A TRIBUTE TO (and in defense of) MICHAEL RASMUSSEN - Page 3

This is the calling card left by fans when their rider gets stung.

Look, any rational, innocent victim of WADA/UCI/ASO/RoboBank/The Press would simply prove their innocence by providing the reams of documentation that would exist showing their whereabouts during the aforementioned timeframe.

Any argument he comes up with pales in the face of this.

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"Bait in 08" --nns1400

mlv-
Don't you think it would be very easy for Rasmussen to prove what continent he was on, if his life's dream depended on it? The early reports said that Rasmussen had admitted to being in Italy and that's why Rabobank fired him.

The Tour de France was not riding on it for me, but I was in England and France at the beginning of July, and if someone had accused me of being on another continent, I could very prove that I was there and not here in North America. Passport stamps, plane tickets, photos, cell phone records, etc.

If M. Rasmussen was faced with losing the tour, couldn't he prove his whereabouts? If not, why not? You don't answer this in any of your posts...

?

very good points, JS.

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.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it" - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

1: No thats not fair. He wasn't stung. He was accused. If Michael was stung - as in proven guilty in doping himself during the tour - then it's very clear cut. He goes out. No discussion.

2: There's still a sport to take into consideration, that's why I stretch myself so far in defending him. As should you guys, or the Tour is indeed dead.

3: Actually, my conviction is that Michael may very well have lied about his whereabouts. And given the circumstances I too find it hard to give him the benefit of the doubt. I will admit to that (although I haven't stated otherwise in my previous posts). I just can't (being rational) see how on earth the punishment fits the offense. Regardless of whether or not he's telling the truth. And regardless of who executes the punishment. Rabobank made a mistake, and the Tour-management certainly also did when supporting Theo's decision and calling it "the best day in the tour 2007".

So to repeat myself: The punishment doesn't fit the offense, and it doesn't because alot of people are overreacting wildly. If we calm down we'll know what to do and when to do it.

-mlv

There is absolutely NO REASON to lie about your whereabouts unless you are trying to skip a test. The only reason to skip a test is to hide something. The only reason to hide something, is because you are cheating.

Rabobank had given Rasmussen great freedom to train on his own. He did not train with the team. If they found that he had lied about his whereabouts, then they had the right to fire him.

mlv-
WHY would he LIE about his whereabouts?????

Seriously? I just commented on that.

As far as your conviction or mine, then we may or may not believe him to be cheating and we can choose to support him, ignore him or "sanction" him in any way we see fit. But as far as laws and regulations go during the tour and between riders and their team and sponsors - then Michael is not-guilty until proven otherwise. I really can't see how you can challenge that.

I'm not being naive. Thats just rule of law for you. Sorry.

-mlv

PS: And why my die hard motivation? Because this is what's first and foremost ruining the tour. Not only doping.

Well, if that's the point you're arguing, I'll go along with it. I don't think the punishment fits the crime. In reality, he didn't do anything beyond the rules stipulated by -- who would it be? WADA or the UCI ref. out of competition tests (OCT)? Why is his team getting involved if he hasn't broken any rules put down by the governing bodies?

It's got to make you wonder about out of competition testing. You can miss two OTCs and still be in the clear? Can anyone else see how this rule encourages doping? It allows an athlete to save up his missed OCTs to use at a later date.

Look, if WADA shows up at a cyclist's predetermined whereabouts and he/she isn't there, WADA -- given the speed at which information travels these days -- could easily put the word through the media, a cell phone, a second point of contact, that Rider X has 24 hours to make himself available for testing or risk sanctions.

This rule is designed to be broken and then used to exemplify the lengths to which cycling is going to clean up the sport.

Let me just add Nike Themes. I just want to throw that out there as well.

Seriously, I think they didn't act fairly, but I think they did act correctly. And, Ras has got to understand the climate in the sport right now -- unpredictable. Teams are sacrificing riders right and left to appease sponsors, race promoters and the UCI.

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"Bait in 08" --nns1400

Hey, I'm sorry if I have you all worked up about this. I understand that this is a disappointment... I was in total shock when I heard the news about Rasmussen's dismissal. I was getting ready for a ride, and I was so disgusted, I didn't even go out.

The fact of the matter is the only people who as much to lose as Rasmussen were Rabobank itself. Menchov, Boogerd, Weening, and Dekker had all ridden themselves into the ground trying to help Michael defend the jersey. Rabobank has been pouring money into the sport for years and has never had a Tour de France win.

If they pulled the plug on him, they must know something you don't. They must have decided that it was better to pull him on their own, then have the team implode and die like Phonak did when Landis was caught. A lot of people in and around Phonak lost their jobs, due to the evaporation of support. By pulling Michael, they gained the respect of their title sponsor, who has decided to continue to back them.

The one person to blame in all of this? Michael Rasmussen. He has to take responsibility for breaking the rules and risking his dream. They have out of competition tests for a reason - just ask Sinkewitz.

I feel bad for our sport, bad for Rabobank, and I do feel bad for Michael Rasmussen. But again, if Rasmussen had followed the rules that govern all of the top riders in the sport, he'd be in Yellow today, and the first Danish champion since Bjarne Riis.

OOPS!

and with that, case closed! no further discussion is needed

Klodifan - that's kinda arrogant. And Strummerfan, I really, serioursly disagree. You've presented no new arguments that I need to comment on. Only this: I find your line of arguments regarding my subjective, emotional involvement in this to be unfair.

I've clearly stated throughout my posts, that is (for me) a very cut and dry matter. And regardless of the current situation in the tour and sports in general, no one should have their rights taken from them.

The crime doesn't fit the punishment.

-mlv