Rasmussen out of the tour!!!

According to the Rabobank press conference on the rest day, he did not miss any tests. He was guilty of being one day late in letting the UCI know of his whereabouts in April 2006, and one week late in June 2007. For this he received a warning from the UCI and a fine from Rabobank. Rabobank refuted the Danish cycling union's jurisdiction over Rasmussen because he is not registered in Denmark, and nobody seems to have clarified this.
Rabobank now say that he lied to them about being in Mexico, because he was in Italy, and that is why they have dismissed him.

 

Respectfully, you are drawing conclusions. I am stating fact. Ras was dismissed by his team. Your argument is a good one, but by definition it is circumstantial.

 

Whether he was in Italy or Mexico is exactly the question that lead to his exclusion. We knew for a long time he had missed the tests (or in fact he was late in informing the UCI about his whereabouts), it was the new info of him being in the Dolomites that has lead to the final decission to pull him from the tour.

 

I truly don't believe a sponsor would pull a yellow jersey unless they had damaging information.
I don't think we have heard everything as yet.

 

I agree.

I think that more will come out in this case.

 

Yes. The Velo News story is sitting out there like a ticking time bomb.

 

It would be much easier to ask him what flights he was on to Mexico and then check the passenger manefests. If he drove to Italy there would be no record. If he took the train, there would be, but the ticket could be in any name. If he flew, the ticket would also have to be in his name. There are no passport or border checks within the Schengin Union and both Italy and Denmark are members.

It is hard to believe that any cycling organization/team/sponsor would accuse him based on poorly documented evidence. I suppose it is possible if the economic consequences are not severe. Don't assume that there are the same civil laws and procedures protecting private persons from liabel, slander, and personal injury by other private parties in many EU countries as in the US.

 

Agreed. Riders initially protests innocence. more evidence comes to light (via the media). riders speaks through lawyers. case gets bogged down in courts and arbitration. rider makes statement of innocence through lawyer. More evidence comes to light via media. rider banned. rider appeals through lawyers. rider makes further statements of innocence through lawyer. Riders is banned (again).

 

I completely agree. It seems doubtful to me, (unless they were perhaps expecting a lot more compelling negative evidence against Rass to come to light), that a team would voluntarily throw away several weeks of hard work and brilliant strategy when they are in the yellow jersey, they can see the finish line, and their yellow jersey rider, albeit very controversial, has passed every drug test administered during the Tour.

 

It sounds to me like it was based on an admission.

"Hey, Ras, come in here for a minute. This guy Cassani says he saw you in Italy when you told us you were in Mexico. -- what gives?"

"Ummm, listen, just between me and you, I was in Italy. Not to dope, mind you, but I was getting tired sitting around drinking Margaritas with the wife and listening to mariachi music and there's a hottie model in Milan and, well . . . . you know. But officially, of course, I'm denying everything -- after all, I just wrapped up the Tour de France! So, not to tell you what you should say to the press about this Cassani bastard, but I think you tell them he's the gay lover of Alberto Contador and that --"

"Michael."

"Yes?"

"You're out."

"What? Ha ha ha! You almost had me going there. The yellow jersey, my friend! It's ours for all time on Sunday!"

"Michael"

"Yes, boss."

"You're out."

 

menchov just pulled out....

 

Menchov has just left the tour with about 100 k's of the stage left. Eurosport commentators say he's just had enough, whats the pint in him going on? Fair point i suppose, he's worked hard for 2 weeks for ras, now he's gone. Seems to be we've finally arrived at a moment in professional cycling where we finally take the bull by the horns.

 

haha...beat me by 10 seconds

 

quick on the draw i guess....had my diet coke already this morning.

 

I like Phil and Paul, so I watched this mornig to see the commentary. Bad idea, now I'll be sick to my stomach all day.

For Phil, Vino's biggest fan, to say because of the accusations he therefore is guilty, is sickening.

Was Vino not accused of all kinds of crap, Ferrari, ect.? "Look at the heart of the man, what courage, blah blah blah"

And for Paul to say that because of his impressive riding this proves he's guilty, is sickening, but Contador looked tired yesterday so he is clean. Yet when he won the stage he was smiling shooting pistols and looked like a spring chicken.

I wonder if he was able to win the Tour seven times, would that kind of performance prove a man guilty?

I understand Rabo's decision, I think it is foolish, but I understand. You don't want the cloud over the team for the next year or so and you feel Ras let the team down. I understand that. Poor timing, but justifiable.

But to suggest, as Phil has, that he should be banned is over the top.

And for Bob and Paul to act like they never saw doping and don't know how its done and what's going on is laughable.

 

Just saw him...... broken man.... the look on his face....... send that photo to Rasmussen and stick it on his wall as a reminder of how he destroyed the TDF......

 

Well said

 

I cant speak for Menchov but Boogerd stated the following (In Dutch took the liberty to translate):

"No. I can not be angry with Rasmussen. Try to imagine what this means to him. He has always put his heart and soul in his occupation and now he will never ride again"

He did state to be angry with the situation and that he did not want to be a cyclist anymore at this point. Stating that this would give him a chance to concentrate on other things in life after this tour.


By the way, the always great Christian Preudhomme also made a sttement. He says he is "delighted that Rasmussen has been pulled back by his team and this is the best thing that could have happened to the tour".

Cheers Christian.. dream on

 

I don't want to say that professional cyclists are idiots -- maybe they've got other more important things to think about -- but yeah, it's pretty easy to prove your whereabouts.

 

It is important for this sport to go to rock bottom. We definitely needed this tour to pan out just like it has IMO. It is all part of the pain that could lead to a change in culture. What we ultimately need now to reach rock bottom is an epic disclosure by a modern day rider about how he and his team doped.

Someone needs to lift that veil. Who will it be? If vino or robochicken had half a brain they would see the commercial value in being that guy. Someone to write a autobiographical view of their career in the sport right up to today. Expose either OP or even LA. A frank, highly detailed and verifiable discussion of why doping took hold of them and what were the factors that lead them down the path and who was explicitly involved with them. Perhaps also highlight any systemic nature of doping lead by team structures (if it exists).

We need to continue to tear down the sport right now. I am happy for the tour to continue but I would of preferred if it was cancelled.