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Estonia's Rein Taaramae of Cofidis won the final stage of the four-day Tour de l'Ain to snatch overall victory from American Chris Horner.

Taaramae, who was celebrating his first professional victory, took the stage on the summit of La Grande Colombiere climb to finish ahead of team-mates David Moncoutie and Damien Monier.

Horner, who rides for Astana, had started the 128.2km fourth stage in Belley with a 22-second lead on Taaramae but the American failed to defend it, finishing 37s behind his Estonian rival on the stage.

The Tour de l'Ain was notable this year for the return of Kazakh cycling star Alexandre Vinoukourov, who was competing for the first time since serving a two-year ban for doping.

Vinokourov failed to impress in the general classification but took his first competitive win since 2007 with victory in a short time-trial on Tuesday which succeeded the day's main road race stage.

On Wednesday the 32-year-old failed to finish the stage, according to race organisers who said the Kazakh rider got off his bike before the ascent to the final summit.

STAGE THREE

Kazakh rider Alexandre Vinokourov, just back from a two-year blood doping ban, showed a clean pair of wheels to his Tour de l'Ain rivals in winning a third stage time trial over 8.6km at Saint-Genis-Pouilly.

Vinokourov, riding for the Kazakh national team, timed nine minutes 50 seconds, with Dutch rider Michiel Elijzen of Silence Lotto 10 seconds adrift in second place.

Overall leader Chris Horner of the United States, riding for Vinokourov's formker stable Astana, was 13 seconds off the pace in third.

"It's a nice surprise to have won," grinned the Kazakh veteran, who now stands 22nd, three-and-a-half minutes off Horner in the four-day event, which ends on Wednesday.

Once one of the peloton's toughest racers, Vinokourov tested positive for blood doping at the 2007 Tour de France.

The scandal led to the expulsion of his team Astana from the race, and a two-year ban left his career in tatters.

During his enforced sabbatical Astana was taken over by new management, and Spaniard Alberto Contador fully assumed the team leader's role by winning all three major Tours of Italy, France and Spain.

Vinokourov said recently he would love to return to the Kazakhstan-backed outfit, and is hoping to convince Contador, who last month won his second Tour de France crown after his maiden win in 2007, to stay.

Before then the 35-year-old Kazakh is keen to test his own racing legs, and will get a chance to do so by returning to some familiar territory at the four-day Tour de l'Ain as part of a Kazakhstan national team.

Earlier in the day, Frenchman Ludovic Turpin (AG2R) won the first part of stage three, a 103.2km ride at Lelex in the Jura Mountains, where he also won in 2003, crossing the line in 2:38.17.

Wednesday's final stage is a 129.6km ride from Belley to Culloz ending at the Grand Colombier summit 1,501m above sea level.

STAGE TWO

Jose Joaquin Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne) won stage two of the Tour de l'Ain in France.

The Spaniard beat Belgian Silence-Lotto rider Greg Van Avermaet in a sprint at Oyonnax .

Frenchman Yoann Bagot and Colombian Faber Ardila were in a breakaway that was caught in the closing stages.

Mickael Buffaz (Cofidis) retained the yellow jersey ahead of Remi Cuzin (Agritubel) and Dutchman Floris Goesinnen (Skil-Shimano).

STAGE ONE

Mickael Buffaz won the 146.5km opening stage of the Tour de l'Ain in France, beating Remi Cusin in a sprint finish in St Denis les Bourg.

The two Frenchmen, riding for Cofidis and Agritubel respectively, finished two second clear of third placed Floris Goesinnen of the Netherlands, with the peloton rolling over the line a further 35 seconds behind.

Skil-Shimano's Robert Wagner came in fourth with Danilo Wyss of BMC Racing Team in fifth.

The second of the race's four stages will be run on Monday on a 146.5km route from Trevoux to Oyonnax.

Eurosport / AFP