Michael Rasmussen

paulcuthbert
paulcuthbert Posts: 1,016
edited July 2016 in Pro race
Does anyone know what Michael Rasmussen is up to these days? Any official websites of his or anything?

I ask, because i am near certain i saw him training in the mountains in North Bohemia in Czech Republic a few weeks ago. If it wasn't him, he has an absolute spitting image, who can climb steep gradients with Rasmussen's exact riding style and at an infernal rate. Rasmussen or not, he was flying up that mountain! But it really looked like him- his face, his riding style, his speed up the climb...

Any ideas???
The most painful climb in Northern Ireland http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs200.snc1/6776_124247198694_548863694_2335754_8016178_n.jpg
«13

Comments

  • gumball3000
    gumball3000 Posts: 14
    SPoke to a High Road mechanic in France earlier this month, who is a friend of Mr Rasmussen. He is still training and is looking for a team at the moment. Fingers crossed for a comeback, the guy was fantastic to watch.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    He's in negotiation with 2 teams. One PT, one next step down.

    It couldn't have been him in Czech republic...He was in Mexico :roll:
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    who knows...he's quite an expert at moving around undetected...I guess he will be reduced to some last chance saloon type team ..though Iainf , you hint at pro tour status?...but is the pro tour not finished at the end of this season , transitioning to a different league of season long racing?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBacb2V ... ata_player
  • GroupOfOne MkII
    GroupOfOne MkII Posts: 1,289
    If it was him training in the Czech Rep, PSK Whirpool for his next team? After all they've employed Sinkewitz.
  • paulcuthbert
    paulcuthbert Posts: 1,016
    Hmm, interesting. I'm almost certain it was him!
    The most painful climb in Northern Ireland http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs200.snc1/6776_124247198694_548863694_2335754_8016178_n.jpg
  • le_patron
    le_patron Posts: 494
    I heard that he has a number of body doubles who ride in various mountainous locations in order to be able to quickly back up his explanations on where he was supposed to be training at any one time.

    So who knows if you saw the genuine Michael Rasmussen.

    Still, it was a sighting by a random passer-by that was his undoing last time, so hang onto any pictures you may have taken.
  • drenkrom
    drenkrom Posts: 1,062
    I was never clear on whether Cassani actually talked to him on that fateful day in Italy, or if it was a sighting similar to that of the OP. Anyone know for sure?
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,716
    Was he in a black jersey? plain.
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,449
    It seems the UCI won't issue him with a license until he pays the year's salary he owes them after signing Pat's Pledge;

    http://translate.google.com/translate?s ... 747729.ece

    From CFA.
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    paulcuthbert wrote:
    Does anyone know what Michael Rasmussen is up to these days?
    I ask, because i am near certain i saw him training in the mountains in North Bohemia in Czech Republic a few weeks ago.
    Rasmussen is supposed to meet with the investigators in Vienna in August, so maybe he’s slowly cycling his way there!

    Reputedly he part-owned a 20,000 Euro centrifuge piece of apparatus used in the blood plasma doping process in Vienna. He’s said he’ll tell his doping story or at least make a statement, after the TdF. I’d guess it won’t before before he’s met the people in Vienna, but could be I’m wrong and he’ll make the statement to coincide when he’s free again to ride (25 July).
    andyp wrote:
    It seems the UCI won't issue him with a license until he pays the year's salary he owes them after signing Pat's Pledge
    Strictly-speaking, it’s not his salary he’s being asked to pay up. When Rabobank fired him, he went to court, won a case for illegal dismissal (he wasn’t given the required notice according to his contract), and was awarded 700,000 Euro compensation/damages.

    It’s this 700,000 Euro the UCI want, while he’s arguing he was never caught doping, which Pat’s Pledge primarily concerns, while those riders who actually were caught have been ‘fined’ only 20% what’s demanded of him. He also questions the legality of the pledge.
  • dougzz
    dougzz Posts: 1,833
    Surely he just needs a GPS not an anti-doping program?
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,170
    dougzz wrote:
    Surely he just needs a GPS not an anti-doping program?

    That would mean Garmin then...... :wink:
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • jackhammer111 - banned
    jackhammer111 - banned Posts: 245
    gumball3000 wrote:
    SPoke to a High Road mechanic in France earlier this month, who is a friend of Mr Rasmussen. He is still training and is looking for a team at the moment. Fingers crossed for a comeback, the guy was fantastic to watch.

    I personally think he was doped to the gills and can't ride competetivly under Passport.
    But he's free to prove me wrong.
  • steviedonut
    steviedonut Posts: 69
    paulcuthbert wrote:
    Does anyone know what Michael Rasmussen is up to these days? Any official websites of his or anything?

    I ask, because i am near certain i saw him training in the mountains in North Bohemia in Czech Republic a few weeks ago. If it wasn't him, he has an absolute spitting image, who can climb steep gradients with Rasmussen's exact riding style and at an infernal rate. Rasmussen or not, he was flying up that mountain! But it really looked like him- his face, his riding style, his speed up the climb...

    Any ideas???

    that cant have been him,im sure he was in mexico then........ :wink:
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,440
    I saw him going to the cash machine in Brownhills town centre the other morning.
    Saracen Tenet 3 - 2015 - Dead - Replaced with a Hack Frame
    Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
    Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    prawny wrote:
    I saw him going to the cash machine in Brownhills town centre the other morning.
    He served me in a kebab shop in Coventry just before midnight last night!
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,440
    There you go, he's obviously using the high mountains of the west midlands for altitude training, it also looked like he might be doing some plastering as well.
    Saracen Tenet 3 - 2015 - Dead - Replaced with a Hack Frame
    Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
    Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    edited August 2009
    What was Rasmo's ban for officially?

    return-rasmo.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    Thanks for that - I'd forgotten what he looks like.
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    edited August 2009
    Man has served his sentence.

    For me I think the UCI are taking the piss and if I were him I'd fight them. UCI are to inconsistent with their fining. Also he wasn't caught doping.
  • flattythehurdler
    flattythehurdler Posts: 2,314
    +1
    The line from jackhammer is priceless given his vehemence on other topics
    Dan
  • paulcuthbert
    paulcuthbert Posts: 1,016
    le patron wrote:
    I heard that he has a number of body doubles who ride in various mountainous locations in order to be able to quickly back up his explanations on where he was supposed to be training at any one time.

    So who knows if you saw the genuine Michael Rasmussen.

    Still, it was a sighting by a random passer-by that was his undoing last time, so hang onto any pictures you may have taken.

    Haha, good point! :)
    The most painful climb in Northern Ireland http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs200.snc1/6776_124247198694_548863694_2335754_8016178_n.jpg
  • lucybears
    lucybears Posts: 366
    Michael Rasmussen has found an employer, namely the Mexican team Tecos de la Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara.
    interview.cyclingfever.com
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    lucybears wrote:
    Michael Rasmussen has found an employer, namely the Mexican team Tecos de la Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara.

    I think Floyd has just been well and truly trumped in the "worst comeback ever" stakes!
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    lucybears wrote:
    Michael Rasmussen has found an employer, namely the Mexican team Tecos de la Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara.
    I've heard of scraping the barrel but that's bizarre, a Mexican university cycling team?

    Or has he actually signed for dutch outift Vacansoleil and he's just pretending to join a Mexican team? That would match his style of course.
  • donrhummy
    donrhummy Posts: 2,329
    He served his time and should have the right to ride again. If the UCI doesn't like it, change the rules to make the suspensions longer.

    Thsat said, I can understand why teams might fear signing him, but really he wasn't lying about his whereabouts to his team. All evidence points to the team manager knowing and agreeing with him doing this. So he was following his team's direction.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    donrhummy wrote:
    Thsat said, I can understand why teams might fear signing him, but really he wasn't lying about his whereabouts to his team. All evidence points to the team manager knowing and agreeing with him doing this. So he was following his team's direction.

    I doubt teams are just taking that into account. The stories of smuggling artificial blood and the reported positives for DynEPO are going to scare everyone off. Remember, this is a guy who scared CSC off because of his wierd blood values. And that was in the days of Hamilton et al.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • lucybears
    lucybears Posts: 366
    'I want to succeed in Mexico and return to Europe'
    http://translate.google.com/translate?j ... %25C2%25B4
    interview.cyclingfever.com
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    If you ran a bike team - would you hire him ? Personally I would not touch him with a barge pole.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    cougie wrote:
    If you ran a bike team - would you hire him ? Personally I would not touch him with a barge pole.
    Me, I'd use the barge pole to whack him on the head :wink:

    But I don't think he has any place in the sport. He may have served his time but he did this without any apology to fans, colleagues or race organisers.

Categories