ALBI, France -- Alexander Vinokourov put his injury woes behind him to revive his Tour de France hopes with an outstanding victory in the individual time trial 13th stage on Saturday.
Vinokourov shows his time trialling form on the way to victory in Albi.
The Astana rider decimated his rivals as he clocked one hour six minutes and 34 seconds for the 54 kilometres around Albi, one minute and 14 seconds quicker than second-placed Cadel Evans of Australia.
Denmark's Michael Rasmussen showed improved form in a discipline where he has suffered in the past to limit his losses to two minutes and 55 seconds.
It enabled him to retain the race leader's yellow jersey by one minute from Predictor Lotto's Evans who is emerging as a major contender for overall glory.
Vinokourov is still five minutes and 10 seconds adrift in ninth spot and the best hope of overall victory for the Astana squad may well rest with German Andreas Kloeden who shrugged off another fall to finish strongly in third place on the stage at one minute and 39 seconds.
It lifts him to fourth place overall, two minutes and 34 seconds behind Rasmussen, three seconds behind Discovery Channel's Alberto Contador who showed his prowess against the clock with seventh on the stage.
Vinokourov has ridden himself back into contention after a nasty fall in the first week severely hampered him in the Alpine stages.
Clearly irritated by media reports writing off his chances, the Kazakh said afterwards that he was looking forward to the three days in the Pyrenees which begin on Sunday which may well decide the overall outcome.
"I'm very happy with my performance. I'm very motivated," he said.
Britain's Bradley Wiggins put the disappointment of failing to win the prologue in London with a strong early showing on the stage.
His time survived as the quickest until Vinokourov, pushing a massive gear, finished two minutes and 14 seconds quicker.
World time trial champion Fabian Cancellara, who was favored to win the stage after his prologue heroics, crashed heavily near the finish in wet conditions and finished 10th. E-mail to a friend 
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