Vinokourov positive plunges Tour into crisis

By Julien Pretot

PAU, France (Reuters) - Alexander Vinokourov and his Astana team became the latest high-profile casualties in the war against doping on Tuesday, with cycling descending into chaos once again.

The Kazakh rider tested positive for blood-doping on the Tour de France after smashing his rivals in Saturday's time trial even though he had crashed heavily in the fifth stage to Autun.

Vinokourov, cheered by thousands of fans on his way to a second stage victory on Monday, was sacked by Astana, who pulled out of the race. The team's hotel in Pau was then raided by the gendarmerie.

"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 organizers have asked Astana Cycling Team to leave the race, which has been accepted spontaneously."

The Vuelta champion has asked for his B sample to be analyzed and has left Pau for his Monaco home.

BLOOD ANOMALIES

"We now have to wait for the B sample analysis results," Astana manager Marc Biver said. "It will be analyzed before the end of the week.

"Vino denies any blood manipulation. He says after his crash on July 12, there may be blood anomalies.

"Leaving the Tour is a shock for the team. It's catastrophic. Everybody is shocked," he added."

International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid told Reuters he could not comment until after the B sample results were known.

Vinokourov's positive test is the latest in a series of doping scandals in the sport over recent years but Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said the cheats would be chased down.

"I told the riders before the start that this was a fantastic opportunity for renewal," he said at a news conference.

"That has failed. But the cheats must understand that they are playing Russian roulette. We are utterly determined."