Velochimp: Astrochimp on Cycling

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Team Rabobank has pulled Yellow Jersey wearer Michael Rasmussen out of the Tour de France. Rasmussen is also out of a job to boot. This was a result of violating team rules on the issue of his missed out of competition tests. Basically Rasmussen was lying to team management about his wearabouts saying that he was in Mexico while he was actually in Italy meeting with an unnamed doctor. Rabobank decided to pull the man from a sure Tour de France win and avoid a rash of post Tour controversy that would surround Rasmussen after the Tour.

The Stage 16 winner has not been a popular Yellow Jersey wearer. He was booed at the podium and on the course. When he signed in the announcer would stop talking. Basically Rasmussen was persona nongrata at the Tour which was trying to recover from the Landis fiasco of 2006. The last thing the Tour de France needs is another scandal related to the Tour winner.

With three doping related departures in three days, the Tour is reeling with talk of doping and cheaters. It is probably not much fun being a weary Tour de France racer seeing that the end in Paris is near, but wondering if the sport will continue in the same way after that. The sport will survive, but with fewer sponsors. Hopefully some sponsors can see that the tide may be turning. With these high profile scandals the sport may be getting cleaner. It is a risk, but from afar this sport must look like it is gutting itself.

Now the only thing to do is look forward to the finish of the Tour in Paris. The Tour is not finished as I thought earlier today when Rasmussen won and put more time on Alberto Contador. Now Contador will inherit the Yellow Jersey. He may not wear it in tomorrow’s stage. On Saturday’s Time Trial it will be a showdown between Contador, Evans and Leipheimer. The podium can be totally shaken up perhaps with Evans even winning the whole race. So, for fans its time to take solace. The race is still very much open and an unpopular winner has been yanked. There may be hope for the better I hope.