Vinokourov fails dope test

Astana leader Alexander Vinokourov failed a dope test after winning Saturday's Tour de France time trial, prompting his team to leave the race yesterday.

Vinokourov, who has won two stages in this year's race but was not in contention for the overall victory, has been sacked by Astana, the team said in a statement.

"The doping test carried on Alexander Vinokourov after last Saturday's time trial in Albi has returned positive," the Swiss team backed by Kazakh companies said in a statement.

"There is the presence of a double population of haematids (blood corpuscles), which implies there has been a blood transfusion with homological (the same type of) blood.

"Tour organisers have asked Astana Team to leave the race, which has been accepted."

Vinokourov has asked for the B sample to be tested.

Vuelta champion Vinokourov was one of the pre-race favourites for this year's Tour but injured his knees in a crash during the first week of the race.

The 33-year-old then blew any hopes of victory when he finished almost half-an-hour down on stage winner Alberto Contador and overall leader Michael Rasmussen on Sunday.

Vinokourov, who won Monday's 15th stage, was 23rd in the overall standings, 28 minutes and 21 seconds behind yellow jersey holder Rasmussen of Denmark.

Andreas Kloeden was Astana's best placed rider in the standings. The German, second in 2004 and third last year, was fifth overall, 5:34 down on the leader.

Meanwhile, the French gendarmerie were raiding the Astana team's hotel at the Tour de France last night, a witness told Reuters.