PARIS (AFP) - Kazakh Tour de France hopeful Alexandre Vinokourov has admitted to working with a tainted doctor but denied it was for medical reasons.

Astana leader Vinokourov, one of the favourites to win this year's Tour, admitted he had used the services of Italian doctor Michele Ferrari, but not for medical products.

Ferrari was found guilty of sporting fraud and abusing his profession as a pharmacist in 2004 before winning an appeal two years later.

"Michele Ferrari is a physical trainer but not my doctor," said Vino in Saturday's edition of French newspaper l'Equipe.

"All I did was listen to people, like Mario Cipollini, who said great things. (Lance) Armstrong also worked with him. I didn't want to miss out on this experience, I contacted him."

"Working with Ferrari is not that extraordinary. Once a month I take a test to find out what kind of form I am in physically and my training depends on those results.

"His training plans are effective and precise. Since last year I've come on a lot in the mountains and also the time-trials. I won the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) and that cemented my faith in him.

"Ferrari has never offered me any medication. He is just my physical trainer and if I'm talking as openly as this it's because I've nothing to hide."

Vinokourov is in Kazakhstan for his country's national championships but will soon be heading over to Britain for the start of the Tour in London on July 7.

"The day that the UCI (International Cycling Union) establishes an official list of doctors that we are not allowed to work with, then I'll stop. But for the moment, this list doesn't exist," said Vinokourov, who added that none of his Astana team works with Ferrari.

Astana have come under fire recently with two of its riders, Matthias Kessler and Eddy Mazzoleni being implicated in separate doping scandals.

And Vinokourov believes it is part of a conspiracy to disrupt his Tour plans.

"They're really trying to tarnish our image. It's really difficult to concentrate on the Tour de France in these conditions. I have been destabilised by all these ripples."

And Vinokourov also turned his attention to German Jorg Jaksche, who admitted in a newspaper interview to doping and being part of a wide doping network for many years during his career.

"Jaksche was contacted by Der Spiegel and offered lots of money. It's easy to give evidence when's there's a big cheque being dangled in front of you.

"If you're given 5,000 euros to dish the dirt on someone, you're not going to do it. But if its 100,000 euros, you'll find a story to justify the amount."