Vino wins, announcing “I'm far from being out of the race”

The T-Mobile rider, one of three team memberes designated to challenge Armstrong this year, joined an early breakaway and survived to win a grueling Alpine stage the topped the Col de Madeleine and the Col de Galibier — the highest point in this year Tour.

Santiago Botero, the Colombian rider from Phonak who rode with Vinokourov most of the day, finished just behind in the two-man sprint. Armstrong and other chasers finished 1 minute and 15 seconds after Vinokourov.

The finish elevated Vinokourov from 16th place to a more respectable 12th place and put him within 4:47 of the yellow jersey. Before falling apart on the Courchevel, Vinokourov sat in 5th place overall. He was quoted by the BBC:

“After losing so much time on Tuesday, when I just didn't have the legs, I felt I had nothing to lose and I wanted to show that I'm far from being out of the race.”

Botero, the other breakaway finisher, improved from 11th to 6th place overall at the end of the 106-mile stage between Courchevel and Briancon.

Mickael Rasmussen, the Danish king of the mountains, finished in the same time as Armstrong and remains in 2nd place, 38 seconds behind. Christophe Moreau, the rider who seemed destined to take the yellow jersey on Tuesday until he also succumbed to the hectic pace, finished 3rd on Wednesday and is 3rd overall, 2 minutes and 34 seconds behind Armstrong.

Jan Ullrich — he's another T-Mobile rider who you usually see grimacing just over Armstrong's shoulder most of the past 4 or 5 tours — remained in the Armstrong group today and is 9th overall, 4:02 behind.

Once again, the Armstrong's Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team led the peloton, keeping within striking distance of the breakaway of Vinokourov, Botero and Oscar Pereiro of Phonak and Egoi Martinez of Euskaltel-Euskadi.

Vinokourov topped the final summit first, nearly 4 minutes ahead of the Discovery group, but Armstrong's teammates pulled him back within 1:15 at the finish line.

Overall leaders:
Armstrong (1 Discovery);
Rasmussen (2, Rabobank) :34;
Moreau (3, Credit Agricole) 2:34 behind;
Ivan Basso (4, CSC) 2:40 behind;
Alejandro Valverde (5, Illes Balears) 3:16 behind;
Botero (6, Phonak) 3:48 behind;
Levi Leipheimer (7, Gerolsteiner) 3:58 behind;
Francisco Mancebo (8, Illes Balears) 4:00 behind; 
Ullrich (9, T-Mobile) 4:02 behind; and
Andreas Kloden (10, T-Mobile) 4:16 behind.