revealed that Kolobnev (who was not on the same team) received a payment of 100,000 Euros after the race from a bank account owned by the Kazakh in Monaco to Kolobnev's bank account in Locarno. The magazine published the e-mail exchange between the two, which started the day after the race. In these, Kolobnev wonders if he had done the right thing by letting him win and shares a copy of his bank info, expressing concerns that they may get caught. Vinokourov replied: "You have done everything properly, do not worry. As you say, the Earth is round and God sees everything [...] Do not worry about the agreement, I will do it." Vinokourov did not deny a payment was made, but said that he did not buy the race: "It's another story to blacken my name. I often loan money left and right." In 2015 investigators in Liege recommended that Vinokourov be tried for bribery. A trial date was initially fixed for March 2017, but has been postponed and is slated to begin in May 2018. On 12 September 2019, prosecutors requested for Vinokourov and Kolobnev to be sentenced to six months in prison and Vinokourov to be fined €100,000. on 5 November 2019, Vinokourov was cleared of the charge of fraud, with the judge citing "lack of concrete evidence" for the court's decision. Paired with his Spanish teammate in the Ardennes, Vinokourov paved the way for Contador's supremacy in July, and pledged fealty to the defending Tour de France champ, whom he vowed to support: It has always been the plan that I'd work for Alberto at the Tour and for myself at the Giro. Barely a month later at the Giro d'Italia, Vinokourov finished 6th overall after having worn the pink jersey as leader of the general classification for five dramatic stages. On just his third day ever racing the Giro, Vinokourov inherited the pink leader's jersey from Cadel Evans of BMC after the Australian was involved in a seafront crash with 15 km to go to the finish. Vinokourov couldn't hide the fact that he was happy to lead the Giro: I was riding the last ten kilometres without thinking of taking the pink jersey. I had seen that André Greipel was up there, so I was convinced that he'd win the stage and take the pink jersey with the time bonus. But he didn't win,