Olympic road race champion Alexandre Vinokourov is under investigation for allegedly bribing a rival to fix a race, as ongoing fallout from the Lance Armstrong doping affair threatens to claim another of cycling's biggest names.

An Italian newspaper has printed e-mails and details of bank transfers that allegedly demonstrate how Alexandre Vinokourov paid off breakaway companion Alexandr Kolobnev to win the 2010 Liege-Bastogne-Liege cycling classic.

If cycling leaders want a credible independent investigation about their possible cover-up of Lance Armstrong's doping, they must give the panel sufficient funding and resources.