Scandal at the Tour de France

I flipped on the TV replay of today's stage in the Tour de France just in time to watch Austrian Alexandre Vinokourov win by a significant margin. While watching the rest of the field come in I checked in at Little Green Footballs and found this:

PAU, France - Tour de France rider Alexandre Vinokourov tested positive for a banned blood transfusion after winning last weekend's time trial, prompting his Astana team to pull out of the race Tuesday and police to raid the team hotel.

Despite the latest heavy blow to a sport reeling from doping scandals, Tour de France organizers said the race would go on.

The Kazakh rider, a one-time favorite to win cycling's premier event, was tested after his victory in the 13th stage time trial on Saturday.

"Vino has tested positive having to do with a blood transfusion and the team is leaving the Tour," team spokeswoman Corinne Druey said, using the rider's nickname.

Astana team manager Marc Biver said Vinokourov was sent home. His backup B-sample test results are expected by the end of the week.

"Alexandre denies having manipulated his blood," Biver said, adding that the rider believes that "blood anomalies in his body" may have resulted from a crash he was involved in last week.

Too bad - it casts a shadow on the whole Tour.