Rasmussen again

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Keith Oates

Janner
Location
Penarth, Wales
For anybody that's not read it or not completely fed up with the whole saga here is a link to a recent press conference with Rasmussen:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=/features/2007/tour_rasmussen_post07

What he doesn't seem to be able to get into his head is that he was not removed by his company (team) for taking drugs he was sacked because he lied to them and said he was in one place when in fact he was not there at all. I think my compnay would sack me if deceived them in a similar manner.
 

Steve Austin

The Marmalade Kid
Location
Mlehworld
He must be hurting somewhat, but he will have to understand the basic fundamentals of working for someone. They employed him to work for them and he did, but he also lied to them.
 

Tim Bennet.

Entirely Average Member
Location
S of Kendal
Yes it's the doubts about his where abouts that were his downfall. Using passport stamps, airline ticket stubs, etc, he should have proved his being in Mexico within hours of being challenged.

Even if it was all lies. Afterall, if I was in Italy with Dr F working to illegally pull off one of the biggest sporting frauds, that would net me mmillions in sponsorship and fame, I think I would had my alibi pretty well water tight. A second passport, a few airline tickets and entry visa stamps from a 'friendly' Mexican immigration official don't seem tp be the hardest cover story to fabricate.
 

chris42

New Member
Location
Deal, Kent
Tim Bennet. said:
Yes it's the doubts about his where abouts that were his downfall. Using passport stamps, airline ticket stubs, etc, he should have proved his being in Mexico within hours of being challenged.

Even if it was all lies. Afterall, if I was in Italy with Dr F working to illegally pull off one of the biggest sporting frauds, that would net me mmillions in sponsorship and fame, I think I would had my alibi pretty well water tight. A second passport, a few airline tickets and entry visa stamps from a 'friendly' Mexican immigration official don't seem tp be the hardest cover story to fabricate.


Didn't he talk to someone in Italy who turned out to be a reporter.?
 

Tetedelacourse

New Member
Location
Rosyth
Chicken by name...

He's playing the innocent card whilst refusing to give a straight answer on the very issue that got him sacked and subsequently kicked off the tour.

I have no sympathy for him. The only good that could come from this whole farce is if he and others realise he must abide by the rules. This reaction only serves to undermine the rules, the governing authorities and the sport.

He absolutely was the best rider in the tour this year and we have to assume he rode clean. Makes him all the more foolish in my opinion. Stop whining and take some responsibility for your actions.

As I said, chicken by name.
 

fuzzy29

New Member
Location
Somerset
This is getting too much like the Landis case. "I didn't do anything wrong, but I will not prove my innocence" would not stand up in any court in the world.

There is obviously a lot going on behind the scenes that we do not know about. Like why is a Danish rider, who lives in Mexico and Italy , riding on a Monaco licence? Why won't he explain where he was on the dates he missed the tests? Why would Rabobank not want to win the Tour (if he is innocent)? And why does he claim to not be part of the Danish cycling organisation, yet he rode in their national championships in June?

I'm slowly becoming an expert in both sporting fraud and pharmaceuticals through pro-cycling!
 
So what's the betting he's in Armstrong's team next year?
 
OP
OP
Keith Oates

Keith Oates

Janner
Location
Penarth, Wales
I don't think Disco will take after the trouble they had with Basso. In any case they have some good riders already in the wings, IF they stay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
U

User169

Guest
Smokin Joe said:
I think the days when ex-dopers can hope to find future employment in the sport are gone. Get caught now and it's end of career, the two year ban is irrelevant.

In Rasmussen's case though, he hasn't been caught doping and so won't be banned. Even so, I agree: it would, I think, be difficult to pitch him to a sponsor (unless of course he really was in Mexico).
 
It gets worse...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/aug07/aug06news2

Rasmussen's past blood profiles questioned

By Katharina Schulz
Rasmussen at the 2007 Tour
Photo ©: Sirotti
Danish broadcasting company DR Sporten and newspaper Jyllands-Posten have reported that Michael Rasmussen had slightly irregular blood profiles in 2002 when he was still with Team CSC. He had been scheduled to take part in the Giro della Provincia di Lucca but he was sent home by DS Johnny Weltz after an internal blood test showed irregularities. Back then, Rasmussen told Danish news agency Ritzau that his withdrawal was due to stomach troubles and a fever.
CSC doctor Piet De Moor told DR Sporten that CSC "had no official test, but there were misgivings about some things, which didn't seem to be in order. I don't want to be nailed down to any figures, that's not the point. I only know that it [the hematocrit level] was not over 50, but that it was close to 50, which also was suspicious for me. That's why Michael was sent home," De Moor said.
CSC's press officer Brian Nygaard confirmed the information. "There were some peaks in his blood levels," he stated to DR Sporten. "We're talking about levels that could have been caused by an illness, by a health problem, or something else. I don't want to drag Michael Rasmussen's name through the mud but I do confirm this piece of information. Today, I think that there was no crystal clear doping case to be taken up against him back then."
Bjarne Riis was immediately informed about the matter, and when the team confronted Rasmussen with the results, he showed them test results from the same period that were normal. However, this incident seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back, and even though Riis and Rasmussen had agreed on a new two-year contract after Rasmussen won the queen stage in the Vuelta a Burgos, the former mountain-biker and the team went separate ways.
"The relationship [between Rasmussen and Team CSC] had been really tense in the run-up to this, and there was really no room for any kind of further differences or misunderstandings," Nygaard explained to DR Sporten. "Based on the facts we had we decided – and Michael totally agreed – to end our relationship. The relationship built on mutual trust that should have been there between Michael and us simply wasn't there any longer. And therefore there was no basis for a new contract with Michael," Nygaard confirmed. Apparently, Rasmussen also had a very good offer from Rabobank, who were also informed about the test results by Team CSC.
The team also told Jesper Worre, then and now head of the Danish Cycling Union DCU. "I can remember Bjarne Riis coming to me at some point, telling me that they would stop working with Michael and we were asked to keep an eye on him. This episode has been one part of the picture we have been making ourselves of him," Worre told Jyllands-Posten.
"We have been alert since then, but it's a constant balancing act, and we had no reason not to nominate him for the Olympics in 2004 based on the tests that were taken before the games. We also chose to have faith in the tests that Rabobank took in Rasmussen's case. This has proven not to be good enough, when for example in June we had no real insight as to where he was."
Michael Rasmussen himself chose not to comment on the matter either to Jyllands-Posten or DR Sporten.
 
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