Michael Rasmussen
Encyclopedia
Michael Rasmussen is a Danish
professional road bicycle racer who rides for the Danish team Christina Watches-Onfone
. In the 2007 Tour de France
, Rasmussen, while in the yellow jersey
, had his contract terminated by his team and was removed from the Tour. He served a two-year ban from July 2007 to July 2009, for lying about his whereabouts.
Specializing in climbing, Rasmussen has shown a propensity for attempting spectacular wins in mountain stages in which he breaks away from the peloton
early and rides alone for most of the stage.
Michael Rasmussen is known for his care for detail when considering weight. With a staggering low weight (60 kg) he is usually one of the lightest riders in his class. He is known for peeling off unnecessary stickers from his bike, not wearing the Livestrong wristband
which has become common among many Tour de France
riders, due to the additional grams. He used to count each grain of rice before eating and had water with his breakfast cereal, not milk. He only carries one water bottle holder and his Colnago Extreme-C bike weighed 6.81 kg, only 10 g more than the minimum limit.
His nickname in Danish
is Kyllingen (The Chicken), originating from his period as a mountain biker
when teammates were watching the Danish children's TV show, Bamses Billedbog, about a bear
and a chicken
. A large team mechanic was nicknamed Bear, and so Rasmussen was dubbed The Chicken.
r, and he won the Mountain Bike World Championships
in 1999 before becoming a stagiaire with the professional cycling team
CSC-Tiscali in 2001. There he secured a one-year contract for 2002, and following a string of good results in August and September, including his first professional win, he switched from CSC-Tiscali to Rabobank
in 2003. After being sacked by Rabobank in the 2007 Tour de France
, Rasmussen got a contract offer from Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo
. The team's manager then decided that the move would be too expensive and thus Rasmussen was without contract.
was in 2004
, in which he failed to get any stage wins but was third in the mountain
classification, which was won by Richard Virenque
. Rasmussen then agreed with his team that he could train alone and focus on the Tour de France for 2005.
his training paid off when he took the polka dot jersey on stage eight. The next day he won stage nine after riding alone for three-quarters of the course; he had broken away after 3 km and stayed clear to the finish 168 km later. He led over the first category 1 climb, the Ballon d'Alsace
. In the penultimate stage (Stage 20), an individual time trial
, he lost his third place after a fall at 4 km, then two bike changes, two wheel changes and a crash into a ditch
. After his first fall, he lost confidence and his ability to descend at speed, said by Rabobank's sports director Erik Breukink
. Rasmussen finished 77th that day and dropped from 3rd to 7th on the GC
. However he needed only to finish the final stage the next day to assure his status as King of the Mountains
.
Rasmussen rode the next day partially alone, saying he needed to clear his mind after the day before. After becoming king of the mountains, Rasmussen wore not only the polka dot jersey, but polka dot helmet, shorts, gloves, and socks. For the final stage, he rode a polka dot bike made by Ernesto Colnago, founder of the Colnago
company.
, he finished well overall but he was not team leader; that honour went to the Russian, Denis Menchov
. Rasmussen won the King of the Mountains polka dot jersey
for the second year and claimed stage 16 in the process. On Stage 16 he broke away after 4 km and took the Souvenir Henri Desgrange
, awarded to the first across the summit of the highest mountain in each year's tour, on the Col du Galibier
(2645 m), winning 5000 euros. He led over all the climbs and won stage 16 by more than a minute on Carlos Sastre
of Team CSC
. In Paris he claimed the final polka dot jersey of the tour while holding his newly born child, who was in a polka-dot shirt and cap.
he won the 8th stage from Le Grand-Bornand
to Tignes
, taking the Yellow jersey
and polka dot jersey
. On 25 July, he held a 3:10 lead on Alberto Contador
, who was in second place for the yellow jersey. With four stages remaining, this made him favourite for the yellow jersey in Paris. That evening however, he was withdrawn from the race and fired by his team Rabobank for "violating internal rules". Davide Cassani
, an Italian
retired professional rider, reported that he had seen Rasmussen in Italy in June 2007, a time when Rasmussen claimed to have been training in Mexico
. The accusations were denied.
in the 2007 Tour de France
, when it was announced that he had been suspended from the Danish national cycling team at UCI World Championships
and Olympic Games
following missed doping controls. Rasmussen failed to report his whereabouts for a three-week training session in Mexico and was unavailable for testing during that period; for that he received a recorded warning from the UCI
. Counting these missed tests together, the Danish cycling union decided to ban Rasmussen. Rasmussen said: "I do admit that I've committed an administrative error. I was informed of this at the Danish championship two and a half weeks ago, so it's no news... It might be a surprise that it comes out right now." The timing of the announcement led to speculation by Patrice Clerc
, then chief of the Amaury Sport Organisation
, which organises the Tour de France
, that the UCI had leaked the news in the middle of the Tour to damage it, as part of a dispute between the two organisations over the running of the UCI ProTour
. This was rejected by the UCI president Pat McQuaid
, who said the timing was the choice of the Danish cycling union.
, a bovine-hemoglobin-based blood substitute which is not currently approved for human use outside South Africa and did not become commercially available there until January 2006, and which might potentially have been used in a doping program. At the time there was no screening test for Hemopure; it is, however, banned by the WADA
. Richards said he destroyed the Hemopure, at which Rasmussen is said to have grown angry and said to Richards "Have you any idea how much that shit cost?"
A second journalist confirmed that Richards had related the same story to him over two years ago, off the record, and claims that the incident is the one described in the epilogue of journalist David Walsh's recent book From Lance to Landis. Rasmussen had declined to comment on the story, saying only, "I cannot confirm any of that."
On 23 July 2007 he was pushed about his reluctance to deny the allegations in an interview on British TV channel ITV4 (also broadcast in a podcast). He denied any such incident and said he had not spoken to Richards for five years and was unsure what he had done to cause such allegations.
, he was fired from Rabobank and removed from the race. Previously, an Italian cycling commentator for RAI
and former professional road bicycle racer, Davide Cassani
, telling a story about Rasmussen's intense preparations for the Tour, stated he had seen Rasmussen in the Italian Dolomites
on 13 June 2007, cycling in the rain. According to the schedule Rasmussen submitted to the UCI
, he should have been in Mexico at that time. When confronted with this accusation, according to initial press reports, Rasmussen admitted the facts to his team leader, which resulted in Rasmussen's removal from the team and the Tour. Rasmussen himself later first denied that he had admitted any such thing, stating that Rabobank manager Theo de Rooij
"was a desperate man on the verge of a nervous breakdown.", but later admitted that he admitted the facts. Two days later on 27 July Theo de Rooij announced his resignation from his position as team manager. Rasmussen's in-laws later confirmed to the Danish newspaper BT that he had visited them in Mexico, but that they did not know where exactly he had been on 13 and 14 June 2007. Rabobank backed the decision to withdraw Rasmussen but reconfirmed its commitment as a sponsor in cycling, at least at the local level.
On 17 December 2007, the Dutch law firm BrantjesVeerman confirmed Rasmussen had hired it to fight his dismissal from Rabobank.
On 1 July 2008 the Monaco Cycling Federation, which holds Rasmussen's racing license, announced that he was banned from the sport for two years from his exclusion from the Tour de France; the ban ended on 25 July 2009. Rasmussen appealed the ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
, which upheld the ban on 22 January 2009.
, Denmark
two days later, finishing in second place. Later that season, he won the opening stage, a time trial, and was race leader for three days, in the Mexico's Vuelta a Chihuahua
, as a member of Team Tecos Trek. The following season, he signed for the Italian Continental ranked team, Miche Silver Cross.
On July 30, 2010, Michael Rasmussen got a personal sponsor in Christina Design London. On December 9, 2010, Rasmussen and Christina Design owner Christina Hembo presented their new team Christina Watches-Onfone
. Hembo received a UCI Continental licence and announced the goal to become a UCI Pro Tour team by 2016.
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2009
2011
WD = Withdrew
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
professional road bicycle racer who rides for the Danish team Christina Watches-Onfone
Christina Watches-Onfone
Christina Watches-Onfone powered by Dana is a Danish professional cycling team based in Herning that competes on the UCI Continental Circuits. The captain of the team is Michael Rasmussen, who won the climbers jersey at the 2005 and 2006 Tour de France....
. In the 2007 Tour de France
2007 Tour de France
The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
, Rasmussen, while in the yellow jersey
Yellow jersey
The general classification in the Tour de France is the most important classification, the one by which the winner of the Tour de France is determined. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification wears the yellow jersey .-History:...
, had his contract terminated by his team and was removed from the Tour. He served a two-year ban from July 2007 to July 2009, for lying about his whereabouts.
Specializing in climbing, Rasmussen has shown a propensity for attempting spectacular wins in mountain stages in which he breaks away from the peloton
Peloton
The peloton , field, bunch or pack is the large main group of riders in a road bicycle race. Riders in a group save energy by riding close near other riders...
early and rides alone for most of the stage.
Michael Rasmussen is known for his care for detail when considering weight. With a staggering low weight (60 kg) he is usually one of the lightest riders in his class. He is known for peeling off unnecessary stickers from his bike, not wearing the Livestrong wristband
Livestrong wristband
The LIVESTRONG Bracelet is a blue silicone gel bracelet launched in May 2004 as a fund-raising item for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, founded by cyclist and pnumonia survivor Lance Armstrong. The bracelet itself was developed by Nike and their ad agency Wieden+Kennedy.-Purpose:The bracelet is...
which has become common among many Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
riders, due to the additional grams. He used to count each grain of rice before eating and had water with his breakfast cereal, not milk. He only carries one water bottle holder and his Colnago Extreme-C bike weighed 6.81 kg, only 10 g more than the minimum limit.
His nickname in Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
is Kyllingen (The Chicken), originating from his period as a mountain biker
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
when teammates were watching the Danish children's TV show, Bamses Billedbog, about a bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
and a chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
. A large team mechanic was nicknamed Bear, and so Rasmussen was dubbed The Chicken.
Biography
Rasmussen began his career as a mountain bikeMountain bike
A mountain bike or mountain bicycle is a bicycle created for off-road cycling. This activity includes traversing of rocks and washouts, and steep declines,...
r, and he won the Mountain Bike World Championships
Mountain Bike World Championships
The UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships are the world championship events for mountain bike racing events in cross country, downhill, four-cross and trials riding events. It is organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale , and winners are presented with a gold medal and are entitled...
in 1999 before becoming a stagiaire with the professional cycling team
Cycling team
A cycling team is a group of cyclists who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle races whether recreational or professional - and the supporting personnel...
CSC-Tiscali in 2001. There he secured a one-year contract for 2002, and following a string of good results in August and September, including his first professional win, he switched from CSC-Tiscali to Rabobank
Rabobank (cycling)
Rabobank is a professional bicycle racing team, sponsored by the Rabobank. The team consists of three sections: ProTeam , Continental , and Cyclo-cross...
in 2003. After being sacked by Rabobank in the 2007 Tour de France
2007 Tour de France
The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
, Rasmussen got a contract offer from Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo
Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo
Acqua & Sapone is a professional continental cycling team based in Italy and participates in UCI Europe Tour and when selected as a wildcard to UCI ProTour events. They are managed by Palmiro Masciarelli, assisted by directeur sportifs Lorenzo Di Lorenzo, Bruno Cenghialta and Franco Gini...
. The team's manager then decided that the move would be too expensive and thus Rasmussen was without contract.
2004
His first Tour de FranceTour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
was in 2004
2004 Tour de France
The 2004 Tour de France was the 91st, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 2004. It consisted of 20 stages over 3391 km.Lance Armstrong became the first to win six Tours de France. Armstrong had been favored to win, his competitors seen as being German Jan Ullrich, Spaniards Roberto Heras and...
, in which he failed to get any stage wins but was third in the mountain
Polka dot jersey
The Mountains classification in the Tour de France is a secondary classification in the Tour de France, in which cyclists receive points for reaching a mountain top first...
classification, which was won by Richard Virenque
Richard Virenque
Richard VirenqueRichard Virenque's name is pronounced Ree-shah Vee-rahnk. Virenque considers himself a man of the South but pronounces his name in standard French. Confusion is caused by the southern habit of pronouncing "en" as "ang" or "eng", making it Vee-rank. But Virenque says Vee-rahnk or...
. Rasmussen then agreed with his team that he could train alone and focus on the Tour de France for 2005.
2005
At the 2005 Tour de France2005 Tour de France
The 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was...
his training paid off when he took the polka dot jersey on stage eight. The next day he won stage nine after riding alone for three-quarters of the course; he had broken away after 3 km and stayed clear to the finish 168 km later. He led over the first category 1 climb, the Ballon d'Alsace
Ballon d'Alsace
Ballon d'Alsace is a mountain at the border of Alsace, Lorraine, and Franche-Comté. From its top, views include the Vosges, the Rhine valley, and the Black Forest.A road leads over a pass near the peak at ....
. In the penultimate stage (Stage 20), an individual time trial
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
, he lost his third place after a fall at 4 km, then two bike changes, two wheel changes and a crash into a ditch
Ditch
A ditch is usually defined as a small to moderate depression created to channel water.In Anglo-Saxon, the word dïc already existed and was pronounced 'deek' in northern England and 'deetch' in the south. The origins of the word lie in digging a trench and forming the upcast soil into a bank...
. After his first fall, he lost confidence and his ability to descend at speed, said by Rabobank's sports director Erik Breukink
Erik Breukink
Erik Breukink is a former professional road racing cyclist. In 1988, Breukink won the youth competition in the Tour de France. In 1990, Breukink reached the podium in Paris, finishing 3rd in the 1990 Tour de France...
. Rasmussen finished 77th that day and dropped from 3rd to 7th on the GC
General Classification
The general classification in bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage bicycle races...
. However he needed only to finish the final stage the next day to assure his status as King of the Mountains
King of the Mountains
The King of the Mountains is the title given to the best climber in a cycling road race; usually and officially known as the Mountains classification...
.
Rasmussen rode the next day partially alone, saying he needed to clear his mind after the day before. After becoming king of the mountains, Rasmussen wore not only the polka dot jersey, but polka dot helmet, shorts, gloves, and socks. For the final stage, he rode a polka dot bike made by Ernesto Colnago, founder of the Colnago
Colnago
Colnago is a manufacturer of high-end road-racing bicycles founded by Ernesto Colnago in 1954 near Milano in Cambiago, Italy. Instead of following his family's farming business Ernesto Colnago chose to work in the cycle trade, apprenticing first with Gloria Bicycles at 13, subsequently taking up...
company.
2006
In the 2006 Tour de France2006 Tour de France
The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis....
, he finished well overall but he was not team leader; that honour went to the Russian, Denis Menchov
Denis Menchov
Denis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
. Rasmussen won the King of the Mountains polka dot jersey
Polka dot jersey
The Mountains classification in the Tour de France is a secondary classification in the Tour de France, in which cyclists receive points for reaching a mountain top first...
for the second year and claimed stage 16 in the process. On Stage 16 he broke away after 4 km and took the Souvenir Henri Desgrange
Henri Desgrange
Henri Desgrange was a French bicycle racer and sports journalist. He set 12 world track cycling records, including the hour record of 35.325 kilometres on 11 May 1893. He was the first organiser of the Tour de France.-Origins:Henri Desgrange was one of two brothers, twins...
, awarded to the first across the summit of the highest mountain in each year's tour, on the Col du Galibier
Col du Galibier
Col du Galibier is a mountain pass in the southern region of the French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble. It is the ninth highest paved road in the Alps and the sixth highest mountain pass. It is often the highest point of the Tour de France....
(2645 m), winning 5000 euros. He led over all the climbs and won stage 16 by more than a minute on Carlos Sastre
Carlos Sastre
Carlos Sastre Candil is a retired Spanish professional road bicycle racer and champion of the 2008 Tour de France. Sastre rides in 2011 for UCI Professional Continental team...
of Team CSC
Team CSC
Team Saxo Bank-SunGard is a professional cycling team from Denmark. It competes in the UCI ProTour. The team is owned and managed by former Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis, under the management of his company Riis Cycling. The sponsor is a Danish investment bank.Founded for 1998 Team home – Jack...
. In Paris he claimed the final polka dot jersey of the tour while holding his newly born child, who was in a polka-dot shirt and cap.
2007
In the 2007 Tour de France2007 Tour de France
The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
he won the 8th stage from Le Grand-Bornand
Le Grand-Bornand
Le Grand-Bornand is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The commune is a ski resort and owes its name to the river which runs through it...
to Tignes
Tignes
Tignes is a commune in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is also a ski resort near Val d'Isère, that are linked together as the "Espace Killy" region...
, taking the Yellow jersey
Yellow jersey
The general classification in the Tour de France is the most important classification, the one by which the winner of the Tour de France is determined. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification wears the yellow jersey .-History:...
and polka dot jersey
Polka dot jersey
The Mountains classification in the Tour de France is a secondary classification in the Tour de France, in which cyclists receive points for reaching a mountain top first...
. On 25 July, he held a 3:10 lead on Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador Velasco is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He was the winner of the 2007 Tour de France with the team. With the Astana team he has won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España, the 2009 Tour de France, the 2010 Tour de France and won 2011 Giro...
, who was in second place for the yellow jersey. With four stages remaining, this made him favourite for the yellow jersey in Paris. That evening however, he was withdrawn from the race and fired by his team Rabobank for "violating internal rules". Davide Cassani
Davide Cassani
Davide Cassani is a former road cyclist from Italy. He now works as a cycling commentator on Italian television.He was born in Faenza. In 1982 he made his professional debut with Termolan-Galli...
, an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
retired professional rider, reported that he had seen Rasmussen in Italy in June 2007, a time when Rasmussen claimed to have been training in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The accusations were denied.
Unavailability for doping controls
Rasmussen was the center of controversy while wearing the yellow jerseyYellow jersey
The general classification in the Tour de France is the most important classification, the one by which the winner of the Tour de France is determined. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification wears the yellow jersey .-History:...
in the 2007 Tour de France
2007 Tour de France
The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
, when it was announced that he had been suspended from the Danish national cycling team at UCI World Championships
UCI World Championships
The Union Cycliste Internationale organises UCI World Championships to determine world champion cyclists. These take place annually and are organized around nations rather than trade teams....
and Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
following missed doping controls. Rasmussen failed to report his whereabouts for a three-week training session in Mexico and was unavailable for testing during that period; for that he received a recorded warning from the UCI
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
. Counting these missed tests together, the Danish cycling union decided to ban Rasmussen. Rasmussen said: "I do admit that I've committed an administrative error. I was informed of this at the Danish championship two and a half weeks ago, so it's no news... It might be a surprise that it comes out right now." The timing of the announcement led to speculation by Patrice Clerc
Patrice Clerc
Patrice Clerc was a past president of the Amaury Sport Organisation which promotes a number of professional cycling events including the Tour de France. Previously, Clerc served as president and tournament director of the French Open tennis tournament from 1984-2000...
, then chief of the Amaury Sport Organisation
Amaury Sport Organisation
The Amaury Sport Organisation is part of the French media group, EPA . It organises sporting events including the Tour de France and Paris–Nice professional cycle road races, and the Dakar Rally...
, which organises the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, that the UCI had leaked the news in the middle of the Tour to damage it, as part of a dispute between the two organisations over the running of the UCI ProTour
UCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
. This was rejected by the UCI president Pat McQuaid
Pat McQuaid
Patrick "Pat" McQuaid is a former Irish professional road racing cyclist and current president of the Union Cycliste Internationale .-Background:...
, who said the timing was the choice of the Danish cycling union.
Alleged doping in 2002
According to a multiply sourced VeloNews article published on 20 July 2007, mountain bike racer Whitney Richards accused Rasmussen of trying to get him to transport a box, which Rasmussen had told Richards contained his favourite cycling shoes, to his training base in Italy in early 2002. The box turned out to contain packets of HemopureHemopure
Hemopure, developed by Biopure , is an hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier based on chemically stabilized bovine hemoglobin. It has been developed for potential use in humans as an oxygen delivering bridge in cases when blood is not available or is not an option...
, a bovine-hemoglobin-based blood substitute which is not currently approved for human use outside South Africa and did not become commercially available there until January 2006, and which might potentially have been used in a doping program. At the time there was no screening test for Hemopure; it is, however, banned by the WADA
World Anti-Doping Agency
The World Anti-Doping Agency , , is an independent foundation created through a collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee . It was set up on November 10, 1999 in Lausanne, Switzerland, as a result of what was called the "Declaration of Lausanne", to promote, coordinate and...
. Richards said he destroyed the Hemopure, at which Rasmussen is said to have grown angry and said to Richards "Have you any idea how much that shit cost?"
A second journalist confirmed that Richards had related the same story to him over two years ago, off the record, and claims that the incident is the one described in the epilogue of journalist David Walsh's recent book From Lance to Landis. Rasmussen had declined to comment on the story, saying only, "I cannot confirm any of that."
On 23 July 2007 he was pushed about his reluctance to deny the allegations in an interview on British TV channel ITV4 (also broadcast in a podcast). He denied any such incident and said he had not spoken to Richards for five years and was unsure what he had done to cause such allegations.
Removal from the 2007 Tour
On 25 July 2007, the day Rasmussen won stage 16 and virtually ensured his overall win of the 2007 Tour de France2007 Tour de France
The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
, he was fired from Rabobank and removed from the race. Previously, an Italian cycling commentator for RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
and former professional road bicycle racer, Davide Cassani
Davide Cassani
Davide Cassani is a former road cyclist from Italy. He now works as a cycling commentator on Italian television.He was born in Faenza. In 1982 he made his professional debut with Termolan-Galli...
, telling a story about Rasmussen's intense preparations for the Tour, stated he had seen Rasmussen in the Italian Dolomites
Dolomites
The Dolomites are a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy. It is a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extends from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley...
on 13 June 2007, cycling in the rain. According to the schedule Rasmussen submitted to the UCI
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
, he should have been in Mexico at that time. When confronted with this accusation, according to initial press reports, Rasmussen admitted the facts to his team leader, which resulted in Rasmussen's removal from the team and the Tour. Rasmussen himself later first denied that he had admitted any such thing, stating that Rabobank manager Theo de Rooij
Theo de Rooij
Theo de Rooij is a retired Dutch former bicycle racer and former manager of the Rabobank cycling team - a position from which he resigned after the 2007 Tour de France. De Rooij was a professional rider from 1980 to 1990. He started his career in Belgian teams and the last eight years of his...
"was a desperate man on the verge of a nervous breakdown.", but later admitted that he admitted the facts. Two days later on 27 July Theo de Rooij announced his resignation from his position as team manager. Rasmussen's in-laws later confirmed to the Danish newspaper BT that he had visited them in Mexico, but that they did not know where exactly he had been on 13 and 14 June 2007. Rabobank backed the decision to withdraw Rasmussen but reconfirmed its commitment as a sponsor in cycling, at least at the local level.
On 17 December 2007, the Dutch law firm BrantjesVeerman confirmed Rasmussen had hired it to fight his dismissal from Rabobank.
On 1 July 2008 the Monaco Cycling Federation, which holds Rasmussen's racing license, announced that he was banned from the sport for two years from his exclusion from the Tour de France; the ban ended on 25 July 2009. Rasmussen appealed the ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
, which upheld the ban on 22 January 2009.
2009 return
Rasmussen's suspension expired on 25 July 2009, and he took part in the Designa Grand Prix in KjellerupKjellerup
Kjellerup is a Danish town with a population of 4,795 Its located 17 km north from Silkeborg and 20 km south from Viborg in Central Jutland.The town was the seat of the former Kjellerup Municipality....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
two days later, finishing in second place. Later that season, he won the opening stage, a time trial, and was race leader for three days, in the Mexico's Vuelta a Chihuahua
Vuelta Chihuahua Internacional
Vuelta Chihuahua Internacional is a stage race held annually in October in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The race is contested over 7 days. The state's diverse geography, including mountains, forests, and farmland attracts a competitive field of racers...
, as a member of Team Tecos Trek. The following season, he signed for the Italian Continental ranked team, Miche Silver Cross.
On July 30, 2010, Michael Rasmussen got a personal sponsor in Christina Design London. On December 9, 2010, Rasmussen and Christina Design owner Christina Hembo presented their new team Christina Watches-Onfone
Christina Watches-Onfone
Christina Watches-Onfone powered by Dana is a Danish professional cycling team based in Herning that competes on the UCI Continental Circuits. The captain of the team is Michael Rasmussen, who won the climbers jersey at the 2005 and 2006 Tour de France....
. Hembo received a UCI Continental licence and announced the goal to become a UCI Pro Tour team by 2016.
Major results
1999- 1st, Mountain Bike World ChampionMountain Bike World ChampionshipsThe UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships are the world championship events for mountain bike racing events in cross country, downhill, four-cross and trials riding events. It is organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale , and winners are presented with a gold medal and are entitled...
(cross-country)
2002
- 1st, Giro dell'EmiliaGiro dell'EmiliaThe Giro dell'Emilia is a late season road bicycle race held annually in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour. It is considered one of the most important classic bicycle races in Italy....
- 1st Stage 4, Tour of Burgos
2003
- 7th Overall, Vuelta a España2003 Vuelta a EspañaThe 58th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 6 to September 28, 2003...
- 1st Stage 7
2004
- 1st Stage 6, Dauphiné LibéréDauphiné LibéréThe Critérium du Dauphiné is an annual cycling road race, run over eight stages in the Dauphiné region in France during the first half of June. The race was inaugurated by a local newspaper, the Dauphiné Libéré, which gave its name to the event...
- 14th Overall, Tour de France2004 Tour de FranceThe 2004 Tour de France was the 91st, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 2004. It consisted of 20 stages over 3391 km.Lance Armstrong became the first to win six Tours de France. Armstrong had been favored to win, his competitors seen as being German Jan Ullrich, Spaniards Roberto Heras and...
- 3rd King of Mountains Classification
Combativity Award, Stage 13, Stage 15
2005
- 7th Overall, Tour de France2005 Tour de FranceThe 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was...
- 1st
King of Mountains Classification - 1st, Stage 9
- Combativity Award, Stage 9
- 1st
2006
- 18th Overall, Tour de France2006 Tour de FranceThe 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis....
- 1st King of Mountains Classification
- 1st, Stage 16
- Combativity awardCombativity awardThe combativity award, , is a prize given in the Tour de France. It favours constant attackers and since 1981 the winner of the award has not won the whole Tour.- History :...
, Stage 16
- 1st
2007
- Tour de France2007 Tour de FranceThe 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
:- 1st, Stage 8, Stage 16
- Combativity Award, Stage 8
- Maillot Jaune
Stage 8-16
- Withdrawn from the race after stage 16 while still leading general classification
2009
- 6th Overall, Vuelta Chihuahua InternacionalVuelta Chihuahua InternacionalVuelta Chihuahua Internacional is a stage race held annually in October in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The race is contested over 7 days. The state's diverse geography, including mountains, forests, and farmland attracts a competitive field of racers...
- 1st, Prologue Time Trial
- Leader
Prologue,Stage 1-2
2011
- 8th Overall, GP HerningGP HerningGP Herning is a bicycle race held in Herning , Denmark. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.- Palmarès :-External links:*...
- 8th Overall, Himmerland Rundt
- 4th Overall, Tour of NorwayRingerike GPRingerike Grand Prix is a road bicycle race held annually near Hønefoss, in the region of Ringerike, Norway. The race was ranked 2.2 on the UCI Europe Tour until 2010. In 2011 it turned into a one day race while Tour of Norway, held in the whole eastern Norway, replaced it on the calendar.-Winners:...
- 2nd Overall, Tour de SerbieTour de SerbieTour de Serbie is a road bicycle race held annually in Serbia. First held in 1939, since 2005 it has been ranked 2.2 on the UCI Europe Tour.- Past Winners :...
- 1st, Stage 3, Tour de SerbieTour de SerbieTour de Serbie is a road bicycle race held annually in Serbia. First held in 1939, since 2005 it has been ranked 2.2 on the UCI Europe Tour.- Past Winners :...
- 1st, Stage 3, Tour de Serbie
- 4th Overall, Brixia TourBrixia TourThe Brixia Tour is an Italian cycle road race. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-List of winners:...
Grand Tours overall classification results timeline
| Grand Tour | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar... |
45 2002 Giro d'Italia The 2002 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 85th running of the race, was held from 11 May to 2 June 2002. It consisted of a prologue in Groningen plus 20 stages with two rest days, for a total of 3,354 km, ridden at an average speed of 37.567 km/h. It was won by the Italian Paolo... |
– | – | WD 2005 Giro d'Italia The 2005 Giro d'Italia, the 88th running of the race, was held from 7 May to 29 May 2005, consisting of 21 stages for a total of 3,417 km, ridden at an average speed of 37,375 km/h... |
WD 2006 Giro d'Italia The 2006 Giro d'Italia was the 89th running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 6 May to 28 May 2006, and covered , beginning in the Belgian mining town of Seraing and ending in Milan... |
48 2006 Giro d'Italia The 2006 Giro d'Italia was the 89th running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 6 May to 28 May 2006, and covered , beginning in the Belgian mining town of Seraing and ending in Milan... |
Tour de France The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The... |
– | – | 14 2004 Tour de France The 2004 Tour de France was the 91st, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 2004. It consisted of 20 stages over 3391 km.Lance Armstrong became the first to win six Tours de France. Armstrong had been favored to win, his competitors seen as being German Jan Ullrich, Spaniards Roberto Heras and... |
7 2005 Tour de France The 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was... |
17 2006 Tour de France The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis.... |
WD 2007 Tour de France The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain... |
 Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages... |
- 2002 Vuelta a España The 57th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 7 to September 29, 2002... |
7 2003 Vuelta a España The 58th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 6 to September 28, 2003... |
- 2004 Vuelta a España The 59th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 4 to September 26, 2004... |
- | WD | - 2007 Vuelta a España The 2007 Vuelta a España, the sixty-second edition of the cycle race, took place from September 1 until September 23, 2007. For the first time in a decade, the race started in the region of Galicia, at Vigo, home to Óscar Pereiro, with a flat stage... |
WD = Withdrew