Richard_Rides

Are these guys ruined for life? Can they ever race again? What do you suppose they will do now that their reputations are shot? Do they have to get regular jobs like the rest of us?

Inquiring minds...

erader

rasmussen will get a ride with someone next year for sure. vino will probably be washed up after he serves his suspension.

ed rader

haimtoeg

+1 - The main difference is that Vinokourov was caught doping and Rasmussen was 'merely' fired by his team without being caught.

fixiechick

Was vino fired from Astana or suspended ? i've read both.

I mean, wasn't he one of the founders of the team...

skiracing

He helped bring together the sponsors, so whoever brings the money is the one with the final say (that wouldn't be him then)

The word has been that he is suspended but in one of his interviews he said that the entire team withdrew in protest of the doping accusation, that implies the team has some support for him!? Also, apparently the same lawyer will be representing the team and him in challenging the accusation.... so it seems like he is still together.

I still got hope for him and refuse to believe the accusations (maybe I'm just a blind fool).

Alex

OrionKhan

You are.

skinnyone

Vino will have a long legal battle and retire.. Rasmussen will probably go pro-conti..

VanceMac

I thought Ras was planning to return to mt biking after this season anyway, no?

Pico

Only because the he thought the Olympic mtb course suited his skills better than the road course. But, that would be a moot point if the Danish Olympic committee won't let him ride.

Trevor98

Agree 100% on Rasmussen, he'll find another team.

With Vino's B sample coming back positive he is done. He will fight the accusations but the time it takes to fight that will end his career regardless of the outcome. At a minimum he will sit out the rest of this year and all of next year just fighting the charges. He is getting older and was looking to retire anyways. He can't come back from this. If he looses his case then he certainly won't be making a comeback in 4 years.

bikejack

Vinokourov will get two years and Rasmussen will get a Discovery contract for all the help he has given them this year.

Contador wouldn't have cracked Evans on his own and Leiphiemer wouldn't be in contention if Evans hadn't cracked.

Funny coincidence Rasmussen leaving after the job was done.

FixdGearHead

The way Disco operates, it's a given that they'll pay A LOT of money to pick up Rasmussen.

fixiechick

Rasmussen, unable to find a Euro team that wants him or suits him, will move to Mexico and race in the Mexican circuit. *shrug*

Randomus

I'm curious to see who is going to be willing to take a chance on Chicken. Will it be a ProTour team?

maddyfish

How about Chicken on the Slipstream team? That would be funny.

Burningman

Rasmussen should be OK,he got fired for lying to his team

He will be able to ride under another sponsors banner

Randomus

...

IMO that would scare a couple of teams away from hiring him.

USAZorro

No way Discovery picks up Rasmussen - even if he hadn't been under a cloud of suspicion for several years, and even if this hadn't happened. He's getting near the end of his career, and Disco has a stable full of young guns. The plan at Discovery (ok whatever it does become), is to put the right supporting cast around Contador, and make him the main man for about the next 10 years. In about six or seven years, they'll be looking for the next top dog. Rasmussen certainly doesn't fit into that picture.

Frankly, I'd be very surprised if a Pro-Tour team takes on Rasmussen. His best shot (lol) would be with Astana, but they'll be busy putting out their own fires for quite some time now. I suppose he might get picked up by one of the Continental teams, but I'd wager that Michael Rasmussen has ridden in his last Tour.