Oops! One day I am writing about how I like the Team Astana jerseys and how they look good at the front of the race, and the next day, the whole team has been tossed from the Tour in the wake of Alexandre Vinokourov testing positive for non-homologous blood doping after his win in the time trial in Albi. This is the same offense for which Tyler Hamilton tested positive in 2004; the fact that the doping lab was able to turn around the test in just two days, undoubtedly indicates that the Kazakh rider was being closely watched.
Based on the result of Vinokourov's test, Tour officials asked Team Astana to leave the Tour and they accepted.
The news of Vinoukorov comes on the heels of the morning's press conference where yellow jersey-wearer Michael Raasmussen clarified his situation with the Danish Cycling Federation. As a member of the Danish National Team, Rasmussen is required to be available for out-of-competition testing. This year, he has missed two such tests--which would normally mean that he is disqualified from racing. However, Rasmussen holds a Mexican racing license, an option he has because his wife is Mexican. Rasmussen admitted today that he has not had an out-of-competition test from the Mexican Cycling Federation in two years.
When the Tour organizers heard this new information, their response was quick. "Michael Rasmussen should not have started the Tour. We should have refused him entry into the Tour," noted Tour bosses Christian Prudhomme and Patrice Clerc. But, they were quick to add, "this sport deserves all we can do to save it."
Oh me, oh my! This news is too fresh to completely understand all the implications, but having arguably the two highest-profile riders at the Tour tainted by doping is a sad, sad day for the sport.
Still wondering,
Bruce
ps - after the Tour press conference, I talked with Christian Prudhomme one-on-one and he told me that next year the Tour de France would be run under the Tour's rules, indicating that they would not follow the rules of the Union Cycliste International(UCI) which currently governs the sport of professional cycling. This particular issue has been a bone of contention during the long-standing fued between the Tour organizers and the UCI.
Active Expert: Bruce Hildenbrand
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Brad Anders
Bruce - looks like 2006 (and 2005, 2004, etc.) all over again. IMO, the race should be halted and canceled for 2009. Maybe a suspension of this greatest event would be the shock that's needed.
David Williams
I agree. Pull Rasmussen's jersey. Cancel the tour. Put Barry Bonds on a bicycle and let him ride into Paris. I would hate to be Al Trautwig, Bob Roll, Phill Ligget, Paul Sherwen, et al. What can they possibly say? It's like Hank Aaron being forced to do the telecast of Barry Bond's 756th home run. The fans should boycott the tour. Hold up IV bags and big fake hypodermics along the road in protest. The house of cards that the Tour has become has finally fallen. No rider has any credibility.
Courtney Weaver
What I think is shocking is how Versus continues to pretend that none of this is happening. Day after day, more scandals (usually concerning Rasmussen) unfold, rocking the riders, the media, the entire Tour. And the commentators continue to say little or nothing about it. I understand that Versus wants to keep its viewership up and not rock the boat, but this is ridiculous! Listen to any podcast about the Tour (the ITV one is great) and half their commentary is about what is actually happening over there. The Rasmussen suspicions are integral part of the tour this year, sad to say. And Versus (namely Sherwin and Ligget) needs to cover it!
Disappointed
in response to: Courtney Weaver
Why would Versus say anything when they employ Frankie Andreu, who has admitted that he took EPO in '99? I believe in the integrity of Liggett, Sherwin & Rolle, but look at the spot they are in -- having to rely on Versus for their employment...
denise
Good Grief, Remember Rasmussen is only guilty of not being available for out-of-competition testing. He has not tested positive. I wish you would all leave him alone. He's rode an incredable race this year, true he's no Lance, but even Lance was accused to doping, but he's been cleared. As far as "Vino" I say it is a sad shame that Andras Kloden had to withdrawl so close to the Yellow jersey. Shame on you Alexandre Vinokourov. I was so happy to see him recover and ride like the wind when he won the two stages, now...I am just totally bummed.
Tracy
in response to: denise
I agree about kloden, what a waste for him.. he's gone back and tried to pull vino back in the game and look where it got him.. sitting in his hotel room watching it pass by.
Gerald Hall
in response to: denise
If Rasmussen went two years with no out-of-competition tests, he should not be permitted to continue. That is simply not acceptable for any sport of this kind at this level. I would not ban him without proof of actual doping but a certain level of testing ought to be required before competitions at this level.
Theresa
Denise, I agree with you. If Rassmussen is riding with a Mexican license, then isn't it the responsibilty of the Mexican cycling honchos to make sure everyone gets their OOC tests?? I think it makes Mexico look bad, not Rassmussen. He's not tested positive, and you can speculate all you want, but without that positive test, they can't do anything except make his life miserable. What about Lance and Floyd, having testers show up at the most rediculous times to do tests?
I think Rassmussen should continue. It's the UCI's fault that the ASO knew nothing about this problem. Too bad; the agencies should be on top of things, if things are going to change. The ASO told Bruce that next year, they've got their own rules! The UCI, needs to clean up their own house, and get it in order. And so does WADA!!
And who knows; Contador might earn that yellow jersey tomorrow morning...Rasmussen's got his work cut of for him.
Richard Young
So after another embarrasing day for cycling I am left wondering why it takes so long to get results back on testing. what type of blood-doping test do the powers that be employ? Is it hematocrit? If so , why couldn't testing and results be obtained immediately after the stage? So perhaps we would know before the awards are presented, not two days down the road.
Dan Curtis
In a society, worldwide and in the US, we place too much adoration on our "athletes" in professional sports. Roids, doping, male-growth hormones, etc. are a result of pouring millions and millions of dollars into sports. Baseball, basketball, football, cycling, the Olympics! All have athletes guilty of cheating to be at the top of thier game. It is a crying shame that these athletes feel a need to cheat, especially when many are looked up to around the world.
I think the organizations managing the different sports really need to look at the situation of sports today and start cleaning house. This is ridiculous. Vino is an embarrassment to his sport, his country, and his team, and much more his family.
The Tour is an amazing competition and I will not stop enjoying it regardless of what the cheaters do to taint the competition. All the others are true athletes and deserve my support for all their hard work and commitment.
Maj.Taylor
Bruce, a few words I wrote in response to something from S. Abt:
This is something I've been waiting for someone else to say. That is, doping occurs at all levels of cycling, even down to Cat. 5 (noobs) here in the United States. As an amateur racer, I've seen doping by guys who will never make it to the next level up, and certainly not ever national or TdF status.
I've long said that doping controls at some of the most obscure amateur races would reveal some amazing things, from the now essentially legal caffeine taken in relatively large doses to steroids and amphetamines. And given that, the sport needs to be cleansed from the bottom up. (The present top-down approach seems weak, at best.) I cannot begin to count the times I've watched aspiring young racers wash something illegal down with a drink of water.
Find some money for occasional anti-doping controls at cycling's lowest competitive levels and build an environment throughout the sport, from top to bottom, that vilifies--and catches--doping. What we are now seeing is a sport's deeply-rooted "culture" that in the past turned a blind eye from the moment a kid picked up a bike. But quite frankly, waiting until someone turns professional to see if s/he rides clean is waiting more than a tad too long.
If the tour were to remove Rasmussen, it might actually help to restore its credibility. Seeing a yellow jersey removed would send the right message and let cheaters know that their perceived importance to an event or sport will not protect them.
Still, how did the tour not know which license he was using?