Alexander Vinokourov may be one of the few cyclists that still have the power to back his team manager, Manolo Saiz. After the great scandal arose in the world of cycling a few weeks ago, many competitors had to suffer from it. First, there's Jose Enrique Gutierrez and Oscar Sevilla, who are both investigated related to their alleged meetings with doctor Fuentes. Then, there is Santiago Botero, the 2002 time-trial champion, who was suspended by his Phonak team until the investigations are over.

Still, despite the fact that Liberty Seguros have withdrawn their financial support towards Manolo Saiz's team, one of the best cyclists of Liberty said that all of this will be over before the Tour de France gets under way. "I've read the press like everyone else, but I've also heard Manolo's version who assures me that he's got nothing to do with it. I trust in people and since I signed for Manolo, I've always believed in him. Today is no different. I believe what he's said", said Vinokourov.

A former Lance Armstrong contender for the final victory in the Tour de France, the Kazakh is firmly confident in his manager and still fantasizes about a French appearance. And that's not a very realistic judgment, considering that most of the proof leads to the Spaniard's involvement in the scandal. The investigation could go on for weeks, and Le Tour is only a month away.

Since he did not take part in last month's Tour of Italy, the Kazakh says that he is convinced of being able to challenge Basso in France and, therefore, he needs a lot of training for that: "I like to train. I've just spent two weeks in the mountains in Kazakhstan. I like to set myself this kind of challenge and the Tour de France is one of the biggest challenges possible. I know I won't have many more chances to win it and I don't want to spoil that chance".