Cycling boss fears Tour de Farce

LOUDENVIELLE-LE-LOURON, France: International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid said Monday he would prefer Michael Rasmussen didn't the win the Tour de France.

The Dane, who is the race's overall leader, has received two warnings from the UCI for failing to provide details of his whereabouts while training.

A rider has to give the sport's ruling body his personal schedule so that random dope tests can be conducted.

"From an image point of view, it would be better if it was not Rasmussen but one of the youngest riders winning the Tour," McQuaid told Reuters.

"But he has not broken any rule so far since two no shows are not a doping offence."

Meanwhile, the president of the Danish Cycling Union (DCU) has also questioned Rasmussen's eligibility to race.

"He has actually had four warnings," DCU president Jesper Worre told Reuters by telephone on Tuesday.

"I don't know why he has not been suspended. It is not our job to do that that, we can just decide not to select him."

Worre revealed that the Danish Rabobank rider received a first warning from UCI last year and a second on June 29 this year for failing to inform the authority of his training location.

The official added that Anti-Doping Denmark (ADD) issued the rider a warning on April 6 after ADD visited an address he gave in Italy to conduct a random test only to discover the disgraced Dane absent.

He then received a second warning from the ADD on June 21 for a similar offence.

In the wake of the UCI warnings, Rasmussen was dropped from the Danish national team for the world championships and next year's Olympic Games in Beijing.

Worre added that he had contacted Rabobank manager Theo de Rooij to inform him his rider had received four warnings.

"I told him about the situation. He had the e-mails in front of him," he said.

Asked what De Rooij's reaction was, Worre said: "You will have to ask him."

Rasmussen has refused to comment on doping matters since the story of his warnings broke last Thursday and has said he would answer questions only about the race.

However, he told reporters after Monday's 15th stage: "That's news to me. I have done everything to win this race. I have no intention of giving up now."

Landis case

McQuaid said last week a third no show by Rasmussen would be considered as a positive test and he would then face suspension for two years.

The Tour's image took a battering last year when winner Floyd Landis tested positive for excessive levels of the male hormone testosterone.

The American, who has protested his innocence, is still awaiting a ruling from a United States arbitration panel. If the decision goes against him, he could become the first Tour winner to be stripped of his title.

McQuaid added that the teams who had failed to sign a new version of the UCI anti-doping charter had another fortnight's grace.

"They have until August 7 to sign it. For those who will not do it, we will deal with them on a case-by-case basis," he said.

All the riders on the Tour, which ends in Paris on Sunday, have signed the charter but by Monday staff from only two teams, AG2r and Credit Agricole, had returned the document to the UCI.

Kazakh happy to suffer

With two Tour de France stage victories in the bag and no hope of taking the yellow jersey, Alexander Vinokourov will become a super domestique to Astana team mate Andreas Kloeden.

The Kazakh powered to a solo victory in the 15th stage, a 196-km trek from Foix on Monday, after smashing his rivals in Saturday's time trial in Albi.

However, in between the two victories Vinokourov blew it when he cracked on the ascent of the Port de Pailheres, ending Sunday's 14th stage almost half an hour behind winner Alberto Contador of Spain.

Still the leading figure of his team, a Swiss outfit backed by Kazakh companies, Vinokourov is ready to show again what he is made of. "I will now give it all for Andreas (Kloeden)," the 33-year-old told reporters.

Kloeden, second overall in the 2004 Tour and third last year, is fifth in the standings five minutes 34 seconds behind yellow jersey holder Michael Rasmussen of Denmark.

"I think I can help him in the Col d'Aubisque, which is going to be pretty hard, especially after (Col de) Marie-Blanque," Vinokourov added.

Kloeden now faces the huge task of taking time off Rasmussen and Contador in Wednesday's 16th stage over 218.5 km from Orthez to the Col d'Aubisque.

Agencies

(China Daily 07/25/2007 page24)