Astana will continue race with a WorldTour licence after the Kazakh-based team’s case was heard by the Licence Commission.

The UCI had requested the withdrawal of the team’s licence after an audit by the Institute of Sports Sciences of the University of Lausanna (ISSUL) revealed significant differences between the reality of the team’s anti-doping policies and structures, and what was initially presented to the Licence Commission.

That followed failed doping tests by brothers Maxim and Valentin Iglinskiy last year, in addition to three Kazakh-based members of Astana’s development team, and placed defending Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali’s season in doubt.

However, the team will race on under the watchful eye of the UCI after ISSUL proposed a series of special measures which the team are now obliged to put in place.

Though the UCI has not revealed what these measures are, they must be implemented at specific points throughout the rest of the season.

A UCI statement added: “The Licence Commission shall be able to re-open the proceedings if Astana Pro Team fails to respect one or several of the conditions imposed, or if new elements arise.”

Nibali is due to race at Liege-Bastogne-Liege this weekend, but fellow Grand Tour star Fabio Aru – expected to ride at the Giro d’Italia – pulled out of the Giro del Trentino sick prompting an outburst from Lotto-Soudal’s Greg Henderson on Twitter.

Sad to see @fabaro1 “sick”. Mate make sure next time u come back to our sport “healthy”. Aka. Clean! #biopassport! Or don’t come back!

— Greg Henderson (@Greghenderson1) April 23, 2015

Henderson suggested the official reason for Aru’s withdrawal – a stomach bug – was actually a cover, using the hashtag #biopassport. Neither Astana or Aru responded to the tweet.

However, the New Zealander went on to delete the tweet and later posted: “When you are sick. You are sick. Jumping to conclusions helps nobody. My mistake @FabioAru1. I should shut my mouth. Sincere apologies.”