Alexander Vinokourov - 2012 Tour de France Comeback & Olympic Games

2012 Tour De France Comeback & Olympic Games

True to his word, Vinokourov returned to pro cycling in 2012 as a rider and debuted at the Tour de Langkawi with his Astana teammates, the same place that Vinokourov started his pro career with Casino with his 1997 performance with the Kazakhstan national team.

Vinokourov stated that the team was aiming for the "overall title", as opposed to any personal win. He explained,

"This is my first big race since I crashed at the Tour de France last year and it will be a good start for my season, for me to find my rhythm before heading to Europe for the Classics."

While suffering a quiet spring, Vinokourov's spot on Astana's Tour de France 2012 roster was never in doubt. And while he did not win a stage, Vinokourov featured in several breakaways, including an attack on Stage 18 that saw him win the Combativity award for the day.

One week after the conclusion of the Tour, Vinokourov won the gold medal in the Men's Road Race at the London 2012 Olympics. Vinokourov and the Colombian Rigoberto Urán attacked out of a large breakaway group with 8km to go and worked steadily together until the finish. He then drew ahead of Urán in the final three hundred meters, and crossed the line alone, arms-aloft. Afterward, he said,

"It's just unbelievable. I finished the Tour de France a little tired, but the Olympics, I must go there." About the breakaway group, he continued, "It was up-down, up-down, too many people. It was very dangerous. I knew that if was following the group I would have had no chance in the sprint. I finish my career with this victory."

Confirming his retirement after collecting his medal, Vinokourov – the only Olympic medalist in the men's road race from an Asian country – also became the only cyclist to win two medals in the discipline. Before winning gold in 2012, he claimed silver in 2000 (see Men's Road Race for a list of all medalists in this event). Vinokourov's last official competition would be the time trial at the Olympics the following week. He explained:

"It is nice to finish off my career with a gold medal. I will still race in the time trial on Wednesday, but I will just spin. I have what I have wanted. I have the gold medal and I can envision my retirement."

After his win, he released a statement saying that he may "continue in select events in 2012".

“I just won an Olympic title. It was a dream, so I cannot be sad. This is the last important race of my career, but I might race some other races at the end of this season as an Olympic champion.”

On September 16, 2012 Alexandre Vinikourov auctioned his Olympic gold-winning Specialized bicycle. Its was sold to the Tak Group Company for $243,000. The starting price amounted to $50,000. Vinokourov donated the money from the auction for treatment of five children with serious diseases.

“The bicycle brought good luck to me and I can now support the young citizens of Kazakhstan who are having a difficult time by selling this bicycle. I hope that some of them will become champions, not necessarily in sport, but in their own lives. They should be strong in spirit and fight to the end! And this way they will win,” Vinokourov said at the closure of the auction.

This year (2012) Alexander entered Gumilyov Astana Eurasian National University for a Master’s Decree in Physical Education.

Switzerland’s L’lllustre and Corriere della Sera accused Kazakhstan bicycle racer Vinokourov of buying his Liege-Bastogne-Liege race victory for 150 thousand euro from Russian Alexander Koblenev in 2010.. The International Cycling Union (UCI) initiated an investigation against Kazakhstan's Alexandre Vinokourov and Russia's Alexandre Kolobnev.