18 Jul 2010

Vinokourov powers to solo win in Tour 13th stage

5:51 am on 18 July 2010

The Kazakh rider Alexandre Vinokourov has powered to a solo win in the 13th stage of the Tour de France, a 196-kilometre ride from Rodez.

Vinokourov's 13-second win ahead of the peloton was sweet revenge after narrowly missing victory on the 12th stage after cracking in the final climb.

Vinokourov, who's back on the Tour after picking a two-year ban for doping in 2007, broke from the pack with eight kilometres left and never looked back.

Briton Mark Cavendish was second after winning the sprint of the peloton with Alessandro Petacchi of Italy coming home third.

Seven-times champion Lance Armstrong fell off his bike in the zone before the start of the stage but made it to the finish with bruises on his elbow.

Luxembourg's Andy Schleck retained the overall leader's yellow jersey by 31 seconds ahead of Vinokourov's Astana team leader Alberto Contador.