Faced with the prospect of Nibali starting the Tour with only seven team-mates, Astana were expected to bypass MPCC rules by hastily leaving the organisation and retaining Boom in their line-up.
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The MPCC later issued a statement saying that Astana confirmed that Boom was the rider concerned by the test carried out by cycling’s governing body.
Astana, like another 12 teams competing at the Tour, are voluntary members of the MPCC and initially indicated their desire to respect the regulations.
“A low cortisol level is grounds to stop a rider for a minimum eight days of competition in order to prevent any health risk to the rider according to rules established by the MPCC, of which Astana Pro Team is a member”.
Low levels of the hormone can be explained by the use of corticoids, anti-inflammatory drugs that are allowed out of competition but forbidden while racing unless a rider is granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).
It left Astana, who are under increased scrutiny this year as a condition for having their licence renewed due to a string of doping scandals in 2014 – Kazakh brothers Maxim and Valentin Iglinsky both tested positive for the banned blood booster EPO while three riders on the secondary Continental Tour team failed tests for steroids – in a hard position.
The team’s bid to replace Boom with Italian Alessandro Vanotti was turned down by the UCI who said on Friday that their request was made too late.
“I think it’s absolutely vital that when we take actions as UCI against a rider we believe to have been doping that we have the strength of WADA behind us”.
He will also be vital for the team during the stage nine team timetrial and if Astana were to start that without a full compliment of numbers, it could affect Nibali’s overall hopes.
“Astana Pro Team medical staff will continue to monitor Boom to assess any potential health risk for the athlete, and will retest the athlete in the next days with independent medical supervision to clarify the origins of the results”, Astana said.
Boom won last year’s fifth stage on the cobbles and will be an important teammate for Nibali over the first week of this year’s edition, including Tuesday’s very similar cobbled fourth stage.
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“I wouldn’t forget (Fabian) Cancellara, (Matthias) Brandle, Rohan Dennis; it’s not just about Tom. It will be a nice fight and I’m confident I can beat him again”. None of the teams led by Nibali’s main rivals – Alberto Contador’s Tinkoff-Saxo, Chris Froome’s Team Sky and Nairo Quintana’s Movistar – for glory in Paris this month belong to the group. “I can’t start the race with eight”.
