Chicken rejected by Riis

[Finbouy]

Probably more to do with personnality and fitting in with a team environment than doping related me thinks.
Sometimes your boss just has to like you.
De Luca has scored 2 hits yet I imagine he's actually liked and wanted in teams, ChickenBoy looks to be a bit of a loner (only my opinion) It's a shame cos most who've been banned have found a team at some point. My casing point is Ricco, scored a hit and found a couple of teams to play with (ok his age is with him) but dispite his media persona I think the lads probably good fun to be around in a team. ChickenBoy on the other hand just comes over as sad. Shame, cos I think he's still got the passion needed to do well and think if pushed could do it too.

 

[Michele]

Remember Rumsas? He was banned, he found a team after his suspension (Acqua&Sapone) but after a couple of racing days the race organizers told to them "if you bring that guy, you won't ride any race".

 

[jonjungel]

Rasmussen was riding for Riis in 2002. But he kicked him out because he "didn't fit in the team". IMO there was never any real chance of those two working together again.

 

[L'arriviste]

"State of shock" - strong words for what seemed (to me anyway) a foregone conclusion. Ah well, time passed him by, I guess. So it'll be interesting to see if he can put together this Christina Racing thing, a "real cycling team".

 

[Bike Boy]

Rasmussen was riding for Riis in 2002. But he kicked him out because he "didn't fit in the team". IMO there was never any real chance of those two working together again.

Fair assessment, but things have changed a lot since then. I think Rasmussen was eager to stretch him self as far as necessary, this time around.

 

[L'arriviste]

Fair assessment, but things have changed a lot since then. I think Rasmussen was eager to stretch him self as far as necessary, this time around.

Yes he'd have to have done that I suppose, because he'd have been soooo lucky to get a deal from Riis and a ticket back into the ProTour. I think he knows that behind the public talk-show he has with himself. It's like how it'll be with Rujano at Androni: last chance saloon.

 

[rzombie1988]

I think if Michael would have tried this hard to get on another team, he might have found one by now. Unfortunately, he is his biggest enemy. If he ever wants to get back to the big races, having your own team is not the quickest/easiest way to do it, when your Michael Rasmussen.

I rewatched some of his 2007 TdF and seeing Contador struggle to get anywhere with him was hilarious for me. Even though he was on stuff, it was a really good fight.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Di Luca gets several offers from ProTeams just after his 2nd doping ban.

Rasmussen on the other hand, is rejected by all Pro Continental and ProTeams 3 years after his "lie" in 2007

Cycling a fair sport?

di luca admitted and rasmussen never did

 

[Anonymous]

Im actually amazed that he hasnt found a team. I expected them to be rushing to sign a free chicken.

 

[Matthijs]

me too, their must be some not so good pro-conti team with second level guys wanting too use the chicken to at least participate on some HC-races...

 

[Pantani_lives]

I believe there is an unofficial blacklist of riders that will never be welcome in UCI top races. Rasmussen is number one on that list.

I'm not naive; I don't believe that he's clean, but there is an absurd difference in the way the UCI treats its riders. They didn't have valid arguments to throw Rasmussen out of the Tour in 2007, so they must have put Rabobank under pressure to fire him. Then they sent him a third warning for the same period as the second warning, just to be able to ban him without evidence. After his ban he can't find a top team, so the Protour teams were put under pressure not to give Rasmussen a contract. What other explanation can there be?

Again the UCI acts like a mafia. If you have their protection, you can do anything. If you make them angry, like Rasmussen did, you career is over.

 

[Mambo95]

What other explanation can there be?

Other explanations:

He's 36
He's damaged goods
He's only interested in the Tour
He's untrustworthy
He's notoriously awkward
He's not a team player
He's generally unpopular
He's done next to nothing since his return

Plus there are only a handful of teams that are willing to hire an ex-doper.

It's not exactly a stunning CV. I wouldn't touch him with a bargepole.

But, no, it's got to be some sort of conspiracy.

 

[Matthijs]

Other explanations:

He's 36
He's damaged goods
He's only interested in the Tour
He's untrustworthy
He's notoriously awkward
He's not a team player
He's generally unpopular
He's done next to nothing since his return

Plus there are only a handful of teams that are willing to hire an ex-doper.

It's not exactly a stunning CV. I wouldn't touch him with a bargepole.

But, no, it's got to be some sort of conspiracy.

He was good in the Vuelta for several years...
He did not have great wins since his return, but a copple of podiums/top5 results. With a low level team like Miche, so no help whatsoever, that is quit some result. Maybe he can't compete at his old level, but he must be good enough to be captain of some lower pro-conti team.

but your other comments still stands I think...

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

He did not have great wins since his return, but a copple of podiums/top5 results. With a low level team like Miche, so no help whatsoever, that is quit some result..

He had a number of top ten finishes in a South American race with Miche, but no podiums or even top five.
http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/rider_palm.asp?riderid=145&year=2010&all=1&current=0

Are you thinking of his time with the Mexican team?

Susan

 

[Matthijs]

He had a number of top ten finishes in a South American race with Miche, but no podiums or even top five.
http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/rider_palm.asp?riderid=145&year=2010&all=1&current=0

Are you thinking of his time with the Mexican team?

Susan

must have messed those two up... thnx for correction

 

[Bike Boy]

I believe there is an unofficial blacklist of riders that will never be welcome in UCI top races. Rasmussen is number one on that list.

I'm not naive; I don't believe that he's clean, but there is an absurd difference in the way the UCI treats its riders. They didn't have valid arguments to throw Rasmussen out of the Tour in 2007, so they must have put Rabobank under pressure to fire him. Then they sent him a third warning for the same period as the second warning, just to be able to ban him without evidence. After his ban he can't find a top team, so the Protour teams were put under pressure not to give Rasmussen a contract. What other explanation can there be?

Again the UCI acts like a mafia. If you have their protection, you can do anything. If you make them angry, like Rasmussen did, you career is over.

It wouldn't surprise me, according to Mr. Rasmussen himself he did recieve contract offers from pro continental teams prior to the vuelta 2009. Documentation is actually available in danish. Unfortunately I can't provide it here.
Sadly the teams in question insisted on asking Pat McQuaid before finalising.

McQuaid will of course always deny the existence of a black list, but he did once hint that if a team present him with a question about a particular rider, he would of course be happy to pass on a freindly "advise".

Just to be clear I doubt that Rasmussen's personality an untrustworthy actions has been any advantage in the process, but there's no doubt in my mind that Pat McQuaid tried to complicate Rasmussen's comeback plans.

 

[jens_attacks]

unfortunately,i think it's game over for rasmussen.none of the top level teams will ever hire him.if he would have other offers,this discussions about christina racing won't exist.if you get blacklisted,that's it.it's over.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Of course i don't really want to defend Rasmussen. I wouldn't take him in my team either. However I can't understand why he is treated so much worse than Vinokourov, Basso etc.

 

[Bike Boy]

unfortunately,i think it's game over for rasmussen.none of the top level teams will ever hire him.if he would have other offers,this discussions about christina racing won't exist.if you get blacklisted,that's it.it's over.

There's a good chance you are right. But I would't rule it out so categorically. When ASO states he has done his time, it indicates hope.

 

[luckyboy]

Pretty sad how this is turning out.

 

[Chuffy]

Indeed. The problem is that Rasmussen didn't have 3 official whereabout warnings. He had 2 like the World Champion Thor Hushovd and many other riders.He was not breaking any of the rules. UCI Politics put an end to Rasmussen's career.

That's news to me, could you elaborate? Via PM if it's veering into Clinic territory.

Otherwise, Mambo95 has it right. If you were a team boss, why would you ever want the likes of Rasmussen on your team?

If there is a list, can anyone show more current examples? If not, it's impossible not to conclude that the blacklist conspiracy is just a way of making excuses for Rasmussen's poisonous character and utter lack of trustworthiness.

 

[Bike Boy]

That's news to me, could you elaborate? Via PM if it's veering into Clinic territory.

Otherwise, Mambo95 has it right. If you were a team boss, why would you ever want the likes of Rasmussen on your team?

If there is a list, can anyone show more current examples? If not, it's impossible not to conclude that the blacklist conspiracy is just a way of making excuses for Rasmussen's poisonous character and utter lack of trustworthiness.

After admitting to lying, UCI punished him with 2 additional warnings. the first of the 2 original warnings was by then older than 2 years, so there you have it 3 warnings (recorded warnings that is).

 

[Chuffy]

After admitting to lying, UCI punished him with 2 additional warnings. the first of the 2 original warnings was by then older than 2 years, so there you have it 3 warnings (recorded warnings that is).

Thanks, but I was interested in the reference IlCobraFan made to Thor and other riders, not Rasmussen's situation.

FWIW I think UCI did an Al Capone on Rasmussen, ie they nailed him for what they could prove (whereabouts) because they knew he was as dirty as hell but had no solid proof.

 

[Bike Boy]

Thanks, but I was interested in the reference IlCobraFan made to Thor and other riders, not Rasmussen's situation.

FWIW I think UCI did an Al Capone on Rasmussen, ie they nailed him for what they could prove (whereabouts) because they knew he was as dirty as hell but had no solid proof.

Oh I see. I have nothing to contribute with on that matter.

I do however remember Rasmussen once claimed to know that Thor had 2 warnings. which brings us back to the exclusion from the tour. at this point Rasmussen only had 2 warnings in comparison, but you seem to be well informed, so you probably already knew.

 

[Chuffy]

Oh I see. I have nothing to contribute with on that matter.

I do however remember Rasmussen once claimed to know that Thor had 2 warnings. which brings us back to the exclusion from the tour. at this point Rasmussen only had 2 warnings in comparison, but you seem to be well informed, so you probably already knew.

Not that well informed!

So, it would appear that the source for the Thor whereabouts story and the blacklist seems to be....Mr Rasmussen!

Which doesn't exactly inspire confidence...