Judgment in Liège-Bastogne-Liège bribery case involving Alexandr Vinokourov delayed

The former rider and now-team boss could face six months in jail

(Image credit: AFP/Getty Images)

The conclusion to the Liège-Bastogne-Liège bribery case involving Alexandr Vinokourov has been delayed by the courts.

A verdict in the case, which revolves around allegations that Vinokourov paid a rival €150,000 to let him win the Monument, had been expected on Tuesday (October 8), but the court has pushed the date back to October 22.

Beglian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad reports that the case has been delayed because of “excessive workload.”

Vinokourov stands accused of paying rival Alexander Kolobnev to stop him contesting the two-up sprint in the final of the 2010 edition of Liège.

>>> U23 rider seriously injured after being hit by car that entered course at Piccolo Lombardia 

Kolobnev, who finished second behind Vinokourov in that race, should have €150,000 confiscated from his Swiss bank account, the prosecutor said.

Last month, the prosecutor at a Criminal Court in Liège called for both Vinokourov and Kolobnev to be jailed for six months and fined €100,000 and €50,000 respectively.

Both 46-year-old Vinokourov, who is now general manager of Astana, and Kolobnev have denied the allegation.

Vinokourov is the winner of two additions of Liège, in 2005 and 2010, and also claimed the 2006 Vuelta a España.

He was banned for two years after testing positive for blood doping at the 2007 Tour de France.

Vinokourov then won the 2012 Olympic road race in London, announcing his retirement as he collected his medal.

Since leaving the professional peloton, the Kazakhstani returned to Astana, the team where he spent much of his career, as general manager.

Kolobnev, 38, rode for Katusha from 2010 until 2015 and retired the following year while riding for Russian team Gazprom-RusVelo.

>>> Riders call out ‘dangerous’ barriers involved in Álvaro Hodeg crash

Vinokourov continues to compete in sport at a high level, most recently becoming world champion for his age category in the Ironman 70.3 triathlon.

He took on the triple-discipline event on Sunday (September 8) in southern France, competing against the likes of British triathlon star Alistair Brownlee.

Last October he competed in the full Iron Man World Championships in Hawaii in just over nine hours, seventh in his division and 201st overall.

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Alex Ballinger

Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.  Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.