Career
Team Milram terminated its contract with Astarloa in May 2008 following disclosures that he had shown "irregular blood values", as reported by Focus magazine. He joined the Amica Chips-Knauf team, which folded in May 2009. Soon after, in June 2009, Astarloa was one of the first five riders to fall foul of the Union Cycliste International"s new biological passport system, introduced to combat doping by competitive cyclists.
Astarloa was unable to secure another contract that season, and retired in January 2010.
On 1 December 2010, the Union Cycliste International announced that the Spanish Cycling Federation’s Disciplinary Commission had handed down a two-year suspension and a €35,000 fine to Igor Astarloa. According to Cyclingnews.com, Astarloa"s blood samples had come under considerable scrutiny prior to the events of 2008-2009 and in the wake of his 2003 world championships victory, although he was never punished for any infraction.