RASMUSSEN SUSPENDED FOR TWO YEARS FOR MISSED DOPE TESTS

• Tuesday, 1 July 2008
• By Stephen Farrand
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Denmark’s Michael Rasmussen has been suspended for two years by the Monte Carlo Cycling Federation for missing out of competition anti-doping tests before the 2007 Tour de France according to a report on the www.gazzetta.it website.

Rasmussen was kicked off the 2007 Tour de France while wearing the yellow jersey and sacked by the Rabobank team last year after it was revealed he missed out of competition tests by both the Danish Cycling Federation and the UCI.

The Monte Carlo Cycling Federation began an investigation last year, held a disciplinary hearing on May 25 and finally reached a verdict on Tuesday, just four days before the start of this year’s race.

Rasmussen has made it clear he will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the verdict because he believes the missed-tests of the Danish Cycling Federation and the UCI cannot be accumulated and trigger a three-missed-test suspension.

In a press conference during the second rest day of the Tour de France in Pau, Rasmussen claimed that the Rabobank team knew about his movements and he has began legal action for compensation of 5.5 million Euros. A verdict in that case is expected on Wednesday.