Sir Dave Brailsford is thinking that the International Cycling Union (UCI) needs to take a stronger stance in the fight against doping. He explained according to Sky Sports that the job of the UCI is to govern the sport and to judge with firmness.

"The job of the UCI is to govern the sport and they need to have the appropriate governing structures in place. They have changed some rules this year, which is a step in the right direction, but personally I would like to see a stronger lead. As a governing body you cannot say, 'We do not have the right rules to manage the situation'.

"Leadership is about overcoming obstacles so you can manage the situation and for me the Astana question falls absolutely at the door of the UCI. We are looking at them and encouraging them to step up and manage this situation." 

Cycling’s world governing body published a statement after his comments. We can read in this statement that "the UCI has made many significant steps forward in the last year on anti-doping, including opening itself up to an unprecedented level of independent scrutiny from the Cycling Independent Reform Commission, having a full audit of its anti-doping operations performed by iNADO, making rule changes that will enhance the UCI’s powers to sanction riders and teams and establishing an anti-doping tribunal that will allow consistent, clear and fast decisions on cases and lift the burden of this work from national federations".

About the Astana case, the UCI is clear: "There are strict conditions attaching to the renewal of the Astana team licence, including a detailed review of the teams anti-doping policies and practices."