mmmm8
07-25-2007, 04:03 PM
Rasmussen pulled from Tour
Overall leader fired from team hours after stage win
GOURETTE, France (AP) -- Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen was removed from the race by his team after winning Wednesday's stage, the biggest blow yet in cycling's doping-tainted premier event.
"Michael Rasmussen has been sent home for violating [the team's] internal rules," Rabobank team spokesman Jacob Bergsma told The Associated Press by phone.
The expulsion, which Bergsma said was ordered by the Dutch team sponsor, was linked to "incorrect" information that Rasmussen gave to the team's sports director over his whereabouts last month. Rasmussen missed random drug tests May 8 and June 28.
The 33-year-old rider, who won Wednesday's stage, had looked set to win the race, which ends Sunday in Paris. But Tour officials had questioned why he was allowed to take the start on July 7 in London, England.
......
With Rasmussen out, Spanish rider Alberto Contador of the Discovery Channel team moved into the race lead.
.......
On Tuesday, star cyclist Alexandre Vinokourov was sent home after testing positive for a banned blood transfusion, and his team pulled out of the race.
Wednesday, it happened again when the Cofidis squad confirmed its rider Cristian Moreni of Italy had failed a doping test, prompted the withdrawal of the entire squad.
Full story: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/07/25/tour.stage16.ap/index.html?cnn=yes
Besides everything else, I just don't understand why these people continue doping when they know that their sport is under scrutiny and they will be tested regularly.
Overall leader fired from team hours after stage win
GOURETTE, France (AP) -- Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen was removed from the race by his team after winning Wednesday's stage, the biggest blow yet in cycling's doping-tainted premier event.
"Michael Rasmussen has been sent home for violating [the team's] internal rules," Rabobank team spokesman Jacob Bergsma told The Associated Press by phone.
The expulsion, which Bergsma said was ordered by the Dutch team sponsor, was linked to "incorrect" information that Rasmussen gave to the team's sports director over his whereabouts last month. Rasmussen missed random drug tests May 8 and June 28.
The 33-year-old rider, who won Wednesday's stage, had looked set to win the race, which ends Sunday in Paris. But Tour officials had questioned why he was allowed to take the start on July 7 in London, England.
......
With Rasmussen out, Spanish rider Alberto Contador of the Discovery Channel team moved into the race lead.
.......
On Tuesday, star cyclist Alexandre Vinokourov was sent home after testing positive for a banned blood transfusion, and his team pulled out of the race.
Wednesday, it happened again when the Cofidis squad confirmed its rider Cristian Moreni of Italy had failed a doping test, prompted the withdrawal of the entire squad.
Full story: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/07/25/tour.stage16.ap/index.html?cnn=yes
Besides everything else, I just don't understand why these people continue doping when they know that their sport is under scrutiny and they will be tested regularly.