Race tainted by more doping allegations

GOURETTE, France – Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen of Denmark has been removed from the race, a devastating blow to cycling’s premier event which has been rocked by a series of doping scandals.\n“Michael Rasmussen has been sent home for violating (the team’s) internal rules,” Rabobank team spokesman Jacob Bergsma told The Associated Press by phone Wednesday.\nThe expulsion, which Bergsma said was ordered by the Dutch team sponsor, was linked to “incorrect” information that Rasmussen gave to the team’s sports director over his whereabouts last month. Rasmussen missed random drug tests May 8 and June 28.\nThe 33-year-old rider, who won Wednesday’s stage, had looked set to win the race, which ends Sunday in Paris.\nIn addition to Rasmussen, The Cofidis team pulled out of the Tour de France on Wednesday after rider Cristian Moreni of Italy failed a doping test and was led away by police at the end of the 16th stage.\n“The team will not be at the start tomorrow,” Tour spokesman Philippe Sudres said.\nMoreni tested positive for testosterone after stage 11 of the Tour last Thursday, said Didier Simon, of cycling’s world governing body, the UCI.\n“He accepted his wrongdoing and did not ask for a B-sample,” Cofidis manager Eric Boyer said.\nAthletes caught doping are entitled to ask for follow-up tests to confirm – and in rare cases deny – the results of the initial “A” sample.\nPolice were seen leading Moreni away from the Cofidis team bus. It was unclear where they were taking him. France has tough laws against trafficking in doping products.\nMoreni tested positive for testosterone after stage 11 of the Tour last Thursday, said Didier Simon of cycling’s world governing body, the UCI. He said it was for Cofidis to decide whether to pull its other riders from the Tour in the wake of Moreni’s failed test.\nNews of Moreni’s test came a day after star rider Alexandre Vinokourov and his entire Astana team were sent home after he tested positive for a banned blood transfusion.\nMoreni was in 54th place overall at the end of Wednesday’s stage, 1 hour, 56 minutes and 11 seconds behind Rasmussen.\nThe test analysis for Moreni was conducted by the Chatenay-Malabry lab on the outskirts of Paris. Traces of testosterone were found in the urine sample, L’Equipe said. The test showed that the testosterone was administered, and that the hormone was not naturally occurring.\nMoreni’s failed doping test was the latest blow to a race already reeling from doping revelations.\nRasmussen, booed by fans at the start Wednesday, extended his lead in the three-week event.\nThe Danish cyclist crossed the finish line alone after the 135.8-mile ride from Orthez to Gourette-Col d’Aubisque, the toughest ride in the Pyrenees this year.\nAmerican Levi Leipheimer finished 26 seconds behind, and Discovery Channel teammate Alberto Contador of Spain was third, 35 seconds back. Both lost time against Rasmussen, who broke away from the three-man group in the last half-mile, finishing in 6 hours, 23 minutes, 21 seconds.\n“I am one step closer,” said Rasmussen, who also won Stage 8 in Tignes.\nThat’s worrisome to some fans and dozens of riders who staged a silent protest against the doping scandals in their sport – delaying the start by 13 minutes.\nPreviously, Tour rider Patrick Sinkewitz had tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone. Sinkewitz has denied doping and asked for his B sample to be tested, with the results expected to be known by July 29.\nSinkewitz tested positive in training on June 8 – a month before the Tour started – but he competed in the race until he crashed into a spectator during the eighth stage on July 15.\n–Associated Press Writers Jean-Luc Courthial in Gourette, France, and John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report.