> I have been victimised!

Safin

"It's been going on for months and today they're managing to demolish me. - Alexander Vinokourov

Alexandre Vinokourov is protesting his innocence after testing positive positive for an illegal blood transfusion.

The 33-year-old Kazakh rider, whose team Astana immediately pulled out of the prestigious race, is facing a two-year ban from the sport if his B sample also comes back positive.

Reports claims the pre-race favourite had two different kinds of blood globules, which indicates he has had a transfusion from someone of a compatible group.

But Vinokourov has insisted he has done nothing wrong, telling reporters: "It's a mistake. I never doped, that's not the way I see my profession.

"I think it's a mistake in part due to my crash. I have spoken to the team doctors who had a hypothesis that there was an enormous amount of blood in my thighs, which could have led to my positive test."

Cyclists frustrated at the sport's recent doping scandals staged a protest at the start of the 16th stage, the last in the Pyrenees.

Vinokourov, who has also claimed he and his team have been victimised, added: "It's been going on for months and today they're managing to demolish me.

"The setting-up of our team made a lot of people jealous and now we're paying the price."

"It's a shame to leave the Tour this way, but I don't want to waste time in proving my innocence."

ITV News - Tour de France star protests innocence

Looking at the article doc posted yesterday, i am pretty sure vino has been victimized too

Safin

Meanwhile Michael Rasmussen has hit back too...

He told Danish tabloid BT: "I am shattered. I am on the verge of tears. I was not in Italy. Not at all. That's the story of one man who believes he recognised me. There is no hint of evidence.

"My career is ruined. I have no idea what I should do or where I will go. This is an enormous blow for me, and also for all the guys from the Rabo team. They're devastated," he was also quoted in Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

medpal · 06:53 PM

thinking about the same line,

Vinokourov may be the victim of dirty french politics.

As the french cant digest someone shattering their dreams they accuse them to be cheating, people have been saying armstrong cheated but he was never caught and the initial accusers were french and the same L`Equipe newspaper.

While the case of Rasmussen is completely different. According to laid down rules if a rider misses 3 random tests then it is considered to be a positive test and steps are taken.

Rasmussen missed 4 tests in row in months preceding Tour de france, he may not have taken drugs but his intentions were definitely not clear.

Another point is he is national of Denmark but he is not registered with Danish federation. He was initially registered with Mexico and then right now with Monaco. Both these federations are worst in doping control, in last 4 years Rasmussen has never been tested for doping by these federations.

SO vinokourov yes could be a victim of politics but Rasmussen

Flloyd Landis comes out in support of Vinokourov

Floyd Landis criticized France's anti-doping laboratory following Alexandre Vinokourov's positive test for a banned blood transfusion.

The French sports daily L'Equipe first reported the positive test on its Web site on Tuesday, saying the analysis was conducted by the Chatenay-Malabry lab on the outskirts of Paris. Two distinctive types of red blood cells were found in the A sample, showing Vinokourov received a blood transfusion from a compatible donor before Saturday's time trial.

"Just as in my case, LNDD (Chatenay-Malabry) has leaked the test results to Equipe, permanently damaging Vino's reputation and causing him to defend an allegation without any evidence," Landis said in a statement on Wednesday.

Landis won last year's Tour after a dramatic comeback ride on stage 17. Days after the race, the French lab revealed he had tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone.

"It is similar to my case because the LNDD's leaked results have the potential to alter the outcome of the Tour de France before they have proved the alleged doping violation," Landis said.

Landis is awaiting the results of the nine-day arbitration held on May 14.

"Although we certainly are concerned about the impact of doping on sports, we hope that LNDD's allegations will be supported by evidence, unlike Floyd's case, for the sake of the Tour de France and all its riders," claims Landis' attorney, Maurice Suh.

Safin

Doc did you hear what the commentators just said. Vino admitted guilt

I haven't seen any news of that.

Anyway related articles:
Landis wastes no time criticizing French lab for Vinokourov's doping test report - International Herald Tribune

"Just as in my case, LNDD (Chatenay-Malabry) has leaked the test results to Equipe, permanently damaging Vino's reputation and causing him to defend an allegation without any evidence," Landis said in a statement on Wednesday.

Rider tested positive twice

Disgraced Kazakh rider Alexandre Vinokourov, thrown off the Tour de France for blood doping, has failed two drug tests during this year's race, according to a report in yesterday's L'Equipe.

The Astana team leader, one of the favourites to win the 2007 Tour, supplied a positive A sample to a test taken after his victory in Saturday's 13th stage, a time trial in Albi.

And L'Equipe claim the 33-year-old was tested again after winning Monday's 15th stage in the Pyrenees and that too came back positive.

SI.com - More Sports - Kazakh official feel Vinokourov was targeted - Wednesday July 25, 2007 3:24PM

Safin

And the reaction of french press.. as expected with plenty of toppings to add to the spice

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | French press reacts to Tour scandal
Death notice: the Tour de France died on 25 July 2007, at the age of 104, after a long illness... - FRANCE SOIR

This one is too much

It really doesn't matter who wins the Tour. The 2007 edition died on 24 July on the heights of Loudenvielle.

Killed by Alexandre Vinokourov, idolised by the media and cycling fans, but revealed to have the blood of another running in his veins on the finishing line. Damn Vinokourov! He sullied the infinite beauty of the Pyrenees, dirtied cycling a little more and further discredited the Tour de France.

French media on overdrive.

Safin

news on this:
Astana team suspending activities in August in wake of Vinokourov doping scandal - International Herald Tribune
Tour De France: Astana dismiss Vinokourov - Independent Online Edition > General

The Astana cycling team is suspending its activities for a month following the Alexandre Vinokourov doping scandal at the Tour de France.

The announcement Tuesday means no Astana riders will take part in the four UCI Pro-Tour races scheduled in August.

Astana said the suspension would allow "the whole team management, staff and riders to think about its future."

The Pro Tour races in August are the Tour of Germany, the San Sebastian Classic in Spain, the Vattenfall Classics in Germany, and the Eneco Tour in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Astana said it would announce new team regulations and ethics rules at a later date. The first race after the team's self-imposed suspension is the Spanish Vuelta, scheduled to start on Sept. 1.

Also Tuesday, Swiss bicycle manufacturer BMC Trading AG said it has ended its sponsorship of Astana.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan sports leaders stood by Vinokourov on Tuesday.

"The athlete denies using doping and Kazakhstan's Ministry of Sport is fully on the cyclist's side," Kazakhstan Cycling Federation executive director Alexander Antyshev said, according to the state-run Kazinform news agency.

Antyshev said Kazakh cycling officials would take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, to "try to prove the erroneousness of the results of the A and B tests as well as the illegality of taking the entire Astana team out of the race by the organizers."

And news surrounding the kazak take on the issue:
EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Kazakhstan: Questions Surround Tour De France Doping Scandal

Most commentators agreed that this marks the end of Vinokourov’s career, but there was no sense of Schadenfreude. "We are incredibly sorry for Vinokourov," commented Kapital, who projected the 2007 Tour de France could be Vinokourov’s last. "He was a hero from a fairytale . . .."

Safin

And if this wasn't already enough, Mayo has failed a drugs test too

Bloomberg.com: Germany

The International Cycling Union yesterday told the Saunier Duval-Prodir team that Mayo failed a test for the banned blood- boosting hormone erythropoietin, known as EPO, during the July 24 rest day at the sport's marquee event.