Controversial Kazakhstan cyclist Alexander Vinokourov returns to racing this evening following a two-year doping ban for a positive test at the Tour de France in 2007.
Vinokourov will take part in the 45km Castillon-la-Bataille criterium in Western France but he will not be racing for the Kazakh team Astana.
The 35-year-old, whose ban ended on July 23, had said prior to the Tour de France last month that he would be welcomed back to the Kazakh-backed team, which was created by and for him in 2006. "Astana was created in 2006, it is our baby, I would not want to join another team," Vinokourov said in Monaco.
However, the team's press officer Phillipe Maertens said yesterday that Vinokourov would not be racing under the team's name and the rider had not yet reached any agreement to ride for the Astana squad.
Vinkourov's pending return to the squad was part of the reason for the departure of Lance Armstrong and sports director Johan Bruyneel and the team is heading for a major revamp, with Tour de France winner and Astana rider Alberto Contador also set to join a new team.
Armstrong has since joined new outfit RadioShack while Contador turned down a contract extension with Astana and plans to leave the squad at the end of the season.
Bruyneel, who led Lance Armstrong to his seven Tour de France triumphs, took over management of Astana after Vinokourov's drug scandal.
I think it depends on the Lidl. There's two near me, one is just half a mile away and has been open over 20 years. The bike parking is not great,...
How about just putting the 20mph limits in wherever there's been a traffic collision? That could change the nature of motorways though.
Obviously we only have the snippets of information from the newspaper report, but Mr Brayley might be correct....
Thanks! For some reason it's not showing up here: https://road.cc/show/tags/nmotd/145572
But it's OK because our taxes are being used to subsidise those poor hard-done-by motorists by freezing fuel duty
Yeah, I saw the Standard headline and thought 1 how many drivers have jumped red lights and been fined (after all they're the ones risking the most...
I have the same issue and recently switched to hot waxing the chain and keeping the drive train free from conventional grease. On dry days a simple...
The Redshift bar has its potential uses; I've had a Giant Defy for a few years and I'm not as flexible now as when I bought it. I would really like...
Highway Code rule 237 If you are dazzled by bright sunlight, slow down and if necessary, stop.
Im betting these come out of the same factory as the SG and the Grip grab gloves. Identical apart from the Silicon overlay....