Top Rabobank rider Denis Menchov has abandoned the Tour de France as former team-mate Michael Rasmussen protested his innocence. The Dane, who led the race by over three minutes, was sacked by his team late on Wednesday for lying about his training whereabouts.

The Rabobank team, said by a spokesman to be "confused, angry and sad", met late into Wednesday evening to determine whether to continue the Tour.

Their eight remaining riders started the 188.5km stage but it was reported that Rasmussen's chief lieutenant in the mountains, Michael Boogerd, did not want to continue.

Then halfway through the stage, Menchov - another willing ally to the Dane on the major climbs - climbed off his bike and went to his team car, seemingly not suffering from any injury.

33-year-old Rasmussen has hit back at the lack of hard evidence which led to his exclusion. The Dane had told Rabobank he was training in Mexico in June while he was actually in Italy.

He told Danish tabloid BT: "I am shattered. I am on the verge of tears. I was not in Italy. Not at all. That's the story of one man who believes he recognised me. There is no hint of evidence.

"My career is ruined. I have no idea what I should do or where I will go. This is an enormous blow for me, and also for all the guys from the Rabo team. They're devastated," he was also quoted in Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

Rasmussen had received two warnings from the International Cycling Union for failing to provide the sport's governing body with his personal schedule. Riders must do so in order that random doping tests can be conducted.

The rider was booed and jeered by angry fans before and during Wednesday's 16th stage of the Tour, which he won.

Rabobank director Theo de Rooy was quoted on Dutch TV as saying: "Several times he said where he was training and it proved to be wrong. The management of the team received that information several times and today we received new information."

The team's sponsors have said the team was carrying out extra doping tests on its riders at the Tour and that it had already decided to do so before Rasmussen's dismissal.

"The cyclists are not under suspicion, but as a sponsor, we want to be absolutely sure that our team is competing in good health," said Thomas van Rijckevorsel, a member of the Rabo Cycling Team's supervisory board.

Rasmussen's sacking is the latest blow to the Tour's credibility, coming so soon after the announcement of positive dope tests on pre-race favourite Alexander Vinokourov and Italy's Cristian Moreni.

No-one was in the yellow jersey for the 188.5km stage from Pau to Castelsarrasin with Spain's Alberto Contador now holding a one minute 53 second lead over Cadel Evans in the standings with three stages remaining.

Eurosport