Tour de France:Alexander Vinokourov has been sacked by the Astana team following his positive test for blood doping on the Tour de France, the team announced today.
"Astana cycling team received confirmation that Alexander
Vinokourov's B sample was 'non negative'," the Swiss team backed by
Kazakh companies said in a statement.
"Consequently, the Kazakh rider has been sacked by Astana
cycling team with immediate effect."
Vinokourov tested positive for homologous blood doping, a
method using the blood from another person, following his victory
in a time trial in Albi on July 21st.
The Kazakh left the race last Tuesday and his Astana team
were invited by Tour organisers Amaury Sport Organisation to pull
out.
Vinokourov, winner of last year's Tour of Spain, denies
doping.
If found guilty he faces a two-year ban and according to the
International Cycling Union's (UCI) anti-doping charter will have
to pay a fine equal to a year's salary.
Vinokourov has questioned the competence of the French
laboratory (Laboratoire National de Depistage du Dopage) that
conducted the test.
"I have always raced clean", Vinokourov said in a statement
released by his lawyers on Saturday. "These test results simply
make no sense. Given all the attention paid to doping offences, you
would have to be crazy to do what I have been accused of, and I am
not crazy."
Spaniard Alberto Contador of the Discovery Channel team won
this year's Tour which was marred by doping scandals.
Italian Cristian Moreni tested positive for the male sex
hormone testosterone and his Cofidis team also left the race.
Michael Rasmussen was sacked by his Rabobank team when
leading the race for lying about his training whereabouts, an
allegation the Dane denies.
He had previously received two recorded warnings from the UCI
for failing to provide the sport's governing body with his personal
schedule.
Last year's Tour champion Floyd Landis is awaiting the ruling
of a US arbitration panel after testing positive for testosterone
during the 2006 race. He denies using performance-enhancing
substances.