The Tour de France was in disarray last night after Alexandre Vinokourov, the pre-race favourite, tested positive for a homologous blood transfusion after his victory in the individual time-trial in Albi. The 33-year-old Kazakh and his Astana team immediately withdrew from the race.

A witness subsequently reported that about 20 officers from the French gendarmerie had searched the team hotel in Pau. “They are even looking in the dustbins,” Alexandre Marchi, a photographer with L’Est Républicain newspaper, said.

Vinokourov was found to have two types of blood in his system. Transfusions are used to help riders to recover between stages by replacing blood lacking red cells that carry oxygen with fresh samples. A more sophisticated blood testing control was reported to have been used on samples taken from riders competing in Saturday’s thirteenth stage.

The news broke during a press conference with David Millar, the British rider, whose immediate reaction spoke volumes. “Given what we have done, with our current situation, we may as well pack our bags and go home,” Millar said before breaking down in tears.

Corrupt race populated by a cast of frauds heading for the gutter

The abject failure of a divided sport to clean up its act has led to renewed calls that the Tour be stopped

Background

• Tour stage starts without yellow jersey

• France mourns 'death of the Tour'

• Rasmussen sacked by Rabobank

• New doping scandal hits the Tour

• Tour in disarray after Vinokourov tests positive

Background

• Rasmussen extends Tour advantage

• Vinokourov bounces back for second stage

• Contador a contender after Pyrenees triumph

• Vinokourov makes it lucky 13

• Rasmussen keeps yellow jersey as Boonen wins

Related Links

• Comment: Jeremy Whittle

Christian Prudhomme, the Tour director, was also dismayed by the latest scandal and urged riders to remain clean for the good of the sport. “The start in London was a formidable occasion to reconquer [the sport]. It has failed,” he said. “The riders have to understand that they are playing a game of Russian roulette if they are doping. They have to realise that we will never give up the war against doping in which we are involved.

“Doping ruins our childhood dreams. Vinokourov has cheated and the only possible answer was ‘leave’.”

However, Patrice Clerc, the Tour president, said that despite the positive test on Vinokourov and the suspicion directed towards Michael Rasmussen, the race leader, stopping this year’s Tour had not crossed his mind. “This is a war, a war on doping, and in a war there are always casualties,” Clerc said. “I am convinced that we will win the battle, but we need an ethical revolution.”

Pat McQuaid, the president of the UCI, the sport’s governing body, would not comment until the result of Vinokourov’s B sample had been confirmed. “We have a process in place and we have to see this process through,” McQuaid said. Vinokourov, who also won Monday’s fifteenth stage, was 23rd in the overall standings.

Earlier in the afternoon, Rasmussen, accompanied by his lawyer, had bowed to the intense pressure that he has been under for the past week, from the media and the race organisation, and faced his accusers during the last rest day before the race finishes in Paris on Sunday. The 33-year-old Dane defended himself against suggestions that he had avoided doping controls and allegations that he had asked Whitney Richards, an American mountain biker, to transport blood bags on his behalf in 2002.

Rasmussen maintained that he had failed to comply with anti-doping controls only because of administrative errors. “I have made a mistake,” he said. “The UCI has given me a recorded warning for the administrative mistake I have made. I accept that and I take full responsibility for it. I am sorry this situation is coming out now, when I am wearing the yellow jersey. It’s harming a sport that I dearly love and it’s harming the Tour de France.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that I have had out-of-competition tests prior to the Tour de France and up until this morning I have had 14 anti-doping tests during the Tour. All the results are negative. I support my team and my sponsor Rabobank in the fight against doping and for a clean sport.”

Harro Knijff, Rasmussen’s Dutch lawyer, rejected claims by the Danish Anti-Doping Agency that the rider had also missed two tests under its jurisdiction. “It’s questionable from a legal point of view whether the Danish authority is authorised to do tests with Michael outside Denmark because Michael has a licence from another federation,” Knijff said.

The Dane’s racing licence, formerly registered in Mexico, is now registered in Monaco, which put him under the jurisdiction of those nations’ cycling federations rather than the more stringent Danish federation. Yesterday he admitted that in the 2½-year period covering both licences, he had not been tested by either federation.

At times yesterday Rasmussen appeared close to breaking point and speculation is mounting that he may wilt today under the intense media pressure and in the face of the continuing attacks on the road by Alberto Contador, of Spain, the Dane’s closest rival in the overall race standings. If Rasmussen is deposed at the summit of the Col d’Aubisque this afternoon, few will pity him.

Trail of shame and the blame game

July 1998 Festina, the world’s leading team, are thrown out of race after Willy Voet, the team helper, is arrested with carload of drugs and team managers confess to orchestrated doping programme. Chaos ensues with flurry of police raids, but Tour continues and is won by Marco Pantani, of Italy.

July 2002 Raimondas Rumsas, the Lithuanian who finishes third, is disgraced after wife Edita is arrested by French customs officers in Alps, driving Audi containing doping products after being regular visitor to Rumsas’s team hotel during race.

July 2003 Jesus Manzano, of Spain, collapses in Alps, supposedly of dehydration. Sets in motion widespread investigation across Spain by alleging he was repeatedly doped by his team.

Feb 2004 Marco Pantani, 1998 winner, found dead in Rimini hotel room after taking cocktail of pharmaceuticals.

July 2006 Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso, the favourites, withdrawn by team after being implicated in Operation Puerto doping investigation. The Tour continues but Floyd Landis, the race winner from the United States, tests positive for testosterone.

July 2007 Bjarne Riis, winner in 1996 and manager of Team CSC, is absent from Tour after admitting doping himself to victory. Patrik Sinkewitz, the T-Mobile rider, tests positive and Alexandre Vinokourov is heavily criticised before Tour starts over relationship with Michele Ferrari, the controversial trainer. Words by Jeremy Whittle