Alexandr Vinokurov

He may be gone from the Tour, but Vino's Specialized Tarmac SL4 still deserves a look

LE LIORAN, France (AFP) ─ The Astana team reported on Monday that an operation on Alexander Vinokourov's fractured femur was successful following his devastating crash at the Tour de France the day before.

Alexander Vinokourov and Jurgen Van den Broeck crash out of the 2011 Tour de France.

SAINT PIERRE DE CHARTREUSE, France (AFP) - Veteran Kazkah rider Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) took the overall leader's jersey in the Criterium du Dauphine race here on Monday after Belgian Jurgen Van den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) won the first stage, a 144km ride from Albertville.

LIÈGE, Belgium (AFP) ─ Defending champion Alexander Vinokourov has ruled out a concerted effort in the peloton to stop race favorite Philippe Gilbert from winning Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

WALSHOUTEM, Belgium (VN) – Nearly lost in the fever of Philippe Gilbert’s triumph for Omega Pharma-Lotto at La Flèche Wallonne Wednesday was Alexander Vinokourov’s best-ever result in the mid-week classic. Astana’s defending champion of Liége-Bastogne-Liége ground out a fourth-place result atop the Mur de Huy and said afterward that the ride gave him much confidence ahead of Sunday’s Ardennes finale.

HUY, Belgium (VN) – Alexander Vinokourov will have a full arsenal at his disposal in his bid for a third Liège-Bastogne-Liège title Sunday. Roman Kreuziger will join his Astana teammates Saturday evening in Liège after the Giro del Trentino wraps up earlier in the day in Italy.

MADRID (AFP) - Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) has won the third stage of the Tour of the Basque Country, attacking in the final kilometer to win the 180km stage from Villatuerta Zuia to Murgia (180 km).

The full punch of the Ardennes Mountains will be felt during Liège-Bastogne-Liège April 24 when the Côte de la Haute-Levée returns to the sport’s oldest monument.

MONACO (AFP) - Embattled Tour de France winner Alberto Contador was wiped from the record when his former Astana team staged its 2011 launch on Friday.

An October criterium in the Mexican state is expecting Vino', Basso, the Schleck brothers, Sammy Sanchez and more. But the Vuelta a Chihuahua will not be held.

Cycling’s version of musical chairs is hitting a new fever pitch this week as yet another big name is set to change teams.

Alexander Vinokourov received an emotional finish-line hug from Astana teammate Alberto Contador moments after winning Saturday’s 13th stage.

Denied Friday, Vino strikes out on a dramatic late-race solo attack

Alexander Vinokourov remains an enigma for many watching the 2010 Tour de France.

For RadioShack team director Johan Bruyneel, “We Might As Well Win” — the title of his 2008 book — has given way to a more relaxed attitude.

With each passing stage, lexander Vinokourov is quietly gaining confidence that he can win the Giro.

The young Australian ride the HTC-Columbia leadout train to victory, as the sprinters' teams end the streak of breakaways

Rewind to one of the most epic Giro stages ever when the 2010 edition tackled the grime and mud of the white roads of Tuscany, and heralded a new generation of GC kings.

2010 Giro d'Italia, stage 4 team time trial

Wouter Weylandt (Quick Step) wins stage 3; Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) leads the Giro.

Readers weigh in on Cav's salute, Vino's return, Williams' suspension.

Astana’s Alexandre Vinokourov fires back at his critics, asking, "In what other sport are you allowed to participate without the right to win?"

After the Kazakh dropped the Russian in the last 100 meters of the last climb and cruised the final 400 meters to the line, the crowd let out an unseemly chorus of boos. That’s probably never happened before at a monumental classic.

Despite getting booed as he crossed the finish line Sunday in victory at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, a repentant Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) said fans and journalists should believe him when he says his win was clean.

VeloNews European correspondent Andrew Hood snaps some pix of Alexander Vinokourov's flashy new Specialized.

Vinokourov takes overall at Trentino

Bertolini surprises sprinters at Trentino

Astana's Alexander Vinokourov won the first stage of the Giro del Trentino in northern Italy on Tuesday.

Team Astana’s Alexander Vinokourov said Friday that winning the Tour de France was a dream for him, but it’s not any longer.

VeloNews' Kurt Hoy tagged along on an Astana team training ride near Calpe, Spain, Friday morning, and hustled back to send in some shots of the Tour champ Alberto Contador's first ride with his new teammate Alexander Vinokourov.

Vinokourov joined Contador for a team training ride near Calpe, Spain, on Friday, and VeloNews' Kurt Hoy was along to take pics.

Alberto Contador's most notable teammate was not in Calpe, Spain, for the opening day of the team's training camp, but Alexander Vinokourov was expected to arrive later and complete the camp, team officials said.

Alberto Contador and his Team Astana mates will be riding Specialized bicycles as he strives to win a third Tour de France in 2010.