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Tour de France is in terrible confusion. 2007 was declared by the organizers the year of the fight against doping, and Christian Pondum and his comrades very much hoped that the race would do without loud scandals. Still, after all, representatives of all teams beat themselves in the chest and solemnly promised to observe the principles of an honest game. However, by the middle of the tour, the T-Mobail team was caught at the doping, Patrick Sinkevich, and this week a total collapse happened. Alexander Vinokurov, one of the most charismatic and popular people in Peloton, the leader of the Astana group, the winner of the two stages of 2007, is convicted of the use of blood doping. Doping test, taken from Vinokurov after the cutting he won, showed the presence of testosterone in the blood.

The first case of blood doping in professional cycling was recorded in 2004 at the Athens Olympics. American Tyler Hamilton, who became the Olympic champion in the race with a separate start, did not go through a doping test and was deprived of the title. Thus, the terms “HEOTROPRENSFUSI” and “heterotransfusion” were introduced into circulation. In the case of Vinokurov, doctors suspect that the Kazakh racer was transfused by his father's blood. Vinokurov retires from everything, even despite the fact that the “B” test also gave a positive result.

“I never resorted to doping, because I find it unacceptable for my profession. Talking with the doctors of the team; They believe that a positive test could become the result of an abnormal amount of blood in my hips. All this happened not by chance. The successes of our team have envy of many. It is a shame that I have to leave the tour de France in this way, but I will fight to prove my innocence. I heard the version that my father's blood was poured over. This is absurd. I can say that if it were so, the tests would show the presence of vodka ” - these words of Vinokurov are given by all leading information agencies.

However, colleagues and rivals of Vinokurov are not slopes to believe his excuses. The reaction followed immediately. Most riders sharply criticize Vinokurov not only for deception, but also for attempts to justify themselves. The epithets are used by the most diverse - from rather restrained to frankly abusive ones.

The next of them was the manager of the Kofidis team Eric Boyer, who called Vinokurov "a bastard who discredits all professional cycling." Eight teams (six French and two German) intend to hold a protest rally today. It has already been announced that these groups will unite in the "Movement for the purity of cycling." It is clear that “Astana” is not among them: yesterday, the leaders of the cycling group removed the team from the tour. And the French police searched in the rooms of all riders and staff - police officers were looking for traces and evidence.

Be that as it may, the tour will continue: Christian Pradom said that he had not even thought about stopping the race. The head of the tour hopes that cycling will survive this scandal, but the consequences promise to be serious. Less and fewer people believe that professional cycling can be saved. It is not surprising that the T-Mobail company, which has sponsored the team of the same name since time immemorial, is already thinking about leaving the game. If such people doubt the advisability of participation, then what to say about the rest.

The tour was not limited to a doping scandal: the explosion thundered at yesterday. A home -made explosive device of small power was installed on the sidelines of the road and worked immediately after cars with advertising posters drove past the bomb. These cars, as always, moved in front of riders. Among the athletes, as well as among the audience, there are no injured. Perhaps the bomb is the work of the Basque terrorist group. According to ITAR-TASS with reference to the PAS newspaper, the unknown warned by telephone by the Spanish road traffic control of alleged diversions in Navarra.

PS *last night it became known that the doping of another racer of the tour, whose name is still kept secret, gave a positive result. *