Like Cadel Evans, CSC team director Kim Andersen rejected the notion that teams capitalised on Alexandre Vinokourov's misfortune on stage five. A journalist asked him if the pace-setting in the finale was to eliminate the Astana leader.
"No way did we ride [to get rid of him]," he answered, clearly irked by the question. "Nobody waited when Carlos crashed. Stop that bullshit. That was the race. My team didn't know that he had crashed. And CSC was not pulling the most, it was Liquigas and Rabobank.
"It was just the race; the peloton needed to go fast then, because if not, they would not have caught the leading riders. The leaders were taking time at that moment."
When asked by Cyclingnews if he thought that Vinokourov was no longer in the running for the final maillot jaune, he said that it was not the case.
"No, I don't think so. It is a long, long way to go. Maybe tomorrow it is another one who loses something. Carlos also crashed today but he didn't lose time. He had to change bike and everything. It was just 5 kilometres before Vinokourov and nobody waited on him. When it is 100 kilometres from the finish line the peloton can wait. But if you stop there [at 25 kilometres to go], then the Tour was gone." SS
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