Vino returns to top of Tour after doping ban
Tour de France 2010, stage 13 photo gallery by Graham Watson>>
Alexandre Vinokourov marked his comeback to the Tour de France today in Revel with a stage win. The Kazakh marked three years since he last astonished fans with his aggressive wins that were subsequently tainted by a blood doping positive.
"Staring the race was already an important step for me," Vino explained. "So this win means a lot."
Vinokourov nearly won yesterday after an all-day escape, which was caught by team leader Alberto Contador and Luis León Sánchez in the last kilometre. He bounced back today, though, three years after leaving the Tour de France in disgrace.
In 2007, he led Astana at the Tour de France. He struggled, but came away with a time trial win over Cadel Evans and a mountain stage win in Loudenvielle. One day later, he tested positive for a blood transfusion.
Vinokourov never confessed to doping, but said that he would retire after he was caught. He only received a two-year suspension when the UCI heard he planned to return.
Contador joined the team while Vinokourov was away, though he and Astana were not allowed to race the 2008 Tour de France. He instead went on to win the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España that year.
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Vinokourov said at the start of this year that he is at the Tour de France only to help Contador win the overall. Yesterday and today, though, he was allowed his freedom for a stage win.
"After the stage, you could see that he [Contador] was happy for my win," added Vinokourov. "It's an important win for the whole team ahead of four mountain days in the Pyrenees."
Contador trails Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) by 31 seconds in the overall classification.
HTC-Columbia had hoped the stage ending in a sprint for Mark Cavendish. It worked in the final kilometres, but the Saint-Ferréol climb with 7.5 kilometres to go proved too much. Vinokourov slipped away after an attack from Alessandro Ballan (BMC Racing), Thomas Voeckler (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) and Luis León Sánchez (Caisse d'Epargne).
Cavendish secured the sprint for second, taking 30 points and moving within 25 points of the green jersey and sprint classification leader, Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre).
"When Vinokourov went, he went so, so fast. It was an incredible ride from Vinokourov. He deserved the win and to hold off the peloton, it was a very impressive ride. I had to settle for second," said Cavendish.
"We can be satisfied with second. It's about minimising my losses now. I lost a lot of points in that first week and it's just about minimising my losses and seeing where we go when we get to Paris."
Sky's Juan Antonio Flecha took points in both of the two intermediate sprints today. He joined an early escape with Frenchmen Pierrick Fédrigo (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) and winner of two stages in this year's Tour de France, Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step).
Their move lasted until the final ten kilometres, just prior to the Saint Ferréol climb.
"It was not the goal to be in the breakaway today," said Flecha. "But we had to be in the front in case a good breakaway was going and I was there and I was feeling good today."
He said he had thought about his only other Tour de France stage win during the race. When he won just 50 kilometres away from Revel in Toulouse ten years ago, in 2003.
RESULTS
Tour de France 2010, stage 13: Rodez to Revel, 196km
1. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana
2. Mark Cavendish (GB) HTC-Columbia at 13sec
3. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini at same time
4. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Sky
5. Jose Joaquin Rojas Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
6. Julian Dean (NZ) Garmin-Transitions
7. Anthony Geslin (Fra) Francaise des Jeux
8. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo
9. Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre-Farnese Vini
10. Lloyd Mondory (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale
Overall classification after stage 13
1. Andy Schleck (Lux) Saxo Bank
2. Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana at 31sec
3. Samuel Sanchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi at 2-45
4. Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank at 2-58
5. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma Lotto at 3-31
6. Levi Leipheimer (USA) RadioShack at 4-06
7. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 4-27
8. Joaquin Rodriguez (Esp) Katusha 4-58
9. Luis Leon Sanchez (Esp) Caisse d'Epargne 5-02
10. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 5-16
Other
16. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Team Sky at 7-39
Points classification: Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
Mountains classificaton: Anthony Charteau (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
Best young rider: Andy Schleck (Lux) Saxo Bank
Team: RadioShack
Mark Cavendish wins sprint for second place
Andy Schleck safely in yellow
Tour de France 2010: Latest news
Renshaw disqualification overshadows Cavendish's win
Charly Wegelius pulls out of Tour
Did Armstrong own a stake in Tailwind Sports, or not?
Cavendish in a 'must win' situation for Tour's green jersey
Millar rides through pain barrier to make time cut
Roche alongside Tour's top men ahead of Pyrenees
Wiggins to aim for Tour de France stage win?
Dan Lloyd battles on in Tour despite groin strain
Bradley Wiggins: Tour rest day conference
Evans faces rough ride in yellow
Riis secures replacement sponsor but Shleck in doubt
Tour de France 2010: rest day review (July 12)
Armstrong's Tour de France dream ends
Sky's objective clear ahead of Tour's high mountains
The Feed Zone (July 10): Tour de France news and views
Tour de France 2010: Stage reports
Stage 12: Rodriguez wins as Contador attacks
Stage 11: Cavendish bags third stage win but lead out man kicked out of Tour
Stage 10: Cavendish bags third stage win but his lead-out man is kicked out of race
Stage 10: Paulinho claims narrow stage victory on Bastille day
Stage nine: Casar wins stage as Schleck and Contador go head-to-head
Stage seven: Chavanel wins stage and takes overall as Thomas drops out of Tour's white
Stage six: Cavendish makes it two as Tour hots up
Stage five: Cavendish wins his first stage of Tour
Stage four: Petacchi wins into Reims
Stage three: Hushovd takes dramatic win; Thomas second on stage and GC
Stage three live coverage: As it happened
Stage two: Comeback man Chavanel takes victory in Spa
Stage one: Petacchi wins in Brussels as bunch left in tatters
Prologue: Cancellara pips Martin to win
Tour de France 2010: Photos
Stage 11 photo gallery
Stage 10 photo gallery
Stage nine photo gallery
Stage eight photo gallery
Tour 2010 wallpaper
Stage seven photo gallery
Stage six photo gallery
Stage five photo gallery
Stage four photo gallery
Stage three photo gallery
Stage two photo gallery
Stage one gallery
Prologue photo gallery
Tour de France 2010: Videos
Stage 11 video highlights
Stage 10 video highlights
Stage nine video highlights
Stage eight video highlights
Stage seven video highlights
Stage six video highlights
Stage five video highlights
Stage four video highlights
Stage three video highlights
Stage two video highlights
Stage one video highlights
Prologue video highlights
Tour de France 2010: Race guide
Tour de France 2010: Cycling Weekly's coverage index
Official start list, with race numbers
Brits at the Tour 2010
Tout team guide
Tour jerseys: What they are and what they mean
Brits in the Tours: From Robinson to Wiggins
Tour de France 2010: Pictures
Tour team presentation, Rotterdam
Tour teams take to the cobbles: Photo special
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