DocRay

"A former amateur mountain-bike racer alleged Thursday that Tour de France yellow jersey holder Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) attempted to trick him into carrying illegal doping products to Europe in 2002."

https://www.velonews.com/tour2007/new...s/12851.0.html

Just goes to show it's not an anti-US conspiracy, anyone can get targeted from the past.

The following will now happen:

1. Denial, denial, denial.
2. Some ridiculous story will surface,"the dope was for my chickens".
3. He will hire lawyers, big $$ lawyers.
4. He'll write a book.
5. Danes and chickens will filter into forums blindly supporting him.
6. He'll start a blog to raise money.
7. He'll blame the French.

Blaireau

Doc,
I hate to say it, but you are probably right.
Interestingly, this story was in David Walsh's excellent but very depressing new book: "From Lance to Landis." Though no one was named.

God what a sad state of affairs.

Hornbiker

You kill me! #5 is my favorite, I'll keep a look out.

vik 

I doubt they'll be able to do much with this confession so he won't have to raise money or fight a doping charge, but I agree the denials and crazy stories are about to roll!

Enthalpic

Wwibd?

'nother

he would say, "I was only preparing to dope"

Lithuania

Doc,

Im curious here. Is it even possible for you to believe an athlete that has been accused of something? Regardless of wether the athlete actually did it or not it really seems like you condem that as soon as possible.

Randomus

What would the TdF be without a dopin allegation halfway through the race?

I'm surprised that the clean cyclists (assuming they still exist on the ProTour level) aren't pissed that all these blood dopers are ruining it for everybody. Why is there so little outrage among cyclists?

'nother

Oh, but there is...outrage about all of these 'false allegations'.

DocRay

Not when that athlete is pulling minutes/stage way all alone from the world's best cyclists without even sweating.

Super human efforts are just that. This is just the tip of the iceberg, the issue with the Danish team is independent of this.

If you want to live your life believing in fairies and +8 minute solo breaks, go ahead.

Bacciagalupe

Yeah, whatever.

I have no doubt that doping rates are high in every sport, not just cycling. But circumstantial evidence like this is pretty flimsy and unreliable.

Unless there's tangible evidence, it seems rather pointless to accuse a rider in this manner.

rog

And since it's, at this point, completely unsubstantiated, jackasses and trolls will filter into forums blindly trashing him...especially ones that display a clear bias against his country of origin.

Lithuania

for the record i am in the i think they all dope boat

So if I understand you correctly, if a middling domestique with no heroic efforts is accused of doping and he denies it you will believe him.

rog

Absolutely right. Besides, look how much it helped his time trialing!

'nother

There is no drug on earth that could help that.

Cromulent

We'll find out on Saturday. If he loses six minutes... okay, he practiced. If he keeps up with Valverde and Leipheimer, that'll raise an eyebrow. If he keeps up with Evans and Kloden, then both eyebrows go up along with a red flag. He wins? Then we will be witnessing a brand new super drug, and I will want to know where I can get some.

dutret

this is not circumstantial.

dropinloads

This $hit is getting old. I have a feeling whoever wears MJ will always be a target now for crap like this.

DocRay

You listen to bobke too much, Rasmussen crashed twice during that infamous time trial.

dutret

perhaps if they weren't hiding anything they wouldn't be.

Two people documented as making these accusations off the record years ago. Seems like a pretty complex set up for the type of opportunistic fame seeking you seem to be implying.

DocRay

Talk to the Danish team.

As noted, this is not circumstantial, this is a direct accusation. The guilty until proven innocent thing is getting old...especially when people don't even understand basic principles of law.

What's amazing to me is that you guys think that professional organizations of ex-cyclists and nations just randomly pick out people to frame.

My guess is by the end of this weekend, some more facts will come to light.

cibai

From my perspective, some one who used to ride alot but not any more but still loves to watch the tour on tv each year, these allegations really do take alot of the fun out of it. It takes away from the excitement of wanting to see people push themselves to greatness in a fair way, because that is what makes humans great, the ability to go further than was believed could be done and break boundaries, but also rooting for the underdog and having the underdog or the guy with heart dig deep and find he had it in him. That's why the landis thing seemed special last year, and that is why people dont want to believe he doped. Part of me wants this industry of making money from alleging atheletes are doping, and believe me it is a big industry, it give publishers books to publish, and commentators something to talk about, but if all the allegations go away I guess that just leaves us with an illusion, because as long as there is money or fame to be had a large percentage of people will cheat to win. Is an illusion a bad thing? Are our heroes ever really who want to think they are? An if our idea of a hero really is an illusion, is it not a necessary illusion for the vast majority of us who will never reach that level?

Lithuania

so accusations equal guilt these days?

chipcom 

Now that you have mentioned our organization and its goals, we're gonna have to kill you, or at least add you to our list of people to frame.

skinnyone

He also said "I have never failed a doping test"..