The Chicken gets plucked!

[Fredwina]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007...ul07/jul26news
What next?

[teigyr]

Good title but dang....I guess we saw this coming.

Am not even sure what to say anymore.

[Eden]

I really hope that this is not true - seriously unless they haven't realeased something yet the only reason for pulling him would be his missing some out of season tests (for which he has already been punished) and rumors spread by a mt. biking collegue of his. If it comes to pulling riders out because someone *says* that they saw something, heard something, whatever - what kind of chaos would that cause! ANYONE could start a rumor to get any other rider that they wanted pulled from a race. Heck, at least riders wouldn't have to dope, they could take all the money they are saving not buying EPO and use it for bribes instead.

[teigyr]

If someone tests positive but there are B tests to be done or if the cyclist maintains innocence, are they allowed to finish? If Rasmussen IS innocent, shouldn't he be allowed to ride while all of this is getting sorted out?

Imagine being pulled only to be cleared later. Not that anyone appears to get cleared.

[Pedal Wench]

another source: http://www.velonews.com/tour2007/det...s/12944.0.html

[Fredwina]

That's a lot better, PedalWench!
I think El Pollo wasn't Amigos with anyone on Rabo.

[slinkedog]

WTF! I thought this was a totally chaotic Tour without one team in control, Rabobank gets control and then this! Wow! What an incredible shame.

[bikerchick68]

whoa! I know I shouldn't be surprised... but I am

at least they seem to not just be "slapping their wrists" as punishment anymore... still a bummer tho.

[Eden]

Someone posted on another board that Rasmussen's team was the decision maker here - they pulled him because they say he lied about his whereabouts during one of the periods he wasn't reachable during the off season. I don't know how accurate this is.

And as far as A tests and B tests go I thought it was supposed to work that way too - The media isn't even supposed to know about a positive test until either the rider waives the right to a B test or the test is performed and confirms the positive, but that all seems to have gone out the window in the last year. Any suspicion and proof positive or not out you go - it sucks.

[Lifesgreat]

Wow! At the rate they are dropping from the TdF, I shoulda entered! I would have podiumed even with the climbing skills(?) I have. Ask AuntieK about them.

[margo49]

Wow! At the rate they are dropping from the TdF, I shoulda entered! I would have podiumed ...

This is what I was thinking the other day.
I mean, If 25 years ago I toured all through France alone with a loaded bike including a tent and prepared almost all my own food (even to growing alfalfa sprouts hanging from a nylon tied under the saddle and rinsed every few hours)...
Who knows what I would be able to do *now* on a perfect road bike maintained by expert mechanics to the last millimetre, hotel accomodation, support car(s), etc

ring-ring....ring-ring....ring-ring

Sorry, gotta go...it's The Telephone

[margo49]

Yeah, that was Christian Prudhomme on the phone...
he says everybody from TE on line now gets a free ticket to Paris and he will pick us up from Charles de Gaulle and will everyone e-mail him with details of their dream bike which will be waiting at the start of tomorrow's Stage...

[BikeMomma]

Yeah, that was Christian Prudhomme on the phone...
he says everybody from TE on line now gets a free ticket to Paris and he will pick us up from Charles de Gaulle and will everyone e-mail him with details of their dream bike which will be waiting at the start of tomorrow's Stage...

Sweet!

BikeMomma, honey... it's twuu. And, unfortunately, a long time a-comin'.

Yea, spazz......< dramatic long silence >.............I know. But damn, with all the anti-dope hype before the Tour, the last two years of Tyler, Jan, Basso, and Floyd (among lots of others) being put through the ringer and made an example of, and all the new contracts, agreements, and threats of fines from UCI, I thought maybe, just maybe we could have a "clean" (yea, yea, yea ) Tour and maybe, just maybe, we could have a legitimate winner and we could all dance around joyfully and celebrate this grand thing we lovingly call the Tour de France....the Grand Tour, as it were.

Ya know? It's disheartening. I'm truly angry that these arrogant, cheating few (yeessss, some other than Moreni still remain to be cleared, thus we must consider them innocent until proven guilty, yada yada) think that they can continue to get away with it. It's like they're blind to the change that's already here. Or that I hoped was here. Call me a dreamer, I dunno.

I feel for Contador. Wonder what jersey he'll wear in the morning. Not sure which one I'd rather see -- white because he earned it (and earned it darned well!!), or yellow because he is now the leader of the Tour. After all, it IS still an honorable jersey to wear, and perhaps the right person will be wearing it now.

Bet Rassmuss-Chick-en wishes he never missed those doping tests and never went to Italy and called it Mexico.

~BikeMomma

[crazycanuck]

We interrupt this program for the evil lurker..

Fingers crossed for Cadel Evans..C'mon Cadel, make Australia proud!! AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIEEEEEE OI OI OI..

From a non tour watcher..

Back to irregular programming..

C

[jeannierides]

Yeah, that was Christian Prudhomme on the phone...
he says everybody from TE on line now gets a free ticket to Paris and he will pick us up from Charles de Gaulle and will everyone e-mail him with details of their dream bike which will be waiting at the start of tomorrow's Stage...

I'll meet you gals there! Even with my current dis- abilities, I can do this!