Even though Katusha have provisionally suspended both Luca Paolini and Giampaolo Caruso for positive tests, the UCI will not suspend the team.

Regulations were brought in at the start of this season which mean that a team could be suspended by the UCI if it had two anti-doping violations in the space of 12 months. However, the UCI have confirmed to Cyclingnews that as Caruso’s sample came from 2012, they cannot retroactively apply a regulation that was only introduced this year.

“This is based on the non-retroactivity of law principle, which is enshrined in the World Anti-Doping Code (25.2). According to the Code an Anti-doping Rule Violation (ADRV) which occurred prior to 01.01.2015 shall be governed by the substantive Anti-Doping Rule (ADR) in effect at the time the alleged ADRV occurred. The 2012 ADR did not of course provide for the Team Suspension,” the UCI said in a statement to Cyclingnews.

Despite being an MPCC member, Katusha don’t miss their next race, the Vuelta, as the Caruso positive was before the team joined the MPCC.

“It has no consequences as of now, but this may be something we take up at our next board meeting in September,” MPCC president Roger Legeay told Procycling.no. “We try to look ahead and focus on the present. It happened back in time, is something that the UCI, anti-doping organization and the arbitration tribunal will have to look at. I think Team Katusha joined with us in the beginning of 2013."

He added: “They have followed the rules since becoming part of the organization, and we try to influence them to do what is best for the sport in the future.”