Day of Shocks: Michael Rasmussen Fired from team and tour de france

Just a day after during which Vinokourov scandal had rocked the entire cycling world, there came another shocker.

Michael Rasmussen of Team Rabobank was fired from the team and was withdrawn from Tour de france after he was reprted to have cheated the team about his whereabouts in June.

He was already under scanner as Danish National Cycling Federation had already dropped him from national team for failing to remain present in 4 random tests.

This action was taken on basis of reports of Italian TV Commentator Davide Cassani, who reprted to have seen Rasmussin Dolomites, Italy on June 13th / 14th. While Rasmessen himself told that he was in Mexico.

Even though he is fired Team Rabobank continues to run in the event.

I dont know where this will head?
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^^My god.....

Rasmussen sacked 'on the spot'
Michael Rasmussen’s Rabobank team have confirmed they have withdrawn the Tour de France leader from this year’s race and sacked him “on the spot” for apparently “lying about his whereabouts”.

A Rabobank spokesman confirmed last night that Dane Rasmussen had “broken team rules” – amid reports the team captain was to be removed from the tour.

Subsequently, the team have posted a statement on their own website explaining the circumstances which led to Rasmussen’s sacking.

It reads: “On Wednesday night, Michael Rasmussen – the wearer of the yellow jersey – has been withdrawn from the Tour team by the management of the Rabo Cyclingteams, and has been dismissed on the spot.

“Rasmussen appeared to have lied about his true whereabouts in the training period before the Tour de France.

“Those whereabouts were a crucial part of the argumentation used by the team management to confront and counter the allegations with regard to the captain.

“Until now, it is unclear whether the other seven Rabo-team riders will appear at the start of the 17th stage on Thursday. The Rabo-staff leaves that up to the riders to decide.”

A statement from sponsors Rabobank made clear the disappointment with the actions of their highest-profile rider.

“Rabobank are shocked and extremely disappointed that Rasmussen has lied about his whereabouts,” they said.

“As it turns out now, he was not in the place that he had filled in on his whereabouts papers and that he had handed in to the UCI, which he had already done too late.

“Rasmussen was rightly given a warning by the UCI for having been late with the handing in of his papers.

“An incorrect notification of one’s whereabouts is a flagrant violation of UCI regulations and unacceptable.

“Rabobank fully supports the decision of the Rabo cycling team management to directly withdraw Rasmussen from the race and to dismiss him on the spot.

“Rabobank understands that the morale of the riders is now so low that it is hard for them to decide whether they will start tomorrow. This development with regard to the Rabo cycling team is a black page in the history of the Rabo cycling plan.”

The sponsors will consider whether they should continue to back cycling, which is struggling to retain its credibility following a series of positive drugs tests during this year’s Tour.

“Rabobank is, as for now, not planning to withdraw from the sport of cycling as a sponsor. It will further deliberate on the situation that has unfolded,” the statement concluded.

Rabobank director Piet van Schijndel admits he can hardly believe the recent sequence of events.
“I thought the worst was behind us with that warning,” he said.

“That was already not good, but what is happening now makes me speechless.

“I just do not have any words for it. A nightmare. It is such a terribly beautiful sport, and the team has worked so hard for it – and then this happens.

“The team management made the only right decision. I fully support their choice. I have a lot of respect for the riders and I understand their disappointment.

“We are going to further deliberate on what are going to do now, but I am sure about one thing: Rabobank will continue to be involved in the broad development of the cycling sport.”

Head of Rabobank sponsorship Heleen Crielaard described a “black day”.

She added: “I feel powerless and actually angry too.

“The team has worked so hard and all the people at the sponsoring department of the bank as well. All those people are let down by the captain in such a terrible fashion.”
And we have this and rightly so:
Cycling boss queries delay on Rasmussen expulsion - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)


Its headline story on BBC and major news channels.
What shocking publicity for a great sport. This is disaster.

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Those who were asking what has drugs gotta do with cycling an interesting article by sportinglife


CYCLING'S DRUG PROBLEMS
For many years the Tour de France has been embroiled in allegations of riders using banned substances to enhance their performance.

Long-running allegations against American Lance Armstrong were never proved but riders are routinely tested and teams have found themselves raided by the police during events.

Current Tour leader Michael Rasmussen has been confirmed to have "broken team rules" and reportedly removed from the race, having allegedly failed to inform drugs testers of his whereabouts on four separate occasions.

Here PA Sport looks at some of the other riders caught up in drugs problems.

Cofidis yesterday withdrew from this year's Tour after one of their riders, Cristian Moreni, failed a drugs test.

Alexandre Vinokourov was withdrawn from the Tour by his team on Tuesday of this week after it was revealed he had tested positive for a banned blood transfusion. He has protested his innocence and asked for his B sample to be tested.

Floyd Landis won the 2006 Tour but has since been embroiled in drugs allegations and has been fighting to clear his name after it was announced he had failed a drugs test.

The ongoing Operation Puerto has been conducted by authorities in Spain against doctor Eufemiano Fuentes. Since May 2006 a number of cyclists, tennis stars and football players have been linked to the investigation. Top cycling stars Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich missed the 2006 Tour because of the case.

British cyclist David Millar was banned from the sport in 2004 for taking EPO but has since returned to the sport and is taking part in the current Tour de France.

In 1998 the Festina-backed team were caught up in a doping scandal on the Tour. Several members of the team staff were arrested and convicted of trafficking and giving doping substances.

Italian Marco Pantani won the Tour and the Giro d'Italia in 1998 but failed a blood test during the Giro the following year. He died of a cocaine overdose in 2004.

British cyclist Tommy Simpson died on the Tour in 1967 after collapsing twice on a steep climb. A post mortem revealed traces of amphetamine and methylamphetamine in his blood, but the amounts were not thought to be large enough to have contributed to his death.


OR: Major doping scandals in cycling | Breaking news | Guardian Unlimited Sport

And an about.com article on the trend
Cheating - Doping and Drugs in Professional Cycling

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they are saying that Rasmussen also missed a drugs test...