Those cyclist governing bodies don't fool around. 
Tour Leader Faces Ban After Missing 2 Drug Tests
MONPELLIER, France, July 20 -- Michael Rasmussen, the current leader of the Tour de France, raced in the 12th stage today despite the disclosure on Thursday that he has missed two drug tests since the beginning of May and has received a warning that he could be suspended from the sport if he misses another.
The drug tests were missed on May 8 and June 28, at a time when anti-doping officials sought to contact Rasmussen but discovered that he had not informed them of his whereabouts.
A third missed test within 18 months would be considered a failed test, under the rules of the International Cycling Union, known by its French initials U.C.I., and would subject Rasmussen to a two-year ban from competition.
Rasmussen, speaking to reporters outside the Rabobank team bus prior to the start of the 12th stage on Friday, said he accepted responsibility for the events.
“I do admit that I committed an error, and I received a warning from the U.C.I.,” Rasmussen said. But he added that he as “one of many” riders who have been warned by the U.C.I. for failure to properly disclose their whereabouts for drug-testing purposes.
Rasmussen said on Thursday night that had mailed the required forms to the U.C.I. from Mexico, where he was training near the home of his mother-in-law.
Tom Boonen of Belgium won Friday’s stage , his second stage victory this year, and Rasmussen retained the yellow jersey with a lead of more than two and a half minutes over two Spanish riders, Alejandro Valverde and Iban Mayo.
Christian Prudhomme, the director of the Tour de France, expressed dissatisfaction that the U.C.I. and the Danish Cycling Union would release the information now, while Rasmussen was in the yellow jersey at the world’s biggest cycling race.
“Why not talk about it before the start of the Tour?,” he said in remarks to reporters. Mr. Prudhomme, who displayed clear anger at the timing of the disclosure, said that Rasmussen, who has been in the race lead for several days, had been subjected to multiple blood and urine tests since the beginning of the Tour, and that the organization was awaiting the results of those tests.
But he noted that the Danish Cycling Union also tested Rasmussen shortly before the Tour at the Danish national championships and had reported no adverse results. That test came two days after the second of Rasmussen’s two missed tests.
The Amaury Sports Organization, which owns and manages the tour de France, and the U.C.I. have been at odds in recent years over the structure and governing responsibility for the sport.
The Danish Cycling Union announced on Thursday that Rasmussen was being excluded from the Danish national team for the cycling world championship races in September and for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
The events surrounding Rasmussen come as the Tour de France and the sport of cycling are desperately fighting an image that the sport is severely tainted with performance-enhancing drugs.
Last year’s winner, Floyd Landis, an American, failed a drug test during last year’s race, and he is awaiting the results of an arbitration in which he argued that the testing was flawed. As a result, no defending champion is present at the Tour.
Another former Tour winner, Bjarne Riis, admitted last month that he used performance-enhancing drugs during the year he won the Tour de France, in 1996. The Tour de France revoked his title and asked him to stay away from this year’s race, despite the fact that he is the manager of the CSC team, which is competing here.
Several German riders, most of the current or former members of the German T-Mobile team, formerly known as Telekom, admitted recently that they used performance-enhancing drugs while riding for the team. And earlier this week, it became known that a current T-Mobile rider, Patrik Sinkewitz, tested positive for elevated testosterone levels in a drug test just prior to the Tour. Sinkewitz had already withdrawn from the race following a collision with a spectator.
MONPELLIER, France, July 20 -- Michael Rasmussen, the current leader of the Tour de France, raced in the 12th stage today despite the disclosure on Thursday that he has missed two drug tests since the beginning of May and has received a warning that he could be suspended from the sport if he misses another.
The drug tests were missed on May 8 and June 28, at a time when anti-doping officials sought to contact Rasmussen but discovered that he had not informed them of his whereabouts.
A third missed test within 18 months would be considered a failed test, under the rules of the International Cycling Union, known by its French initials U.C.I., and would subject Rasmussen to a two-year ban from competition.
Rasmussen, speaking to reporters outside the Rabobank team bus prior to the start of the 12th stage on Friday, said he accepted responsibility for the events.
“I do admit that I committed an error, and I received a warning from the U.C.I.,” Rasmussen said. But he added that he as “one of many” riders who have been warned by the U.C.I. for failure to properly disclose their whereabouts for drug-testing purposes.
Rasmussen said on Thursday night that had mailed the required forms to the U.C.I. from Mexico, where he was training near the home of his mother-in-law.
Tom Boonen of Belgium won Friday’s stage , his second stage victory this year, and Rasmussen retained the yellow jersey with a lead of more than two and a half minutes over two Spanish riders, Alejandro Valverde and Iban Mayo.
Christian Prudhomme, the director of the Tour de France, expressed dissatisfaction that the U.C.I. and the Danish Cycling Union would release the information now, while Rasmussen was in the yellow jersey at the world’s biggest cycling race.
“Why not talk about it before the start of the Tour?,” he said in remarks to reporters. Mr. Prudhomme, who displayed clear anger at the timing of the disclosure, said that Rasmussen, who has been in the race lead for several days, had been subjected to multiple blood and urine tests since the beginning of the Tour, and that the organization was awaiting the results of those tests.
But he noted that the Danish Cycling Union also tested Rasmussen shortly before the Tour at the Danish national championships and had reported no adverse results. That test came two days after the second of Rasmussen’s two missed tests.
The Amaury Sports Organization, which owns and manages the tour de France, and the U.C.I. have been at odds in recent years over the structure and governing responsibility for the sport.
The Danish Cycling Union announced on Thursday that Rasmussen was being excluded from the Danish national team for the cycling world championship races in September and for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
The events surrounding Rasmussen come as the Tour de France and the sport of cycling are desperately fighting an image that the sport is severely tainted with performance-enhancing drugs.
Last year’s winner, Floyd Landis, an American, failed a drug test during last year’s race, and he is awaiting the results of an arbitration in which he argued that the testing was flawed. As a result, no defending champion is present at the Tour.
Another former Tour winner, Bjarne Riis, admitted last month that he used performance-enhancing drugs during the year he won the Tour de France, in 1996. The Tour de France revoked his title and asked him to stay away from this year’s race, despite the fact that he is the manager of the CSC team, which is competing here.
Several German riders, most of the current or former members of the German T-Mobile team, formerly known as Telekom, admitted recently that they used performance-enhancing drugs while riding for the team. And earlier this week, it became known that a current T-Mobile rider, Patrik Sinkewitz, tested positive for elevated testosterone levels in a drug test just prior to the Tour. Sinkewitz had already withdrawn from the race following a collision with a spectator.