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PAU, France -- Cycling fans loved the rider they called Vino. And he loved to deliver results -- just not the type that came out of a laboratory on Tuesday and ended his Tour de France and possibly his racing career.
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Alexandre Vinokourov was a pre-race favorite who excited Tour fans by rebounding from a bad crash in the fifth stage to stay in contention until last Sunday's 14th stage. Then he won Monday's stage as consolation but on Tuesday -- a rest day -- came news he tested positive for a blood transfusion after winning last Saturday's time trial.
His B sample is expected by the end of the week, coinciding with the end of another tainted Tour.
Astana suspended the Kazakh rider and also withdrew its team from the tour, ending the chances of its best-placed rider, Andreas Kloeden, who was lying fifth. Vinokourov was 23rd.
"Alexandre denies having manipulated his blood," stunned Astana manager Marc Biver said, adding that Vinokourov believes the "blood anomalies in his body" may have resulted from the crash.
During the fifth stage on July 12 from Chablis to Autun, Vinokourov fell and hurt his knees so badly that he needed at least 30 stitches. He refused to pull out and slogged up the Alps even though he was bleeding time to his rivals.
Biver spoke then of his star in glowing terms.
"He'll go to his limit and will die on the bike if he has to," Biver said. "He'll do everything to stay in the Tour."
Those words sounded prophetic after news of the positive test.
On the eve of this year's Tour, international cycling chief Pat McQuaid questioned Vinokourov's relationship with Italian doctor Michele Ferrari, saying it damaged the sport's credibility as it tries to repair its tarnished image.
Vinokourov, who was third on the 2003 Tour and fifth in 2005, replied that he used Ferrari only as a physical trainer and not for medical purposes.
"It might very well be an innocent training relationship. I have to accept what he says," McQuaid said on July 6. "To try and reclaim the credibility of the sport, it would be better if he did not work with him. No matter what victories Vinokourov has, people will question them because of his relationship with Ferrari."
Last year, Ferrari was cleared by an Italian appeals court of distributing health-threatening doping products to athletes. He has always denied he dispensed illegal substances.
