I definitely feel bad for Chicken's teammates, as they truly busted their arses off for him. :(

Levi wins in the time trial... Lol. Sweet. American victory again.

Like Cantador isn't a doper too? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Word. Anybody who is singing the praises of any rider as not being a doper is naive. I'm not saying that eveyone is, but the dark cloud hangs over everyone. You can't be surprised by anyone getting busted at this point.

Wow.

I believe that Rasmussen LIVES in Mexico, but wasn't in Mexico as reported during a certain period He was in Italy. It's not like He left Denmark and flew to Italy but thought he was in Mexico.
.
Wrong. His bio lists his residence as Lazise, Italy. His wife is from Mexico and he said he had been over there visiting. Now we know he was not.

I believe Rabobank took a while to put the story together. Could they not just have checked his Passport?



In the EU you do not get your passport stamped when you move between countries. I doubt they could tell if he was in Italy. Regardless - blame the liar, not the team that catches him in his lies.

The yellow is over for me, but I still have the green to watch.

In the EU you do not get your passport stamped when you move between countries. I doubt they could tell if he was in Italy. Regardless - blame the liar, not the team that catches him in his lies.
True, but you do get a stamp in your passport when you go to Mexico. They could have checked for that.

I definitely feel bad for Chicken's teammates, as they truly busted their arses off for him. :(
As if they're not dopers too? :roflmao:

Not that he's going to get better than 3rd, but do we think Levi is a doper? I mean a lot of people on this forum seem to bash Levi for being a wuss, or not being able to attack, and just riding a steady pace. Is he doping, and just not as good of a rider as the other dopers, or is he clean and his 3rd place is due to the fact that he is clean?

Word. Anybody who is singing the praises of any rider as not being a doper is naive. I'm not saying that eveyone is, but the dark cloud hangs over everyone. You can't be surprised by anyone getting busted at this point.
Exactly. Yet you hear insiders like Phil and Paul and Bruyneel say they are "shocked" to learn that Vino did it. Oh, please.

The yellow jersey Michael Rasmussen (Photo the Team) will not be with the d?rt of the 17th?pe Turn of France, Thursday?au. Its?ipe, Rabobank, have demand?e to leave the race to him to apr?avoir d?uvert that the Dane had lied on his timetable. Il appeared Wednesday apr?midi to us which Michael?it not in Mexico whereas he to us said that it y?it. Within sight of do this information, the persons in charge for the?ipe have demand? Michael if it could it confirm and it has finally confirm?u' it?it in Italy, not in Mexico. For Theo de Rooy, the director of the?ipe, it?it the water drop which made d?rder the vase. It is thus for that that we have d?d?e not to align Michael Rasmussen Thursday. The other runners are discussing to know if they leave or not. The d?sion will be taken Thursday morning, d?arait Wednesday evening the spokesman of the formation.
@ the link

True, but you do get a stamp in your passport when you go to Mexico. They could have checked for that.
You do when you fly in now

Not that he's going to get better than 3rd, but do we think Levi is a doper? I mean a lot of people on this forum seem to bash Levi for being a wuss, or not being able to attack, and just riding a steady pace. Is he doping, and just not as good of a rider as the other dopers, or is he clean and his 3rd place is due to the fact that he is clean?
You probably can't be in the top 50 or even top 100 if you're not using something.

if they were going to pull him i was really hoping it would happen mid race. I can just see the uci car whipping up the road and sliding to a stop in front of all the riders. Then they put Ras in the back like its a cop car and speed away again.

How pissed are Boogie, Dekker, and Menchov now? They rode their tails off the past week for a guy that they gave off the impression they did not like as a teammate (wasn't there a story about Ras wanting to go early in the Alps and being told no, only to go on his own, while Menchov was still the GC hope?). They were probably reconciling themselves to the fact that after two stage wins, the GC title, and possibly the KOM, a big check was coming (491,000 Euros, unless Ras was going to pull an Andy Hampsten and keep it all for himself!).

I'd probably be more pissed at the team management. Doping or not, he was going to win the tour. So unless a positive test (and I don't mean 2 misses = 1 non-negative) comes out, the team effectively took away the other riders pay checks.

it kind of demonstrates the ol' saying... if it looks too good to be true- it probably is.

everytime this year that you saw a "super human effort"... the guy was pulled the next day.


that climb today- EVERYONE was WIPED out. the entire peloton was destoyed, Levi was grinding his last breath, AC was DROPPED.... and Chicken stands up and walks away?!?!?

something is fishy.


the time trial! Vino beat the entire field of professional cyclists and dedicated TT-ists by MINUTES! super human? having a really good day?

something just plain stinks.

i'm thankful theres a few holes in this years roster. it is a fair warning to these idiots for years to come.

The yellow jersey Michael Rasmussen (Photo the Team) will not be with the d?rt of the 17th?pe Turn of France, Thursday?au. Its?ipe, Rabobank, have demand?e to leave the race to him to apr?avoir d?uvert that the Dane had lied on his timetable. Il appeared Wednesday apr?midi to us which Michael?it not in Mexico whereas he to us said that it y?it. Within sight of do this information, the persons in charge for the?ipe have demand? Michael if it could it confirm and it has finally confirm?u' it?it in Italy, not in Mexico. For Theo de Rooy, the director of the?ipe, it?it the water drop which made d?rder the vase. It is thus for that that we have d?d?e not to align Michael Rasmussen Thursday. The other runners are discussing to know if they leave or not. The d?sion will be taken Thursday morning, d?arait Wednesday evening the spokesman of the formation.
@ the link

lol @ that Translate machine sucks

I believe Rabobank took a while to put the story together. Could they not just have checked his Passport?
International travel is not like the movies. Not only does practically no one stamp passports as a matter of course, it's like pulling teeth when you actually want a stamp.

can't read this. its not in american ... :roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao: «Il nous est apparu mercredi après-midi que Michael n'était pas au Mexique alors qu'il nous a dit qu'il y était. Au vu de cette information, les responsables de l'équipe ont demandé à Michael s'il pouvait la confirmer et il a finalement confirmé qu'il était en Italie, non au Mexique. Pour Theo de Rooy, le directeur de l'équipe, c'était la goutte d'eau qui a fait déborder le vase. C'est donc pour cela que nous avons décidé de ne pas aligner Michael Rasmussen jeudi. Les autres coureurs sont en train de discuter pour savoir s'ils partent ou non. La décision sera prise jeudi matin», déclarait mercredi soir le porte-parole de la formation.

"It appeared to us Wednesday afternoon that Michael was not in Mexico when he had told us that he was. In view of this information, the managers of the team asked Michael if he could confirm that, and he finally confirmed that he was in Italy, not in Mexico. For Theo de Rooy, the director of the team, that was the drop of water that made the glass overflow. It's therefore for this that we have decided to not lineup [at the starting line] Michael Rasmussen Thursday. The other riders are right now discussing, to figure out if they will start or not. The decision will be made Thursday morning," declared the spokesperson of the team Wednesday evening.

My apologies for the awkwardnesses of the translation.

how are Phil and Bob going to spin this one?

it will be interesting to see stage 17.

True, but you do get a stamp in your passport when you go to Mexico. They could have checked for that.

I've been to Mexico at least two dozen times with nary a stamp to show for it.

not American
or even English

"Say it ain't so Joe"
I've been following the tour since the early 80's when I started racing, and this one has been one of the great ones until today. I want to throw my hands up and and say F*&% um, but I know I won't be able to keep the tv off.

I've been to Mexico at least two dozen times with nary a stamp to show for it.

You're an American though, I think it's different for Europeans

Im from Denmark so im kinda Disapointed of him, but every people in Denmark was like omfg this is so fantastic, while some people said : Hmm yeah he good, with a tear in his eye. Im affraid that its gona be chaos tomorrow in Denmark when people wake up and read that he's out of the Tour

ROFLMAO @ Jean-Marie Leblanc proclaiming a new beginning for cycling (post-Lance) at the 2006 Tour route presentation. It's been downhill ever since.

You're an American though, I think it's different for Europeans

That's possible. And it's also possible that things have changed in the last couple years. It's been a few since I've flown in.

I'm pretty much fed up with all professional sports, but this is a real blow. I was getting into this Tour, although I normally don't put much stock in it. I'm just a guy that likes to ride.

Baseball, football, track, cycling, swimming, it's all about the same, except for the money. I used to think sports like cycling, track and soccer were pure, but not anymore. Especially track. Gawd, it's really bad these days.

One thing I find encouraging — that we don't know whether Chicken was "encouraged" out by positive results. Maybe somebody finally stuffed a plug in that f*g French lab.

it kind of demonstrates the ol' saying... if it looks too good to be true- it probably is.

everytime this year that you saw a "super human effort"... the guy was pulled the next day.


that climb today- EVERYONE was WIPED out. the entire peloton was destoyed, Levi was grinding his last breath, AC was DROPPED.... and Chicken stands up and walks away?!?!?

something is fishy.


the time trial! Vino beat the entire field of professional cyclists and dedicated TT-ists by MINUTES! super human? having a really good day?

something just plain stinks.

i'm thankful theres a few holes in this years roster. it is a fair warning to these idiots for years to come.
And yet what Chicken did was nothing compared to what Armstrong pulled off.

I think it was Escartin who said about Armstrong in '99 that he had never seen anyone suddenly accelerate like that.

That's possible. And it's also possible that things have changed in the last couple years. It's been a few since I've flown in.
It has, within the last year. I live in San Diego, if I fly in, I get my passport stamped. If I walk in, nothing. Doesn't make sense but that's the way it is

And yet what Chicken did was nothing compared to what Armstrong pulled off.

I think it was Escartin who said about Armstrong in '99 that he had never seen anyone suddenly accelerate like that.

Thus the recent comparisons to Contador. Makes you suspicious of the current man in yellow.

And yet what Chicken did was nothing compared to what Armstrong pulled off.

I think it was Escartin who said about Armstrong in '99 that he had never seen anyone suddenly accelerate like that.

A good contemporary comparison (that has already been made) is to Contador. They both have exception accelerations in the mountains, the only difference is that Contador can't maintain the pace after his initial acceleration - Lance did.

I hope the team does not pull out. This wasn't a doping thing, at least not yet, it was a rule being broken on the team. The other riders that killed themselves for this guy should be allowed to finish. Think about the poor sap that doesn't have a contract for next year, the TdF is where these negotiations take place.

tbh i allready posted that Rabobank is no more in Tour de france,. that have been told the the danish tv

tbh i allready posted that Rabobank is no more in Tour de france,. that have been told the the danish tv

That sucks!

I wonder how Versus will kick off the replay of Stage 16:

"What you're about to see is completely irrelevant, other than as a testament to the power of drugs."

That sucks!

From cyclingnews:
'DeRooy will not withdraw the entire team, but will allow the riders to choose to start the stage tomorrow.'

He is out. It is on the front page of the New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/sports/sportsspecial1/26tour.html?hp

Man oh Man.

Im still effing watching too. I was actually pulling for him. I liked Contador and Levi but for some reason, I was pullin for the chicken.

Oh well, go Disco! I ride a Trek anyhow!

<<<<<<<<< Bandwagon jumper eheheheh

Disco reaction:

"We just heard the news 20 minutes ago," said Discovery spokesman P.J. Rabice. "Obviously, this is not good news. We are in no way celebrating. It's a major disappointment for us. It's going to reflect very negatively on the whole sport. We are quite shocked and upset about it.
"Riders were just getting to bed when they heard the news. They have all heard the news now, and not one of them had a smile on their face. This is a sport they have all done for a number of years, and nobody is very happy about this."

I apologize to those who I have been in conflict with in defending Rasmussen

the turd has hit the fan. they should cancel the tour this year. If I were alberto Contador I don't think I would want this years jersey. not after all this.

Unless Contador is also doping, there is no reason he should shun the yellow jersey. Rasmussen's team removed him - it's not like the guy died on a descent.

That's possible. And it's also possible that things have changed in the last couple years. It's been a few since I've flown in.

Flew into Mexico 2 weeks ago. Passports now required for air travelers but not, as noted above, tourists who use other means of transport.

Doubt Ras drove there.


:beer:

I've been to Mexico at least two dozen times with nary a stamp to show for it.
I have flown in five times and have a stamp for each time. Guess that's Mexico for you.

The Tour president : "I havnt changed my opinion to Michael. He Drive's very good, and he's still the tour's best climber and got a great team. But after thoose last days i cant say Michael Ramussen is a idol for us who love cycling. He should have done thoose test and told were he where. ofcourse its a deathly thing to the sport, but the tour will still be running, just not as good as before''. Actually i agree with him, but its still a shame that our ''chicken lil'' is out of the Race

It’s not about testing positive, if that was the case dozens of KNOWN dopers would still be riding, not ALL methods of cheating are detectible, this clown LIED about where he was and INTENTIONALLY missed several scheduled drug tests and was not in Mexico but ITALY! You know the Italy of dope doctors Michele Ferrari and Luigi Cechini.

You or I sure as hell don't know the crap you put in CAPS. Though if he didn't go to Italy for a race, or can't account for his wearabouts there, then I might be somewhat more understanding.... I'm still unsure being in Italy in June should be a fireable offense... What about all those poor italians :D

He obviously has a history of sloppy paperwork. I do have suspicions of any tourists that visit columbia, but basically this looks like if he had put in the paperwork that he would be in Italy at that time, then there would be no problem whatsoever.

If my work rules allow me to take 7 sick days a year, I might take all 7 even if I'm not really sick. If I'm the world's star performer for the year, I'd expect my employer to cut me some slack on it too, instead of finding technicalities to fire me.

Well I have to hand it to Rabobank, ethics and rules are more important than their first TdF win. Rasmussen isn't my favorite rider by any stretch but I do feel for him.

this doesn’t make sense to me. if ras is going to italy, why not just declare that he will be in italy? was he under orders not to be seen there or something? i think there’s a smoking gun somewhere. the “he lied to us” spin doctors aren’t selling this to me well enough. there’s something else going on

and to everyone who just wants to chuck all this and leave - don’t give up on the sport. i understand the gut reaction to just say “f**k it” and walk away. but that would be wrong. cycling is getting cleaner. what you are seeing are the last few idiots that just don’t get it. i think that now a majority of the riders are sick of the drugs, and these actions by ASO will simply strengthen the clean riders. now, when a team finds out a teammate is doping, they are gonna take him to a dark alley, beat the cr@p out of him, and explain how he is putting their livelihood at risk by his stupid actions. when a few guys look beat to hell and word gets out they “slipped on a bar of soap”, the pressure is gonna ramp up from the riders themselves to stop this

and i’ve finally decided that el diablo rojo is right, as well. attack this on two fronts. make it known that if found, a doped rider’s source is going down, too. if a DS knows a rider is doping and does nothing – jail time. if a mechanic or someone else on the team is supplying or running donkey to get drugs to a rider – jail time. the last dopers get squeezed from both sides – the clean teammates that don’t want their careers wrecked, and the suppliers who aren’t willing to run drugs at the expense of going to jail