Chicken Gets Two-Year Ban

by Chris... on Jul 1, 2008 2:27 PM EDT in News

If for some reason you're still interested in the sad saga of Michael Rasmussen, CN has the story. Violation consists of missing two controls. Not sure how important this is, but a bigger deal is the verdict in his suit against Rabobank, which is due tomorrow and supposedly threatens the ongoing viability of the team. If he sinks the ship, is he the biggest jerk in recent cycling history? I mean, haven't his teammates suffered enough?

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Just read

that Rass, very unsuprisingly, will take this to CAS….

Tomorrow is crusial for him, if he loses his case against Rabo, then he is fried chiken.

by Bruce Suomi on Jul 1, 2008 2:43 PM EDT 0 recs

He's just trying to get his cashola

It has nothing to do with his teammates. Breukink and company should get bans too, they knew what he was doing . . . .

by EuroPeloton on Jul 1, 2008 2:49 PM EDT 0 recs

I'd like to see personal fines for the DS and anyone else who might have been covering for him, if so

But NOT a ban for the team, or fine from the team money. I saw the disgust on his teammates faces—you can’t tell me they all knew.

Don’t know if there’s a way to hit only the admin, and prevent the company from making it back up to them. But to risk that team identity and team name would be sad. As for taking a more-than-symbolic chunk out of a bank during an international banking crisis, that too would be a questionable move.

If Breukink was directly pressured to do “whatever it takes,” then let him start singing, and name names above his level. Otherwise, it seems to me that’s a reasonable place for the buck to stop.

by JFS_PGH on Jul 1, 2008 2:58 PM EDT up 0 recs

P.S. I don't WANT to see him for two years, I know that much.

by JFS_PGH on Jul 1, 2008 2:59 PM EDT 0 recs

agreed

by EuroPeloton on Jul 1, 2008 4:36 PM EDT up 0 recs

do i have to see him in two years?

like, really, could he just go away?

by gavia on Jul 1, 2008 5:02 PM EDT up 0 recs

And yet Rabo rides the tour

Who knew?

If you don't have time to do it right the first time, when are you going to have time to do it again?

by CannonDowell on Jul 1, 2008 4:27 PM EDT 0 recs

This has to be politics

The ASO want the blame for his late expulsion and the damage he and Rabo did to the Tour to lie squarely on the shoulders of the UCI (for failing to adhere to their own rules). In order for this reasoning to stay valid, Rabo must be held blameless. Ergo , Rabo can ride the Tour because they did nothing wrong, the bad guy is the UCI for not giving Rabo the info in time.

That nobody lifted a finger to find out what Rabo managment knew or didn’t about the Chickens whereabouts is a different and perhaps much bigger issue.

by Jens on Jul 1, 2008 4:48 PM EDT up 0 recs

si

well-said.

i hope that the court case does not find against the team. that sponsor has done so much for cycling, and there is so much young talent there. i’d hate to see the team taken down this way.

by gavia on Jul 1, 2008 5:03 PM EDT up 0 recs

+1

by Bruce Suomi on Jul 1, 2008 6:02 PM EDT up 0 recs

Oops they knew!

At least that what’s the court found

Just spinning the pedals in the hills of Western Maryland

by natbla on Jul 2, 2008 10:29 AM EDT up 0 recs

I like to think that they will only take out a team, if...

1. they think the doping is common / systematic
2. there’s a systematic, team-wide cover-up
or
3. “fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” (or the W version: “won’t get fooled again.”)

I’m hoping rabobank squeaks by on all criteria.

by JFS_PGH on Jul 2, 2008 1:32 AM EDT 0 recs

Rasmussen gets $1,000,000

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/02/sports/EU-CYC-Rasmussen.php

Key part

“Utrecht civil judge J. Sap said Rabobank was entitled to fire Rasmussen for lying to cycling authorities, he ruled that they should have given him two months’ notice they would tear up his contract because the team “could have or should have” known weeks before firing him that he had lied about his whereabouts.”

Hopefully he’ll take his money and retire.

by William H on Jul 2, 2008 6:05 AM EDT 0 recs

Naw, he's not gonna retire.

Maybe we’ll all get lucky, but I seem to have the feeling he’ll be back.

by Ryan_Liles on Jul 2, 2008 10:54 AM EDT up 0 recs

He made an ass out of himself

in Denmark over the weeekend. During the womens RR championship he decided for some reason to ride his bike in the middle of the support-caravan. He ignored several calls from the commisaires to get out of the way before finally leaving.

by Jens on Jul 2, 2008 11:49 AM EDT up 0 recs