Tour De France: Astana dismiss Vinokourov

Alexander Vinokourov has been sacked by his team, Astana, after his B sample for blood doping confirmed the positive test he registered after the time trial to Albi in the Tour de France.

The pre-race favourite left the Tour last week after the announcement that his A sample had tested positive. The Kazakh rider faces a two-year ban and will not be able to ride for a ProTour squad for another four. At 33, that will probably mean the end of his career.

While Vinokourov's professional future grows darker, a drug cheat who served his time and now campaigns against doping goes from strength to strength. David Millar said yesterday that he had signed for the American squad Slipstream for the next two years.

"They are one of the teams that is trying to make a big difference in the fight against doping," the Scot said. Two leading Americans, Dave Zabriskie and Christian Vandevelde - the former a winner of stages in all three major Tours - have also been hired.

Like Vinokourov, Michael Rasmussen was sent home by his team under a drugs cloud, in his case following a dispute over missed tests, but he has been dealt with more sympathetically and remains on the team. Yesterday sponsors Rabobank said they will launch an independent review of events, but the Dutch bank said they will not withdraw from sponsoring the sport.

With the Tour in need of a radical overhaul, as part of that process national teams could race alongside the usual sponsored outfits next year for the first time since 1968. "I believe a mixed formula is possible, not merely a proposition," said the race director, Patrice Clerc. Great Britain's performance director Dave Brailsford liked the idea, although he warned "it would depend on the ramifications in an Olympic year".