THE Astana team have quit the Tour de France, after their leader Alexandre Vinokourov failed a dope test.

The pre-race favourite produced an astonishing display to win Saturday’s time trial, lost half an hour on Sunday but then bounced back to win Monday’s stage in the Pyrenees in seemingly devastating fashion.

It looked too good to be true and Tuesday’s dope test let the cat out of the bag.

"Vino" who had already been under fire for his links to the controversial Italian doctor Michele Ferrari, received an illegal blood transfusion shortly before Saturday’s stage.

The Astana team abandoned the Tour with immediate effect and the news came just hours after Denmark’s Michael Rasmussen had mounted a vigorous defence of his doping record at a press conference, in an attempt to diffuse the row that had already threatened to tarnish this year’s Tour de France.

The Dane, who currently leads the race by 2:23 from Spain’s Alberto Contador, was banned from competing for his country by his national federation last week, after missing two out-of-competition drug tests.

It then emerged that Rasmussen had also been warned twice by the International Cycling Union for missing two previous tests in the past 18 months.

One more failure would have led to a ban, but Rasmussen was allowed to start the Tour and during Tuesday’s rest day he tried to play down the saga.

The Rabobank rider told reporters: "I’m sorry the situation is coming out now, when I’m wearing the yellow jersey, and it’s harming the sport that I dearly love."

"I want to make absolutely clear I’ve had out-of-competition tests prior to the Tour de France, 14 tests during the Tour and all the results are negative."

When tested Rasmussen has always been clean, but his periodic vanishing acts have prompted scepticism in the peloton.

Britain’s David Millar, who served a two-year ban for using EPO and now campaigns against drug use, told the Guardian: "He’s now shrouded in suspicion, and rightfully so. It is unacceptable of a rider of his stature and responsibilities to not have his whereabouts supplied to the right authorities. For sure, it is possible for it to slip through the system due to slow Mexican mail, or whatever, but it is up to him to confirm that it has been received so as not to have this situation arise."

Told of Vinokourov's test during a press conference, Millar said: "Jesus Christ, I'm speechless."