http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19932813/

  Report: Vinokourov positive for transfusion

    Kazakh reportedly positive for blood transfusion after winning time
    trial

Updated: 23 minutes ago

PARIS - Tour de France rider Alexandre Vinokourov
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19932813/#> tested positive for a banned
blood transfusion after winning last weekendÂ’s time trial, the French
sports daily LÂ’Equipe reported on its Web site Tuesday.

The newspaper said the test took place after the Kazakh riderÂ’s victory
on Saturday.

Vinokourov, who rides for the Astana team, also won MondayÂ’s 15th stage
of the Tour. He is 23rd in the overall race standings.

Vinokourov, a pre-race favorite, seemed to drop out of contention after
losing 28 minutes, 50 seconds to Tour leader Michael Rasmussen in
SundayÂ’s stage.

LÂ’Equipe said the analysis was conducted by the Chatenay-Malabry lab on
the outskirts of Paris. It said two distinctive types of red blood cells
were found in the A sample and showed that Vinokourov received a blood
transfusion from a compatible donor shortly before the time trial.

Corinne Druey, a spokeswoman for VinokourovÂ’s Astana team, declined
immediate comment.

Vinokourov has been a crowd favorite along the course route this year.
He was injured in a crash in the fifth stage, requiring stitches in both
knees.

“With a guy of his stature and class, in cycling’s current situation, we
might as well pack our bags and go home,” said British rider David
Millar, who came back from a two-year doping
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19932813/#> ban in the Tour last year.

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