cannot beleive it rasmussen out

[ada@prorider.or]

rasmussen is out of tour the france!!!!

[cuda2k]

Source? Last I heard he won the stage earlier today.

[Jeff Weir]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/news/?id=/news/2007/jul07/jul26news

[ada@prorider.or]

the direction of the rabobank team
pulled him out of the race


reason that he violeted the teams rule

he said he was in mexico
but he was in italia they say

thats why he is pulled

he just lied ,and this for anyone is not excepted
in netherlands


i ADVISE YOU TO WATCH LIVE
WWW.NOS.NL
GO TO TOUR AVOND ETAPPE

[72gmc]

Welcome to the Twilight Zone

[Sandy]

Welcome to the Twilight Zone

Don't you mean deeper into the Twilight Zone?


Sandy

[Marcusaurelius]

I can see how failing a doping test means expulsion but being a little slow to reveal your off season travel plans seems a bit harsh to loose the tour de france.

[J.Greene]

i thought he was safe since he does not ride a bmc..

JG

[Sandy]

Several hours ago, I was telling Smiley that I figured the odds were 50-50 at best that Rasmussen would survive the Tour (or if he did, he would wind up like F. Landis). A real shame if that is what happened. The Tour lost its integrity earlier, now it has even less, if that is possible.

Genuinely a sad and pathetic state.


Sandy

[wooly]

Seems a little fishier than what Rabo is actually saying. I bet more details are released soon. :crap:

[flyingscot]

Rabo weather the storm since Friday and then when he has all but won the Tour they pull the plug?
Glad he has gone - but 4 further days of farce were NOT needed

I bet boogerd is pleased he was asked to work like a dog Sun, Mon and today :crap:

Ps this makes last years debacle look mundane in comparison

[BumbleBeeDave]

When the F*CK does it end? This is like watching a train wreck--for the second year in a row! :eek: :butt: :butt: :butt: :butt: :butt:

BBD

=======================

News Flash: Rasmussen pulled out of Tour
Filed: July 25, 2007

Yellow jersey wearer Michael Rasmussen was sensationally kicked out of the Tour de France by his own Rabobank team, the Dutch outfit revealed on Wednesday.

The Dane had seemingly weathered the storm over missing four out of competition dope tests in the past 18 months and had won Wednesday's stage to all but seal overall victroy.

However the team has learnt that Rasmussen lied to them over where and what he was up to during the month of June when he was in fact in Italy and not in Mexico as he had told them.

Rasmussen had won two stages during the Tour, though, his presence at the race was questioned by several officials and from the race organisers as well.

His departure leaves young Spaniard Alberto Contador in the lead with Australian Cadel Evans in second.

[davids]

I'm going home...

http://www.sapros.com/tmiaw/train_wreck.jpg

[flyingscot]

Contador must be in shock
One minute he has lost the tour, now he is favourite

[GoJavs]

I have to assume Rabo caught wind of something. Maybe someone from the team came forward or maybe he failed a team test. Bottom line is that an unworthy winner is wiped off the board.

Kudos to Rabo.

[jeffg]

Rabo weather the storm since Friday and then when he has all but won the Tour they pull the plug?
Glad he has gone - but 4 further days of farce were NOT needed

I bet boogerd is pleased he was asked to work like a dog Sun, Mon and today :crap:

Ps this makes last years debacle look mundane in comparison

If you are going to pull him, then pull him! Now the results are skewed by people trying to distance the Chicken as opposed to Contador or Evans. Does Levi get the stage win now? It's sort of a hollow one now. What is that, four stages where the winner has been pulled? :crap: :crap: :crap:

[Fixed]

bro i'm bummed
I wanted see the kid win sh......et

[gdw]

This is the best Tour in years. Almost as good as a Mexican soap opera.

[14max]

*

[Grant McLean]

How many media stories about Cristian Moreni just got shelved?
For him, it's too bad the French cops still care, 'cause no one else does!

g

[jimcav]

and about where he was? That is BS--the team was killing themselves for him--i think there is something else that was either about to break (news/leak) etc, or else they know he doped and don't want him to get a positive by getting tested tomorrow or such.
I just don't see how he'd be pulled for not reporting his whereabouts--they had that info weeks/months ago

if this was a script to a cycling movie, i'd have called it a really bad cycling movie. but i still LOVE watching the race and the efforts put forth. i wish it was man vs man and team vs team, instead of man vs man on juice. Still, they work so hard--the drugs give them a better result for their efforts, but they are still working hard so i enjoy it--even doped they still push the limits: and push too far, when they crash on the turns and downs, or hit the wall and crack climbing.

think i'll go have a red bull

[72gmc]

When does the fat Russian guy try to push Kevin Costner's brother off the mountain pass?

[BumbleBeeDave]

This is the best Tour in years. Almost as good as a Mexican soap opera.

. . . right outta my mouth! ROTFL!!!

BBD

[crossjunkee]

http://www.velonews.com/tour2007/details/articles/12944.0.html

News Flash: Rasmussen pulled out of Tour, fired by Rabobank
Filed: July 25, 2007
Yellow jersey wearer Michael Rasmussen was sensationally kicked out of the Tour de France by his own Rabobank team, the Dutch outfit revealed on Wednesday.


The Dane had seemingly weathered the storm over missing four out of competition dope tests in the past 18 months and had won Wednesday's stage to all but seal overall victroy.

However the team has learnt that Rasmussen lied to them over where and what he was up to during the month of June when he was in fact in Italy and not in Mexico as he had told them.

"He broke team rules," said a team spokesman, who said that the Dane has also been fired from the team.

"It is not even sure if the team will carry on in the race," he added.

Rasmussen had won two stages during the Tour, though, his presence at the race was questioned by several officials and from the race organisers as well.

His departure leaves young Spaniard Alberto Contador in the lead with Australian Cadel Evans in second.

[BumbleBeeDave]

The credibility of the race is in tatters by now! How long will it be before the French fans riot? . . .

BBD

[ada@prorider.or]

DAVIDE CASSANI rai reporter and old cylist
told that he saw rasmussen training in dolimite

while rasmussen said he was in mexico to the team

[Elefantino]

Rasmussen: I was in Mexico
Truth: I was in Italy training with Dr. Ferrari

Woohoo! This means Evans is the favorite to win, JUST LIKE I PREDICTED!

This IS the greatest Tour ever! I haven't predicted a winner since 2005!

[Chief]

It appears to me that the team managers are doing the right thing if cycling is ever to become clean. It is too bad that in order to do a great ride, you have to be doped. Perhap Alberto put the fear of God in the chicken on Monday. Let's hope that the new leader is clean.

[Longdaddy]

When does the fat Russian guy try to push Kevin Costner's brother off the mountain pass?


:D :D

[cs124]

--the team was killing themselves for him--

rabobank have ridden superbly...it is a shame those guys won't get their share of the winnings...the sponsors should pony up, at least a little something, for all airtime rabobank got

[Ray]

Send lawyers, guns, and money. The ***** has hit the fan.

I've always assumed that most or all doped in one way or another. And didn't much care.

But it was a house of cards and it seems to be tumbling down about now.

This is gonna get a lot less fun.

-Ray

[Len J]

I wonder if he was anywhere other than with Ferrari, if Robobank would have pulled him.

I suspect they were looking for an excuse......the tour credibility was on the line. If Rasmussen won the TDF after disappearing for the 21 days prior to the tour, missing 4 tests, the tour would be a joke. Any bets that there was a deal between ASO & Robobank.....if Ras got shelled today in stage 16 and looked like he would lose the tour, leave him in.....if Ras survived today, he's gone.

My guess anyway.

len

[ada@prorider.or]

well as we see honesty is a great thing

[PBWrench]

Dinnertime!

[soulspinner]

Seems a little fishier than what Rabo is actually saying. I bet more details are released soon. :crap:

Was thinkin the same thing...maybe he even failed an internal team test.

[Dave B]

I cannot believe what is happening. Man this is silly. And me selling my rabobank nago! Ha what timing!

Contador for sure!

I do not think he will forfeit his stage victories as he withdrew for team infractions. He was not (at least yet) busted for anything ie doping. so he would at least keep the victories although with his 756 home run asterisk.

Man I know loads of you are fed up with busts...of the doping variety :D ... but with the half full view, maybe things are changing in the right direction. Anyway, I dig watching contador compete and if he wins then he deserves it.

Cadel has been the freakin' man though, so either one is cool.

Both worked so freaking hard today, and looked like they suffered like dogs.

Man this is one of the best tours as the riders and teams have kept it interesting.

I bet Paul and phil are about to ****e themselves! Bobke's hands are going to have wicked cramps tomorrow!

[Ottrott]

Why would they let him start the tour? They've had all of this information for how long?

Can you imagine the guy? One minute, you're about to win the TDF, the next...your career is over. Your name is mud. Why let him go for all that time - just to yank the chain and hang him up to dry?

[Erik.Lazdins]

About a week ago Fixed said, "Bye Bye Chicken"

Man o Man am I glad he is back!

I've loved watching the tour, the climbs, the routes, the fans are still there.

[Bud]

This circus is getting old...

And I was pretty pumped after this today's finish. F^ckin' A.

I'm going for a ride on the fixie.......

[Len J]

Why would they let him start the tour? They've had all of this information for how long?

Can you imagine the guy? One minute, you're about to win the TDF, the next...your career is over. Your name is mud. Why let him go for all that time - just to yank the chain and hang him up to dry?

Nobody expected him to compete for yellow.

Once it looked like he might actually win, I think the ASO was scrambling...as I said, after the vino fiasco, no way they want enyone under suspion to win. OTOH, he could have cracked anywhere in the Pyreenes. When he didn't the die was cast....and in the mean time we got some great entertainment.

Len

[Steve Hampsten]

How long do we think Contador will last? A Spanish climber, riding for Disco, winning the Tour?

Dear, dear...

Cadel and Levi are looking better and better.

[I Want Sachs?]

Cynical me thinks:

LA is amazing in getting Discovery boys onto the top of the podium. At least now we know why Levi took 2nd and Cantador 3rd in the stage. This will give Discovery 1 and 2 in Paris. :no:

[Nick H.]

Yesterday I predicted that Rasmussen would be withdrawn by Rabobank...and that Contador would be next to be accused and that Evans would win. Watch this space!

I can read palms too...

[Kevan]

I'm not gonna miss a minute of all of this... cuz all that's left is the sex and violence!

[Sandy]

I'm not gonna miss a minute of all of this... cuz all that's left is the sex and violence!

I think that is best for me to get out of town with you thinking that way! :) :)


Your Bud

[BdaGhisallo]

I see big problems ahead for the sport, and not just the short term effects. The potential disaster ahead is that sponsors get sick of the problems the sport is going through and leave en masse. That will only make the sport poorer and return it to the late 70s / early 80s when there were no global corporations sponsoring massive teams. Most teams had about 15 riders and were sponsored by small regional companies, who usually had cycling fans in charge of them. That was when the going rate for a four time TdF champ was about $100K per year. The logical conclusion of that development is that there will not be the money in the sport anymore to fund elaborate drug testing and rider monitoring schemes like CSC and T-Mobile and the like have started this year. Heck, the amounts of dough those teams are spending on just their testing regime would have funded a TdF winning team twenty years ago!!!

I fear for the future of the sport. If it devolves to where it was pre the LeMond era, when it was a gritty, working class sport, then it will not be good for getting it to the point of clean competition that so many desire it to evolve to.

[SLOrider]

I would hate to see it come down to that. How about the other side. Charge sponsors more $$ due to the new cost of testing all team members every day of the Tour??

[bozman]

I have to assume Rabo caught wind of something. Maybe someone from the team came forward or maybe he failed a team test. Bottom line is that an unworthy winner is wiped off the board.

Kudos to Rabo.


+1

Methinks something else is afoot.

[paczki]

"Bergsma said the team officials learned that when Rasmussen had said he was in Mexico - where his wife lives - he had actually been in Italy, working with an as-of-yet-unnamed doctor."

[Frog Hair]

Would the last pro-cyclist leaving the sport please turn off the lights on the way out. Thank-you.

[PaulE]

Coq au Vin (Chicken with Vino).

And here I was believing it was a UCI conspiracy against BMC for their erector set seatstays, seat tube top tube junctions. (Tyler, Floyd, Vino).

[jekent]

I certainly don't want to seem like the monday morning quarterback in this issue, so I won't pass judgement on Rasmussen. However, I noticed at the start of today's stage, while Rasmussen and a few other riders left the start line, the majority of the peloton took a long pause. Do you think they, the other riders, knew something that we can only ponder about now?


James

[jcmuellner]

I just got back from the vet with the cat...heard about the Chicken and now even the dog is spooked....this is better TV then anything I've ever witnessed. I still enjoyed the stage today...even got up at 3:30AM to do it all.

What I want to see is the same scrutiny in American football, baseball and basketball, etc. Then we'll see changes in the sport. Somehow though, I don't see that happening.

Extreme Cage Fighting anyone?

[ada@prorider.or]

"Bergsma said the team officials learned that when Rasmussen had said he was in Mexico - where his wife lives - he had actually been in Italy, working with an as-of-yet-unnamed doctor."

the same doctor as thomas dekker trains with??????????


i wonder

[a100mark]

Coq au Vin (Chicken with Vino).

+1

[Fixed]

the same doctor as thomas dekker trains with??????????


i wonder
are they all dirty?
my wife's family are from holland( dairy farmers )we always root for dutch riders .dekker & boogerd are my sons fav. riders
cheers :beer:

[ada@prorider.or]

are they all dirty?
my wife's family are from holland( dairy farmers )we always root for dutch riders .dekker & boogerd are my sons fav. riders
cheers :beer:


well i hope not!!!!
only rise many question as seen in this light
he was with 2 doctor ferrari and chechini
so..........................

hope he is not involved too

[Fixed]

thank you

[Elefantino]

Hmm …

Ferrari and Checcini were working with Basso before his suspension, too.

Ferrari and Checcini were working with Ullrich before his suspension, too.

Ferrari and Checcini were working with Hamilton before his suspension, too.

Wow.

People think Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears are messed up. Cycling makes them look like … well, nuns.

[Fixed]

tugboat too look what happened to him
cheers

[SayHey]

This article by Joe Lindsey gives some interesting background and perspective --> http://boulderreport.bicycling.com/2007/07/fresh-doping-al.html. Like others have said, I don't think Rabobank would have pulled the plug if it was only about a lack of reporting his whereabouts.

[J.Greene]

are they all dirty?
dekker & boogerd are my sons fav. riders
cheers :beer:

That's why the sport needs to be cleaned up. The kids don't deserve this. Bless them for having favorite riders.

JG

[bostondrunk]

I don't know if Ras was a 'worthy' winner or not, but I think it is pretty pathetic that his team pulls him at this point. He did not test positive for anything. So he lied about his whereabouts. For that he loses the TDF? That's a huge amount of $$ they essentially just robbed him of. If I were Ras, I'd be looking to sue the team big time. Of course, thats assuming there isn't much more to the story than the public knows.

At this point, who cares who wins this tour, they'll never be remembered for actually winning, they'll just be remembered as the person who was last left standing after all the others got the boot.

[coylifut]

if Rasmussen sued Rabo he'd be up against a bank with over a trillion $ in assets who's job would be to prove he was dirty.

[Elefantino]

I don't know if Ras was a 'worthy' winner or not, but I think it is pretty pathetic that his team pulls him at this point. He did not test positive for anything. So he lied about his whereabouts. For that he loses the TDF? That's a huge amount of $$ they essentially just robbed him of. If I were Ras, I'd be looking to sue the team big time. Of course, thats assuming there isn't much more to the story than the public knows.

IIRC, isn't he supposed to have been suspended for three "gone missing"s? And the team didn't suspend him? Sounds like they found a fourth. And sources said the team had new evidence. I don't think they'd fire him on a whim. Bankers aren't stupid.

Hey Mikey: Don't let the syringe hit you on the way out. Oh, and don't forget to blame the lab. Everybody does it. Then hire lawyers and write a book.

[arsegas]

I'd be one majorly pissed off guy if I was Michael Boogerd. What a horrible way to finish up his career.

[keno]

just a small thing, but bankers aren't stupid? Check out the financial pages, or google "sub prime".

Just how many asterisks are there? Seems that we must be running low by this time. Personally, I love all of this stuff. I'm at the point at which the doctor I train with is a urologist.

keno