Astana fires Valentin Iglinskiy for using EPO

AIGLE, Switzerland (AP) Valentin Iglinskiy of Kazakhstan has been fired by the Astana cycling team after admitting he doped with EPO last month.

The International Cycling Union said late Wednesday it provisionally suspended the 30-year-old Iglinskiy for his positive test for EPO on Aug. 11 during the Eneco Tour stage race.

Astana said in a statement Wednesday it took ''direct and immediate action to release the rider from his contract.''

The team, managed by Olympic road-race champion Alexandre Vinokourov, says Iglinskiy ''admitted to using prohibited substances on his own initiative and independently.''

Iglinskiy, who placed 96th in the Eneco race, faces a disciplinary case and probably a two-year ban.

He is the younger brother of another Astana rider, Maxim Iglinskiy, who won the Liege-Bastogne-Liege one-day classic in 2012.