Astana team leader Alexander Vinokourov failed a dope test after winning Saturday’s Tour de France time trial, his team announced on Tuesday.
They did not give any further details but a cycling source said the Kazakh, who has won two stages on this year’s Tour, tested positive for blood doping.
”I cannot comment on this until the result of the B sample’s analysis,” International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid told Reuters over the phone.
British rider David Millar, who was holding a press conference in Pau when the news broke, said: ”Jesus Christ, I’m speechless.
”It makes me sad. I have the impression the riders will never understand.”
Millar served a two-year ban and was stripped of his gold medal from the 2003 world championships after admitting taking the banned blood-booster EPO.
Vinokourov’s Astana team subsequently announced after his test failure they were quitting the race. — Reuters