or not the sport's elite teams satisfy a number of administrative and financial criteria. In recent months, Astana was one of five teams - along with Caisse d'Epargne, Euskatel, Saxo Bank and Sky - to have failed their first assessment. All have since fulfilled their obligations, after UCI asked Astana to secure an additional bank guarantee in light of the financial problems that plagued them in 2009. UCI are reported to be waiting for proof of Astana's improved financial situation, but say that it is "not connected" to the registration procedure and that they are "confident" it will "soon be provided". Astana's successful application for a ProTour berth secures Contador's future at the Kazakh team. The two-time Tour de France champion revealed last week that he had signed a preliminary agreement with Astana dependent on conditions that included their successful registration with the ProTour. Regarding Lampre, UCI revealed that, after their application was refused by the UCI ProTour Council, their case would now be considered by the licensing board. The 17 ProTour teams and the duration of their licences: Astana (KAZ) 2010 Caisse d'Epargne (ESP (1) (Enhanced Service Provider) An organization that adds value to basic telephone service by offering such features as call-forwarding, call-detailing and protocol conversion. ) 2010 Euskaltel (ESP) 2010 Footon-Servetto (ESP) 2010 Francaise des Jeux (FRA Fra: see Angelico, Fra; Bartolommeo di Pagholo del Fattorino, Fra; Fra Filippo Lippi under Lippi. ) 2010 Liquigas (ITA) 2010 Columbia (USA) 2010 Milram (GER GER German/Germany GER Gastroesophageal Reflux GER Geriatrics GER General Education Requirement GER Great Eastern Railway (UK) GER Gross Enrollment Ratio (education) GER Gain Electrons Reduction ) 2010 Omega Pharma-Lotto (BEL) 2011 Quick Step (BEL) 2011 Saxo Bank (DEN) 2011 Katusha (RUS) 2011 AG2R (FRA) 2012 Garmin (USA) 2012 Rabobank (NED) 2012 RadioShack (USA) 2013 Sky (GBR GBR Great Britain GBR United Kingdom (ISO Country code) GBR Great Barrier Reef GBR Gesellschaft Bürgerlichen Rechts GBR Global Broadband Roaming GBR Ground-Based Radar GBR Great Bear Rainforest ) 2013 
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