The Italian courts have added another dimension to the Astana case. Different riders of the team may have worked with banned doctor Michele Ferrari, according to a report in La Repubblica.

Michele Ferrari has already been involved in several doping cases, including the Lance Armstrong case. Tyler Hamilton, Levi Leipheimer and Michele Scarponi have all admitted that they have used the services of the banned doctor.

After a four-year investigation, the public prosectutor in Padua has now revealed a link between Ferrari and some of the Astana riders. However, track and field athletes, biathletes and triathletes are also on the list of customers of the Italian doctor.

For Astana, the revelation comes at a bad time because the UCI is set to make a decision about the team's WorldTour license before December 10. Two riders from the WorldTour team and three riders from the Continental team have tested positive for doping in the last few months.