# Gone & Fired ....!!!!



## bonkmiester (Sep 23, 2005)

velonews


go to link for full story, here are some bits

News Flash: Rasmussen pulled out of Tour, fired by Rabobank

[SIZE=-1]However the team has learnt that Rasmussen lied to them over where and what he was up to during the month of June when he was in fact in Italy and not in Mexico as he had told them.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]"He broke team rules," said a team spokesman, who said that the Dane has also been fired from the team.[/SIZE]


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Good riddence. Can you imagine having busted your a$$ on the lumiest day at the Tour like Menchov did all for not?


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## EasyRider47 (Sep 18, 2005)

*Gone & FRIED!*

Don't you mean "Gone & FRIED"?

I don't know about you, but the Rasmussen ending up in the fryer gives new meaning to the phrase..."Deep-fried Chicken".....


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## JoelM (Mar 6, 2006)

This year there will be no winner as in the days to follow all riders will be categorically disqualified on doping charges and technicalities. Perhaps I will be deemed the winner since the worst I can be accused of is drinking a few too many beers from time to time.


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## bonkmiester (Sep 23, 2005)

EasyRider47 said:


> Don't you mean "Gone & FRIED"?
> 
> I don't know about you, but the Rasmussen ending up in the fryer gives new meaning to the phrase..."Deep-fried Chicken".....


+1 ... :thumbsup:


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

bonkmiester said:


> velonews
> 
> 
> go to link for full story, here are some bits
> ...


So was he forced to quit because of a positive test or did he just bow out cuz he had no team support anymore? Confused.


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## James OCLV (Jun 4, 2002)

His team fired him.... what's confusing?


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

James OCLV said:


> His team fired him.... what's confusing?


But it was for lying to them about his whereabouts rather than a positive doping test at the tour right? Not that it really matters because he was likely lying because he was doping then.


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## James OCLV (Jun 4, 2002)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> But it was for lying to them about his whereabouts rather than a positive doping test at the tour right?


Yeah, from what I've read it's because he lied about being in Mexico when he was in fact in Italy. That, coupled with the fact that he missed four out of competition tests...


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## The Armagh (Apr 23, 2006)

JoelM said:


> This year there will be no winner as in the days to follow all riders will be categorically disqualified on doping charges and technicalities. Perhaps I will be deemed the winner since the worst I can be accused of is drinking a few too many beers from time to time.


Well, according to Landis last year, wasn't he drinking too much Jack as his first lame attempt at an excuse? The too many beers could be your way off the hook!


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

James OCLV said:


> Yeah, from what I've read it's because he lied about being in Mexico when he was in fact in Italy. That, coupled with the fact that he missed four out of competition tests...


Did they just find this out now? Why’d they wait so long? Is there more?


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

So it sounds like....Where there is smoke there is FIRE!!!!!

I love it when people defend somebody by saying, there is no evidence, it's all circumstantial, no proof, etc.......Then.......They are GONE!!!!!

I guess, Rasmussen picked up some SIDI boxes while in Italy not Mexico before the tour started.

I thought last years Tour was a circus.....This years is almost laughable. However now that makes Contador #1 and Levi #3 and Team Discovery will likely win the Team championship also. I wonder how long until somebody on Discovery gets caught? Contador did have ties to Operation Puerto. Levi could win by default....


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## James OCLV (Jun 4, 2002)

Pablo said:


> Did they just find this out now? Why’d they wait so long? Is there more?


Don't know... according to Velonews the TdF didn't know that he missed the tests... they found out after the Tour started. I'm guessing the team just found out that he wasn't where he said he was.

Man... nothing worse than a liar in my book. If he lied about this, it's likely he's lying about not knowing anything about Richard's accusations.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Still, it seems odd that they’d give up winning the Tour based on a little white lie. It must be something bigger.


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## Chainstay (Mar 13, 2004)

*Yes Yes Yes*

Rabobank hurray!
They so did the right thing. 
I'm moving my accounts.
Good for the sport to hold riders to the highest standard of integrity. 
Well done Rabobank
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*pro riders*

must leave their whereabouts at all times (even off-season) for UCI DRUG TESTS

Rasmussen missed some drug tests

Rasmussen said "I was training in Mexico"

Rasmussen was seen in Italy when he was supposed to be in Mexico


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## The Armagh (Apr 23, 2006)

atpjunkie said:


> must leave their whereabouts at all times (even off-season) for UCI DRUG TESTS
> 
> Rasmussen missed some drug tests
> 
> ...


I don't dope, but a question. If you dope while training, then you don't dope in-season, how would that effect you? Would you just have trained harder so you are in better physical shape? But would the other way of thinking that it could possibly hurt you because of being in your brain that you are without the "boost"? Mental versus physical.


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## bonkmiester (Sep 23, 2005)

atpjunkie said:


> must leave their whereabouts at all times (even off-season) for UCI DRUG TESTS
> 
> Rasmussen missed some drug tests
> 
> ...



...prolly wasn't there drinking Vodka w/ Vino's father.....


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

atpjunkie said:


> must leave their whereabouts at all times (even off-season) for UCI DRUG TESTS
> 
> Rasmussen missed some drug tests
> 
> ...


And Dr. Ferarri is based out of Italy, no?


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## ElvisMerckx (Oct 11, 2002)

Calm down everybody. There's a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. Perhaps it was Rasmussen's 'visible' twin training in Italy. Or, perhaps he drank a few to many beers & bourbon's on his flight back from Mexico and in his stupor, he forgot to inform his team. Or could it be that scab on his knee? Wait, it's a French conspiracy!


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

Pablo said:


> Still, it seems odd that they’d give up winning the Tour based on a little white lie. It must be something bigger.



It's far from a little white lie :mad2: 

He told his team he was in Mexico for the days leading up to the Tour, which at the time was believable since his wife is from Mexico. However, it turns out he was actually in Italy. His not reporting his location made him miss out on several random tests leading up to the Tour. 

If your not where you are supposed to be, you can't be tested. So if you are doping and can't be tested, then you can't be caught. A little testosterone before the tour to strengthen up so you can be faster in the ITT's and cover attacks in the mountains. A little Hemopure (?) before to help with endurance in training and during the Tour to recover better.

He lied to his team, his teammates, the Tour officials and the general public. I'm guessing Robobank probably had some inside information about a possible positive test and released him immediately, however, just the lying to the team was enough to fire him immediately in the current drug tainted Tour environment.


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## GueroAz (Nov 9, 2006)

Like I said in another thread, Rabobank was probably sitting and quietly hoping that Ras lost today and gave up either enough time to lose the jersey outright or allow Contador and Evans enough time to pass him in the time trial. There is also the possibility that Ras looked them in the eye and said he was in Mexico. If one of my employees lied to me like that I would fire him outright to.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

The Armagh said:


> I don't dope, but a question. If you dope while training, then you don't dope in-season, how would that effect you? Would you just have trained harder so you are in better physical shape? But would the other way of thinking that it could possibly hurt you because of being in your brain that you are without the "boost"? Mental versus physical.


Using it for training helps when it comes time to ride in the Tour.

Taking testosterone will build muscles, aid in recovery and increase strength. That's Rasmussens biggest weakness. He didn't have the strength to compete in the ITT's and couldn't attack in the mountains because he didn't have the acceleration needed (he was much like Levi, Sastra, etc. in his climbing abilities before). Then all the sudden this year he can both ITT and sprint up hills. 

That strength would stick around for a couple of weeks during the tour while the drugs would be out of the system.

Then add in the Hemopure (?) that was reported he was possibly using back in 2001 or 2002, which increases endurance and can't be tested for and it greatly increases his ability to train longer and harder and increases his recovery efforts while training.

The increased abilities he would get during training would stick around for at least the three weeks the Tour lasts and would be of great benefit to him. He might possibly need the Hemopure (?) during the race, but since it's undetectable, he wouldn't have to worry about that.


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## bonkmiester (Sep 23, 2005)

Wookiebiker said:


> It's far from a little white lie :mad2:
> 
> He told his team he was in Mexico for the days leading up to the Tour, which at the time was believable since his wife is from Mexico. However, it turns out he was actually in Italy. His not reporting his location made him miss out on several random tests leading up to the Tour.
> 
> ...



...LNDD would have leaked that to L'Equipe by now....


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*you can do both*



The Armagh said:


> I don't dope, but a question. If you dope while training, then you don't dope in-season, how would that effect you? Would you just have trained harder so you are in better physical shape? But would the other way of thinking that it could possibly hurt you because of being in your brain that you are without the "boost"? Mental versus physical.


and off-season and on-season doping regimines are different. since Rasmussen was MIA in June leading up to the tour, one thinks he was 'topping off' so to speak


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## interested (Sep 21, 2005)

atpjunkie said:


> must leave their whereabouts at all times (even off-season) for UCI DRUG TESTS
> 
> Rasmussen missed some drug tests
> 
> ...


The ironic thing is that he got a warning about his trip in Mexico because the UCI got his report about him being in Mexico much too late. So the UCI thought Rasmussen was in Italy, which he apparently also was.
If, of course, RAI commentator Cassani remembers correctly about seeing Rasmussen in Italy. Cassani is an ex-pro sports commentator that knows Rasmussen quite well, so he probably speaks the truth.

-- 
Regards


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## zosocane (Aug 29, 2004)

Bravo to the team manager of Rabobank. That really took guts. Look, when Rasmussen finished 11th -- ELEVENTH!!! -- in the ITT last Saturday that defied logic. Not after finishing in 113th and 85th place in last year's two ITTs. 

This is a war, no doubt about it. The purging must continue.


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## bonkmiester (Sep 23, 2005)

GueroAz said:


> Like I said in another thread, Rabobank was probably sitting and quietly hoping that Ras lost today and gave up either enough time to lose the jersey outright or allow Contador and Evans enough time to pass him in the time trial. There is also the possibility that Ras looked them in the eye and said he was in Mexico. If one of my employees lied to me like that I would fire him outright to.



...no, I am guessing the Rabo lawyers advised the management that they didn't believe Razzie's statement last night....then the sh!at hit the fan when the RAI reporter opened up about seeing Razzie in Italy...

...quick look at a passport was all it took...

...maybe he snuck into Italy and got a room w/ Vino & Dr Ferarri...???


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## bonkmiester (Sep 23, 2005)

fornaca68 said:


> Bravo to the team manager of Rabobank. That really took guts. Look, *when Rasmussen finished 11th -- ELEVENTH!!! -- in the ITT last Saturday that defied logic. Not after finishing in 113th and 85th place in last year's two ITTs. *
> 
> This is a war, no doubt about it. The purging must continue.




...this is what Tornado Tom Boonen was talking about...


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

interested said:


> Cassani is an ex-pro sports commentator that knows Rasmussen quite well, so he probably speaks the truth.


It’s not like Ras, a.k.a. Skeletor, would be hard to recognize.


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## jhamlin38 (Oct 29, 2005)

I'm not saying he's innocent. He is fired. I'm sure he had it coming. However, there is FAR more to the story than we currently know. I know his wifes I know he's a dane, but I thought that he and his wife live in Italy full time.
So he was actually at home when he missed the tests and said he was in Mexico?
It just doesn't add up.
They apparently knew he missed the tests way before the tour started. So why would Rabobank pull him AFTER the REAL mountainous finale on aubisque? Did they WANT to sink the tour intentionally? 
How are Cadel, Contador and LL going to celebrate the podium this year? Oh, yeah. By defending endless accusations attacking them as individuals for doping, cheating, etc... What can they say??? This effing SUX. I'm sooooooo disappointed, and even a bit embarrrassed.


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## Italophile (Jun 11, 2004)

jhamlin38 said:


> How are Cadel, Contador and LL going to celebrate the podium this year? Oh, yeah. By defending endless accusations attacking them as individuals for doping, cheating, etc... What can they say??? This effing SUX. I'm sooooooo disappointed, and even a bit embarrrassed.


If they didn't intentionally avoid testing like Chicken did, and if they have not been caught doping like Vino or juicing like Moreni, then they can be well justified in celebrating on the podium.

Sure, it would have been sweeter in a clean Tour; but there is a heck of a lot to be said for being honest when those around you were not. ... And when have we had a clean Tour, anyway?

And it is better than not being on the podium at all because three cheaters got away with it and stood there undeserving.


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## Dwayne Barry (Feb 16, 2003)

fornaca68 said:


> Bravo to the team manager of Rabobank. That really took guts.


Before you start throwing around too many laurels some reports indicate it was Rabobank, as in the sponsor company, that insisted he be fired  Who knows what the management might have done if it was left up to them.


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## cthomas (Oct 26, 2003)

*Yeah for Rabobank!*

I think this should be like Survivor. The other riders should vote someone off every day. At least that way I could get interested again!


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## crankee (Aug 2, 2003)

*Fried, died and laid to the side*

His cycling career is all but done. Maybe Rasmussen can find another line of work ... hmm...sports mascot ... how 'bout The Infamous Chicken?

Truth is I kinda like the guy and it's a damn shame he's going out this way.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

crankee said:


> His cycling career is all but done. Maybe Rasmussen can find another line of work ... hmm...sports mascot ... how 'bout The Infamous Chicken?
> 
> Truth is I kinda like the guy and it's a damn shame he's going out this way.


There's always cross season:

<img src=https://blog.erdener.org/archives/images/20041205-chicken.jpg>


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

*Last two years of grand tours*

Last two years of grand tours:

Vuelta 2005 winner - Roberto Heras (disqualified for doping)
Giro'2006 winner - Ivan Basso (suspended)
TdF'2006 winner - Floyd Landis (case pending)
Vuelta'2006 winner - Alexandre Vinokourov (case pending)
Giro'2007 winner - DiLuca (case pending)
TdF 2007 almost sure winner to be - Rasmussen (case pending)


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## jg150 (Sep 19, 2005)

According to ESPN.com the withdrawal was at the direction of the team sponsor...


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## TrekJeff (Mar 14, 2007)

It's all a mess. He hasn't been found guilty of anything...other than missing two conconsecutive test, three consecutive misses would count as a positive dope charge. He just told a little white lie about it, maybe he had a good round of golf going those days? As far as working with the Fast Car Doctor...sure the doc has been under a microscope, but one of my biking icons, Lance worked with him too. It's funny that we never hear about those who dope that aren't in the top ten.
Do I think his cycling career is over...hellz no. He was fired by a sponsor that was trying to save face. He could ride for any team. When this all pans out and if he shows up clean, Rorabank will be eating crow. Who knows, I guess if he is dirty he could always play baseball in the states.


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## NeedhamDave (May 17, 2004)

*What a freakin mess*

Is incredibly demoralizing...for two days now...to watch several hours of excitement (I tivo the live broadcast because I can't stand the expanded edition with Al Trautwig and Bob Roll), then, when you stop the tivo and the evening version of the broadcast appears on your live TV, to read a little headline trailer across the bottom that says: "Note: what you just watched was irrelevant."

Today, a bunch of riders delayed the start in some kind of protest (of doping, I guess, not the actions of the race in expelling Vino). What happens tomorrow? I guess, after all that riding, you just go on, but it seems even more lame than when Oscar Pereira eventually gets a trophy in the mail for 2006.

I wonder if the race will even be covered next year. What I describe above is something I am sure the programming executives at every TV network that devoted even 2 minutes to the tour this year are thinking. Maybe a decade from now there will be a great comeback story of how cycling was ultimately cleaned up. But for now, I suspect a lot of participants, from riders to fans, are feeling disgusted and betrayed by the whole community of athletes who because of the actions of a few and the necessary draconian reactions of the race directors are making the sport a dirty joke.


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## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

Rumors and innuendo are all it takes to get rid of an opponent now. Teams are going to add a ****-stirrer position to smear opponents and get rid of them during or before the race. Any rider is a fool to think it couldn't happen to him.

I tell you what, Postal/Discovery would have never hung Lance out to dry like that.



TrekJeff said:


> It's all a mess. He hasn't been found guilty of anything...other than missing two conconsecutive test, three consecutive misses would count as a positive dope charge. He just told a little white lie about it, maybe he had a good round of golf going those days? As far as working with the Fast Car Doctor...sure the doc has been under a microscope, but one of my biking icons, Lance worked with him too. It's funny that we never hear about those who dope that aren't in the top ten.
> Do I think his cycling career is over...hellz no. He was fired by a sponsor that was trying to save face. He could ride for any team. When this all pans out and if he shows up clean, Rorabank will be eating crow. Who knows, I guess if he is dirty he could always play baseball in the states.


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## SilasCL (Jun 14, 2004)

You guys haven't been paying attention. He didn't fill out the required forms, said he was in Mexico and couldn't reach the UCI due to the lack of internet access, then it's discovered that he was actually in Italy.

The guy is a cheat, plain and simple. Whether or not Disco would've done the same to Lance is irrelevant...they're the same team that hired Basso because they trusted him...


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## JohnHenry (Aug 9, 2006)

SilasCL said:


> You guys haven't been paying attention. He didn't fill out the required forms, said he was in Mexico and couldn't reach the UCI due to the lack of internet access, then it's discovered that he was actually in Italy.
> 
> The guy is a cheat, plain and simple. Whether or not Disco would've done the same to Lance is irrelevant...they're the same team that hired Basso because they trusted him...


Disco did the right thing. They told him to get lost (Basso).


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## SilasCL (Jun 14, 2004)

Some additional clarification from cyclingnews.com's latest update:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/news/?id=/news/2007/jul07/jul26news2


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## moabbiker (Sep 11, 2002)

NeedhamDave said:


> Is incredibly demoralizing...for two days now...to watch several hours of excitement (I tivo the live broadcast because I can't stand the expanded edition with Al Trautwig and Bob Roll), then, when you stop the tivo and the evening version of the broadcast appears on your live TV, to read a little headline trailer across the bottom that says: "Note: what you just watched was irrelevant."


You hit it on the money. This is a joke and insult towards everyone who was watching live. It's like "Ha-Ha, we brainwashed you with ads/commercials and gave you a bogus race to watch!" For all that happened, mgiht as well have had a cartoon for the last few stages.


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## gebbyfish (Apr 26, 2002)

Pablo said:


> Still, it seems odd that they’d give up winning the Tour based on a little white lie. It must be something bigger.


There's got to be something else! There must be a positive test that we have yet to hear about. I can't believe they JUST found out about his whereabouts on the out of season testing during the tour. How could you spend that much money on a pro team and not know what was going on.


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## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

Wookiebiker said:


> It's far from a little white lie :mad2:
> 
> He told his team he was in Mexico for the days leading up to the Tour, which at the time was believable since his *wife is from Mexico*. However, it turns out he was actually in Italy. His not reporting his location made him miss out on several random tests leading up to the Tour.


Anyone know if his wife is hot?


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## minton2001 (Jul 9, 2007)

*Damage control.*

That's all we're seeing. The team knows what's coming and is getting ahead of the news so let's not get too weepy about the "integrity" of his dismissal.


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## TrekJeff (Mar 14, 2007)

SilasCL said:


> You guys haven't been paying attention. He didn't fill out the required forms, said he was in Mexico and couldn't reach the UCI due to the lack of internet access, then it's discovered that he was actually in Italy.
> 
> The guy is a cheat, plain and simple. Whether or not Disco would've done the same to Lance is irrelevant...they're the same team that hired Basso because they trusted him...


Sure I have, there's a bit of sarcasm in my post.:thumbsup:


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

EasyRider47 said:


> Don't you mean "Gone & FRIED"?
> 
> I don't know about you, but the Rasmussen ending up in the fryer gives new meaning to the phrase..."Deep-fried Chicken".....


I like KFC's chicken. Does that count? :idea:


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