Alexander Vinokourov of Team Astana amazed us with his victory in the Albi time trial on Saturday. He amazed us again yesterday with his victory in Loudenvielle.
Bandaged and bloody, Vino apparently had a little help in the form of an autoglobous blood transfusion. Team Astana has pulled out of the Tour, and the Tour is in an uproar with yet another protaganist testing positive for doping.
Links to the tragic news can be found here at CyclingNews.com and VeloNews.
Cycling Commentary shares David Millar's sentiments:
"What timing, huh? This is just fucking great."
He continued:
"I'm gutted. I really feel like crying right now."
From Phil Liggett:
"Paul, Bob and I are, for once, speechless. We are all very upset and such a stupid action at a time the sport looked to be putting its own house in order. It is incomprehensible that Vinokourov could do such a thing when he must have known he was under suspicion because of his dealing with disgraced doctor Michele Ferrari in Italy. He must have known he would be tested at every opportunity and the time trial was the perfect occasion."
Cycling cannot take much more of this nonsense.
This is horrible for any fan and it's the biggest disappointment in years. The future looks grim for cycling.
Posted by: steve martin | July 24, 2007 at 02:17 PM
I hang my head in shame. Just when we thought we were getting this doping scandal behind us, Vino the hero goes down.
Posted by: Chuck Abbe | July 24, 2007 at 10:33 PM