his last race at the 2012 Clásica de San Sebastián. Retirement On 16 September 2012, Vinokourov auctioned his Olympic gold-winning Specialized bicycle. It was sold to the Tak Group Company for $243,000. The starting price amounted to $50,000. Vinokourov donated the money from the auction for treatment of five children with serious diseases. The bicycle brought good luck to me and I can now support the young citizens of Kazakhstan who are having a difficult time by selling this bicycle. I hope that some of them will become champions, not necessarily in sport, but in their own lives. They should be strong in spirit and fight to the end! And this way they will win", Vinokourov said at the closure of the auction. In the autumn of 2012, Alexander Vinokourov entered L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University to work towards a master's degree in Physical Education. Career achievements Major results 1994 Asian Games 1st Team time trial 2nd Time trial 2nd Road race 1996 10th Overall Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt 1997 4th Overall Tour de Pologne 1998 1st Overall Tour de Picardie 1st Stage 2a 1st Overall Circuit de Lorraine 1st Stage 4 (ITT) 1st Overall Four Days of Dunkirk 2nd Overall Vuelta a Murcia 2nd Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers 6th Overall Tour de Wallonie 7th Overall Étoile de Bessèges 8th Overall Tour de Pologne 1st Stage 6 8th Grand Prix de Villers-Cotterêts 8th Cholet-Pays de la Loire 1999 1st Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré 1st Points classification 1st Stage 2 1st Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana 1st Stage 5b (ITT) 1st Stage 3 Tour du Limousin 2nd Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre 1st Stages 2 & 6 2nd Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli 2nd Giro della Romagna 3rd Classic Haribo 5th Overall Four Days of Dunkirk 10th Classique des Alpes 2000 1st Stage 18 Vuelta a España 1st Stage 1 (TTT) Tour de Suisse 2nd Road race, Olympic Games 3rd Overall Critérium International 7th Overall Tour Down Under 7th Liège–Bastogne–Liège 2001 1st Overall Deutschland Tour 1st Stage 6 (ITT) 3rd Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana 5th Overall Tour de Suisse 1st Stage 4 6th Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre 6th Overall Critérium International 7th Overall Paris–Nice 2002 1st Overall Paris–Nice 1st Stage 4 1st Stage 3 Tour de Suisse 2nd Road race, Asian Games 2nd Tour du Haut Var 7th Overall Tour of the Basque Country