Vinokourov and Kolobnev cleared of selling 2010 Liège-Bastogne-Liège

The race winning break of Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) and Alexandr Kolobnev (Katyusha) at the 2010 Liege-Bastogne-Liege
The race winning break of Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) and Alexandr Kolobnev (Katyusha) at the 2010 Liege-Bastogne-Liege (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

A Belgian court has cleared Alexander Vinokourov and Alexander Kolobnev of fraud, with the judge ruling there was a lack of concrete evidence to show that the Astana team manager bought off the former Russian rider to win the 2010 edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Belgian prosecutors had called for both former riders to be fined and jailed for six months, and the alleged bribe of €150,000 confiscated from Kolobnev's bank account. Both riders denied the accusations and their lawyers fought for their acquittal.

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