As expected, the nine-rider squad has built with the aim to help Alberto Contador win a third Tour de France. It includes experienced riders such as Vinokourov, Italian domestique Paolo Tiralongo and the Ukraine’s Andriy Grivko, plus Spaniards David De la Fuente, Jesus Hernandez, Benjamin Noval and Daniel Navarro.

2006 Tour de France winner Oscar Pereiro is not in the final nine. He has been training at altitude with Contador on the Sierra de Madrid but will likely target the Vuelta Espana in September.

“The Team Astana that will support Alberto Contador on the roads of the Tour de France is the result of collective teamwork. The team that will be in Rotterdam on the 3rd of July is a strong, united group full of different qualities,” Team manager Yvon Sanquer said in a statement.

“Along with the experienced Alexander Vinokourov, all the other seven riders will work to support Alberto Contador with their combined strength. They are ready to help him in the mountains stages and on the flat stages, all the way to Paris on the 25th of July.”

Final altitude training, Bordeaux visit

Contador opted not to ride the Spanish national road championships this week. Instead he headed to altitude for a final week of mountain training in the Sierra de Madrid and then on Sunday traveled to Bordeaux to study the final time trial stage of the Tour de France.

On one ride, Contador climbed to the summit of the Bola del Mondo, the highest point in the Sierra de Madrid at 2247 metres.

“I’m very happy with the work we have done both myself and all my teammates. I want to thank all the members of the team for the great work they have done,” Contador said.

The nine riders in the Astana Tour de France team are: Alberto Contador (SPA),Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ), David De la Fuente (SPA), Andriy Grivko (UKR), Jesus Hernandez (SPA), Maxim Iglinskiy (KAZ), Daniel Navarro (SPA), Benjamin Noval (SPA) and Paolo Tiranlongo (ITA).

Courtesy Stephen Farrand

Wednesday’s 33km team time trial from Savigliano to Cuneo saw Liquigas power to an impressive victory in 36:37 that saw all nine team riders cross the line together.

Vincenzo Nibali, who started the day just five seconds behind race leader Alexander Vinokourov and who was called up as a last-minute replacement for Franco Pellizotti last week — takes the Giro’s fourth pink jersey in as many stages.

“This pink jersey is like a dream for me,” said Nibali, seventh overall in last year’s Tour de France. “This is for my teammates, because we went really strong throughout the course. I still cannot believe it and I have goose-bumps.”

Sky powered to the fastest intermediate time of 19:31 (29 seconds faster than Liquigas) but struggled later in the race to only finish with six in 36:50.

Garmin, starting without Christian Vande Velde who crashed out Monday with a broken clavicle, finished a distant eighth at 49 seconds off the pace. David Millar started the day third at one second back and slipped to ninth at 45 seconds back.

Mid-race starters saw a heavy downpour midway through the course and later, a change of wind direction from the side to more of a tailwind seemed to favor the later starters.

Vinokourov (Astana) saw his grip on the pink jersey melt in the final kilometers. Liquigas was strongest in the final quarter of the course while Astana struggled to stay together, stopping the clock tied with Cervélo at 37:15. Vinokourov slipped to sixth at 33 seconds back.

“I had hoped to take some more time off the climbers,” lamented Vinokourov, the winner last month of the hilly one-day classic Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

“The weather conditions didn’t do us any favors.”

Several big names lost a lot of time, including Damiano Cunego and Gilberto Simoni (Lampre), 13th at 1:43; Marzio Bruseghin (Caisse d’Epargne) at 18th at 2:21; Michele Scarponi (Androni), 19th at 2:24; and Stefano Garzelli (Acqua e Sapone), 21st at 2:39.

Carlos Sastre, who crashed hard in Sunday’s second stage and lost more time Monday, was very pleased with Cervélo’s performance that limited his losses against Liquigas and gained back some time to riders like Cadel Evans (BMC) and the Italians. He slots into 32nd at 2:13, but realizes things could have been even worse.

“This team time trial has been a positive balance. To finish sixth, with the same time as Astana, in a time trial course like that after the first two stages and the rest day has been important to recover lost time with some important riders,” Sastre said. “The team did a sensational job and, frankly, it was important to be well-organized and have a motivated team.”

Evans was hoping for more from his young BMC squad. The team, one of only two teams starting with less than nine riders (Garmin was the other minus Vande Velde), posted an early fast time at 37:58, but soon saw the big guns take important gains.

When the dust settled, Evans lost 1:21 to Liquigas, but the team took solace that against other GC rivals, such as Vinokourov or Sastre, the losses were less than expected.
Wiggins leads Sky

“It was a regular time trial that didn’t cost Cadel too much time,” said BMC sport director John Lelangue. “With the team we have here, and those conditions, the guys were really working to make it happen. Liquigas made a really good time, but there are a lot of mountains to come.”

Stage:

* 1. Liquigas in 36:37:00
* 2. Sky in 36:50:00
* 3. HTC-Columbia in 36:58:00
* 4. Katusha in 37:04:00
* 5. Cervelo in 37:15:00
* 6. Astana in 37:15:00
* 7. Omega-Pharma in 37:23:00
* 8. Garmin in 37:26:00
* 9. Saxo Bank in 37:27:00
* 10. Milram in 37:34:00

GC:

* 1. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) Liquigas Doimo in 10:44:00
* 2. Ivan Basso (ITA) Liquigas Doimo at 0:13
* 3. Valerio Agnoli (ITA) Liquigas Doimo at 0:20
* 4. Harley Goss Matthew (AUS) HTC-Columbia at 0:26
* 5. Andre Greipel (GER) HTC-Columbia at 0:26
* 6. Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ) Astana at 0:33
* 7. Vladimir Karpets (RUS) Team Katusha at 0:39
* 8. Richie Porte (AUS) Team Saxo Bank at 0:45
* 9. David Millar (GBR) Garmin-Transitions at 0:45
* 10. Paolo Tiralongo (ITA) Astana at 0:59

Courtesy Andrew Hood and www.velonews.com

The pan-flat 223km race from Amsterdam to Middelburg saw more crashes — including one that knocked Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Transitions) out of the Giro — and overnight race leader Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) was caught out following another pileup, losing more than enough time to put Vino’ into the maglia rosa.

The day began with a break that managed to build a comfortable lead of nearly eight minutes.

The bunch was soon impatient, however, and set about pulling them back, making the catch with about 70km to go.

The peloton then fragmented, with Damiano Cunego (Lampre) stuck in a group trailing the maglia rosa bunch containing most of the contenders for the overall. Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF) was caught out, too, as Team Sky and HTC-Columbia drove the pace up front.

The new wheeled order was Vinokourov in pink, with Riche Porte (Saxo Bank) second in the same time (he also leads the young rider classification), and David Millar (Garmin) third at one second back.

“I’m very satisfied to be in the pink,” said Vinokourov. “This allows us to go off last in (Wednesday’s) team time trial. That’s perfect!

“The team did excellent work. I saw Greipel was in front of us and I thought he’d take the jersey if he won. But he didn’t win and now we can really go for it in the time trial. The team will be more motivated than ever.”

Stage results:

* 1. Wouter Weylandt (Bel), Quick Step, 5:00:06.
* 2. Graeme Brown (Aus), Rabobank, s.t.
* 3. Robert Förster (Ger), Milram, s.t.
* 4. Danilo Hondo (Ger), Lampre, s.t.
* 5. Adam Blyth (GBR), s.t.

GC after stage

* 1. Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ), Astana, in 10:07:18
* 2. Richie Porte (AUS), Team Saxo Bank, s.t.
* 3. David Millar (GBR), Garmin-Transitions, at 0:01
* 4. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA), Liquigas Doimo, at 0:05
* 5. Marcel Sieberg (GER), HTC-Columbia, at 0:07

It was the second victory here for Vinokourov, who first won in 2005. He and Kolobnev escaped an elite lead group with some 15km to race, and the two rolled under the red kite together with more than a minute’s advantage on a disorganized chase. It was an uphill finish, and in the final 500 meters the Kazakh attacked up the right side of the road and opened an insurmountable gap.

“It is a beautiful victory for me,” he told Belgian TV afterward.

Amstel Gold champion Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) launched a desperate solo bid in the final kilometers, but fell short, being swept up under the red kite by world champion Cadel Evans (BMC) and Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne). They in turn were swamped by what remained of the peloton, and Valverde took a chaotic bunch sprint for the final place on the podium. Gilbert had to settle for fourth.

Chris Horner (Team RadioShack) was the top American, crossing in eighth spot.

Liège podium

Top 10

# 1. VINOKOUROV Alexandre Astana in 6:37:48
# 2. KOLOBNEV Alexandr Katusha Team
# 3. VALVERDE Alejandro Caisse d’Epargne at 01:04
# 4. GILBERT Philippe Omega Pharma – Lotto at 01:04
# 5. EVANS Cadel Bmc Racing Team at 01:04
# 6. SCHLECK Andy Team Saxo Bank at 01:07
# 7. ANTON Igor Euskaltel – Euskadi at 01:07
# 8. HORNER Christopher Team RadioShack at 01:07

Riled by the negative impact of his victory, Astana’s Vinokourov took the unusual step of writing an open letter Monday in a bid to convince his detractors that his win was untainted.

Vinokourov, one of cycling’s big names of the past decade, was booed and jeered by some fans as he rode across the finish line of the prestigious Belgian one-day classic on Sunday.

And after the race he faced several questions by reporters who demanded to know why, less than a year after serving a two-year ban for blood doping at the 2007 Tour de France, he was riding with such gusto.

Vinokourov, claiming he was “saddened” by press reports doubting the integrity of his win, said he has faced a battery of dope tests recently and has nothing to hide.

“I can’t do anything about the doubts surrounding me since what happened in 2007, but I totally refute any doubt surrounding me now, especially in the absence of proof,” said the 36-year-old.

“Since my return last August I’ve been very obliging to the media, but my victory in Liège seems to have prompted a few old jealousies to emerge. I don’t understand the gulf between the reaction to my win and the hundreds of messages of support I’ve received.

“In what other sport are you allowed to participate without the right to win?”

Vinokourov’s re-emergence coincides with that of Italian Riccardo Ricco, who finished second behind the Kazakh at the Giro del Trentino last week, having recently returned from a 20-month doping ban for using the banned blood booster EPO (erythropoietin) at the 2008 Tour.

Courtesy www.velonews.com and Agence France Presse
Images Courtesy Graham Watson

Vinokourov – who returned to competition last year after serving a racing ban for blood doping in the 2007 Tour de France – covered the 12.5km course in 15 minutes, 7 seconds (49.59kph) to grab the win and the leader’s jersey.

The Kazakh rider paced to a 16-second victory ahead of Stefano Garzelli (Acqua e Sapone) while Matteo Montaguti (De Rosa-Stac) stopped the clock for third at 18 seconds slower.

Other favorites for victory in the warm-up race geared toward Giro d’Italia contenders were well off the pace, with Michele Scarponi (Androni) the best of the rest at 23 seconds back. Riccardo Riccò (Flaminia) was 30 seconds slower and defending champion Ivan Basso (Liquigas) was 34 seconds off the pace.

Gilberto Simoni, who hails from the region, lined up for what will be his final Giro del Trentino wearing his new Lampre jersey. The 39-year-old penned a deal to join his former team for this race and what will be his final Giro d’Italia next month.

The victory bodes well for Vinokourov, who vows to ride in support of Astana teammate Alberto Contador in this year’s Tour de France.

Last season, Vinokourov won a time trial at the Tour de l’Ain, the Asian time trial championships and the Chrono des Nations.

So far this season, Vinokourov’s best was fifth overall at the Tour Méditerrenéen in February, 34th at Tirreno-Adriatico and 25th a Criterium International.

Vinokourov will be put to the test in Wednesday’s 172.5km second stage from Dro to San Martino di Castrozza. The stage features two first category climbs, the first at the Passo del Broncon at 125km and the summit finish up an average grade of 6.4 percent.

Giro del Trentino – Stage 1

1. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kz), Astana, 12.5 km in 15:07 (49.59kph)
2. Stefano Garzelli (I), Acqua e Sapone, at 0:16
3. Matteo Montaguti (I), De Rosa, at 0:18
4. Michele Scarponi (I), Androni, at 0:22
5. Piet Rooijakkers (Nl), Skil-Shimano, at 0:24

Full results

Courtesy www.velonews.com

“I hope to definitely decide about my future this week,” said Contador. Recently Contador has been entertaining offers from Caisse d’Epargne, Garmin-Slipstream and Quick Step.

Contador will need to be careful that the team is not booted form the tour due to indiscretions by his team mates like what happened in 2008.

Contador has made it very clear to Astana that if he stays, Vinokourov, who is making his return after his ban,  must not be considered for the 2010 Tour. He had also asked the team to allow him to break his contract if any riders on the team are caught for doping.

There should be some very interesting team dynamics next season if Contador stays with Astana especially with the exit of most of the teams top riders and the team manager Johan Bruyneel.

Contador is currently vacationing on the Caribbean island of Curacao after winning a weekend criterium there.

Friends? We will have to wait and see.