Vinokourov hits new low

Alexandre Vinokourov’s cycling career is in tatters after he was fired by the Astana team.

Vinokourov, the Tour de France’s pre-race favourite, was thrown out of the event last week after returning a ’non-negative’ test result for blood doping after the time-trial in Albi.

The 33-year-old Kazakh had assembled the team himself and insisted they wear a uniform in the Kazakhstan national colours.

But as of yesterday he is no longer part of the team which left the Tour after their leader was thrown out.

A statement issued by the Astana team confirmed: “Astana Cycling Team received the confirmation that the B-sample of Alexandre Vinokourov was also ’non-negative’. The rider is then fired from the Astana Cycling Team with immediate effect.”

Vinokourov had proclaimed his innocence, claiming he would “have to be mad” to have committed the alleged doping offence.

The Tour was then hit with a fresh blow when it was revealed last night that Spanish rider Iban Mayo had been suspended by his team, Saunier Duval-Prodir, after testing positive on July 24.

Mayo tested positive for the banned substance EPO and will become the latest competitor to be sacked if his B sample fails to clear his name.

A statement on the team’s website, www.saunierduval-prodir.com, said: “The Saunier Duval-Prodir team were notified by the International Cycling Union (UCI) that Iban Mayo had tested positive for EPO following a test on July 24, which was a rest day on the Tour de France.

“In line with the fight against doping that the team fully support, the rider was immediately suspended without pay until the B sample has been tested. If this is confirmed as positive as well, the team will proceed to rescind his contract.”

Meanwhile, government officials in France will this week meet with Patrice Clerc and other cycling chiefs as discussions continue regarding the path to take in the fight against drugs.

Clerc, the president of Tour organiser Amaury Sport Organisation, said: “Knowing that a large part of what happened in this Tour could have been avoided, you can’t not have a great feeling of anger.

“This isn’t new – for years, I have said that the sport is suffering from above all an image problem. This problem sprouts from the affairs that have come out into the open, but equally from the permanent suspicion of the performances.”