UCI License Commission’s ethical grounds dismissed outright.

Today the Court of Arbitration for Sport has upheld Team Katusha's appeal of the UCI's decision not to issue a WorldTour license to the Russian team.

“According to the CAS decision, the application of Katusha Management SA to be registered as a UCI ProTeam for the season 2013 of the UCI World Tour is granted,” said the CAS verdict.

The UCI's License Commission had denied the Katusha license application in December on “ethical grounds”.

Not surprisingly, Igor Makarov, the head of the Russian Global Cycling Project and president of the Russian Cycling Federation, welcomed the news of the verdict in an official press release:

"We can confidently say that the whole world’s sports community followed the situation of Katusha Team during the last weeks. Katusha Team received a lot of sympathy and support out of different circles: sports officials and the trustees of the Russian Global Cycling Project as well as famous athletes, mass-media and fans. On behalf of both Katusha Team and the whole Project, I would like to express our deep gratefulness to all, who sincerely empathized, hoped and believed that the justice will be restored! This CAS decision is absolutely objective and justified. This proves once again the impartiality of the supreme juridical body of the world of sports."

Earlier this season the team missed out on an invitation to the Giro d'Italia, but as a result of today's verdict the organizers of the Italian grand tour may need to invite the Katusha team to their race.

As for the UCI, they will now have to decide on whether they can approve a 19th WorldTour team or revoke a license already awarded to another team.