Alexander Vinokourov

(Newser) - Cycling darling Alexander Vinokourov was forced to withdraw from the Tour de France yesterday after testing positive for an illicit blood transfusion. The Kazakh had won two stages of the race and climbed to the 23rd spot after crashing in the fifth stage. He denied doing anything illegal and indicated...

(Newser) - The rider considered by many the favorite in this year's Tour de France crashed hard yesterday, dropping him from 12th place to 81st and seriously threatening what could be his last shot at winning. Kazakh rider Alexander Vinokourov, his knees bloodied, managed to cross the finish line of the113-mile fifth...