Loudenvielle-Le Louron, France - Former Tour de France favourite Alexandre Vinokourov, who was embarrassed on Sunday, regained some pride on Monday by winning the 15th stage in fine style. By finishing 11th, controversial Danish rider Michael Rasmussen retained his hold on the race leader's yellow jersey, 2:23 minutes ahead of Spain's Alberto Contador, who finished 10th on Monday.
These two riders now look to be the only ones with a chance for the championship, which could be decided in the last stage in the Pyrenees, on Wednesday.
Vinokourov, who has been riding with injuries suffered in a crash, finished 81st in Sunday's stage, 28:50 minutes behind the winner, Contador, and saw all hopes for a title vanish.
With nothing to ride for now but the stage victory, the 33-year-old Kazakh broke away from a small group of riders on the last of five climbs in the Pyrenees Mountains, about 15 kilometres from the finish, and was never again threatened.
"I was completely down yesterday," Vinokourov said. "I had no strength. The legs were fine, but my mind was just not in it."
The leader of the Astana team said that he had told himself that the Tour was over for him and that he wanted to do something for the team.
"So I went for the stage win," he said. "I succeeded. It's great."
Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen finished second, just ahead of Haimar Zubeldia of Spain. Both riders finished 51 seconds behind the winner.
In taking the second stage victory of this year's Tour, Vinokourov rode the 196-kilometre course from Foix to Loudeville-Le Louron in 5 hours 34:28 minutes, at an average speed of 35.16 kph.
Astana press spokeswoman Corinne Druey told France 2 television that customs officials had searched the tema buses of four teams: Astana, CSC, Discovery Channel and Rasmussen's Rabobank team.
"It was nothing special," she said. "They were just doing their job. They took nothing with them."
However, in an interview published Monday in the daily Le Figaro, the head of the organization that runs the Tour, Patrice Clerc, said he "regretted" that Rasmussen had been lined up for the Tour.
The 33-year-old Dane was dropped from the Danish national team for missing two out-of-competition doping tests earlier in the year. Clerc had earlier suggested that if the Tour had been informed of Rasmussen's failure to abide by regulations, he would not have been allowed to race.
Rasmussen said Monday that all the controversy swirling around him did not affect him or his performance.
"I have been training for the Tour since I left hospital in October," he said, referring to treatment he underwent after suffering a broken leg. "I will let nothing come between me and the race."
The Tour ends July 29 in Paris.
