Tour de France - Ras "had four warnings"

Eurosport - Tue, 24 Jul 19:40:00 2007

The president of the Danish Cycling Union has questioned Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen's eligibility to race after revealing the rider was handed four warnings for failing to provide his whereabouts.

CYCLING 2007 Tour de France Michael Rasmussen - 0

Under International Cycling Union rules, a rider must inform the sport's governing body of his personal schedule so random tests can be conducted.

If the cyclist fails to do so, he receives a warning. Three such warnings over a rolling 18-month period is considered the equivalent of a positive test and results in a two-year suspension.

"He has actually had four warnings," DCU president Jesper Worre told Reuters.

"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 issued the rider a warning on April 6 after they went to an address he gave in Italy to conduct a random test and he was not present.

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."

Reuters