Velochimp: Astrochimp on Cycling

Rabobank really split apart the peloton in the rainy conditions. Alberto Contador found himself alone and behind the second group at one point. He finished one minute down.

AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

Michael Rasmussen is still reeling from his firing from Team Rabobank. The 33 year old racer is back home giving interviews about his sudden sacking while leading the Tour. Whether he was doping or not, the missed tests and obfuscation of his whereabouts created enough concern from Rabobank management to sack the racer while leading the Tour. Rasmussen like any fired employee is in denial.

“I know very well that I was late with information about my whereabouts,” Rasmussen said in Friday’s edition of the Politiken newspaper. “For that I have been punished with a fine and warnings. But that it should lead to such drastic (measures) which have been taken, is out of all proportion.

“I have now had time to collect my thoughts and I can guarantee that I am not done as a rider.”

Unsurprisingly, He is bitter about the ordeal too.

“I was kicked out of the hotel like an animal,” Rasmussen told the Berlingske Tidende daily.

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One reassuring aspect of all of the latest doping related news is that the perception inside the peloton is changing. Cyclist are now angry at the dopers because they see sponsors going away and jobs being lost. Doping inside the peloton may be see as a reckless way to get ahead, with the doping racer risking not only his job, but that of the team and support staff.

So why dope? The issue has to do with money more than anything. In the high flying 90s when the miracles of EPO and other drugs were making pasty Italian guys fly up hills the sport was going a renaissance in Italy. More money and sponsors come in and expect results.

The Telekom guys such as Zabel and others said they had to dope to get results that the sponsor wanted.

If the whole field is doing something then in order to compete you must dope. To get a paycheck or keep your spot on a team you dope because otherwise the next guy who is doping will take your place.

Guys like Christian Moreni dope to survive another day and collect the next paycheck. When faced with the prospect of getting a real job vs. racing for a living it may be a no brainer.

Cycling is a target because there is no central control and it does not bring in enough money and have enough political connections like soccer does in Europe.

There is no powerful “players” union which would protect cyclist from various forms of doping tests. Could you imagine the NBA, NFL or Baseball having their players submit to regular out of competition tests? And have to tell some organization their exact whereabouts at all times?

It’s turning around now since sponsors are thinking twice about their commitment to the sport. Rabobank was weary of any doping related issues with Rasmussen which is probably why they decided to fire him. They did not want a Landis-style off season.

The testing process is flushing out the cheaters little by little. So now the incentive is to not cheat. If a racer is caught cheating he is basically putting his job and the entire team and supporters jobs on the line.

Teams like Slipstream, T-Mobile, CSC and others are putting testing processes in place so that their sponsors can be reassured that their racers are clean.

Its a tough process, but cycling is undergoing a baptism by fire to become a cleaner sport. Its something that other sports may face publicly in the future too. By that time us cycling fans will react with a “been there, done that” attitude.

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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.

Thomas Dekker wrapped up Tirreno Adriatico today. The young Dutchman known as the “other Dekker” or “Younger Dekker” is quickly making a name for himself at age 21. The latest young sensation can climb a bit and time trial well which is how he won Tirreno Adriatico. Next up is playing support man for Oscar Friere who will try and steal away another win on the Via Roma Saturday.

Suddenly, Rabobank looks like a formidable team. With a win under Dekker’s belt and two riders holding the GC lead, the Dutch team can be proud of their recent performance. Now, they have possibly three or more riders that can contend for victory in Milan San Remo Saturday.
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