Rasmussen out

[graham56]

Breaking news
Rasmussen and Rabobank out of TdF
What next????

 

[graham56]

Sorry Laurence did not see your thread

 

[Domeo]

But it still not for doping

From Cyclingnews.com

recent days, the bank confirmed that Rasmussen had indeed lied to the UCI about his whereabouts in June, training in Italy rather than in Mexico as he originally stated.

and further on

According to hln.be, former professional Davide Cassani, now a commentator for Italian TV station RAI, made a statement to Danish TV on Wednesday in which he claimed to have seen the Rabobank leader training in the Italian Dolomites on June 13 and 14. Rasmussen had previously declared that he was in Mexico from June 4 - 26. "When Rasmussen was confronted with this information he confirmed to [team manager] Theo de Rooy he was at that moment in Italy," said Rabobank press officer Jacob Bergsma. "That was the reason De Rooy decided to get him out of the Tour and the team."

 

[Blonde]

Doh! Why leave it till now! Must be just 'cos there's money involved now - as soon as sponsors get a bit twitchy, the team drops the hot potato. Wish they'd been a bit more proactive in the first place and said he couldn't ride intead of leaving it till the last minute. It's just a knee-jerk reaction, after the event, to keep sponsors happy. It's a bit late and bloody annoying when you've spent the past few weeks on the edge of your seat!

 

[yello]

Blonde, it's possible Rabobank didn't know until now.

 

[Blonde]

Maybe, but they did know he'd been naughty and 'forgetten' to tell anyone of his whereabouts in the first place and that he'd be warned about it. I think they just wouldn't make a decision, until they were basically forced to, by the sponsor. Sad, that it all comes down to money, in the end - rather than anything to do with the rules of the game.

 

[yello]

As I read it, Rabobank were informed by a 3rd party (a journalist?) that Rasmussen was not in Mexico, as he has told them, but in Italy. Proabaly what you want to know is when they were informed by the 3rd party and when they asked Rasmussen for comment.

 

[trio25]

I think it probably was the change in circumstance. I assume that Rabobank knew about his UCI warning before the tour, but it was just a warning. They assumed he had been honest with them and it was a mistake. To find that he had been lying to them, well alarm bells start ringing very loudly then.

 

[Jack]

I don't understand why he was lying about where he was in the first place?

 

[chris42]

I don't understand why he was lying about where he was in the first place?

Maybe he was in Italy working with a Dr to assist him in his preparations for the tour.
If the vampires thought he was in Mexico he would have at least 48 hours to get any micro dose of any substances out of his system or take masking agents????
It's possible?
Or maybe he little green men from mars and didn't want any one else to know

 

[Squaggles]

Well , he can hardly be randomly tested if nobody knows where he is can he ? He is denying he was in Italy though , surely that can easily be checked .

 

[Steve Austin]

Just heard that he has admitted to being in italy when he said he was in mexico. not that it really matters anymore. he is out.

 

[chris42]

Just heard that he has admitted to being in italy when he said he was in mexico. not that it really matters anymore. he is out.

well said Steve! must be that bionic logic you have!

 

[Squaggles]

Where did you hear that Steve ? This is from The Guardian :


Michael Rasmussen today denied reports that he lied about his whereabouts in the run-up to this year's Tour de France, as his Rabobank team resumed the race - albeit without their sacked team leader.

The Danish rider, kicked out of the race he was leading after yesterday's 16th stage, declared that team manager Theo de Rooy's decision was the work 'of a desperate man'. Rabobank claimed that Rasmussen told them he was training in Mexico in June while he was actually in Italy, and therefore decided to axe him.

"I'm shattered. I'm on the verge of tears," said Rasmussen today, before reiterating that he was in Mexico in June when the journalist and former rider Davide Cassani claims to have met him during a training ride in Italy. "I wasn't in Italy. Not at all. This is the story about a man, who thinks that he recognised me. There is not a hint of evidence," he said.

 

[Steve Austin]

I think* i heard it on Eurosport


*I may have misheard, but thats what i think i heard