July 24, 2007 — Earlier today prior to the announcement that Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) has tested positive at the Tour, the leader of the TdF Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank), the entire Rabobank team and four other teams were subjected to unannounced doping tests this morning, during their rest day in Pau. The four other teams were Discovery Channel, Lampre, Caisse d’Epargne and Euskaltel, bringing the total number to 211 of unannounced tests performed on cyclists since the start of the TdF according to AFP.

Rasmussen then attended a press conference with his team manager, Theo De Rooy, and team lawyer, Harro Knijff, to explain his failure to report his whereabouts during training, thus being unavailable for unannounced doping tests. Apparently there were three infractions, two minor, and Rabobank imposed a fine of € 10,000 ($ 14,340 Cdn) on Rasmussen for the third according to AFP. De Rooy, who expressed confidence that Rasmussen is clean, declared that not only did the Danish cyclist pass all of the UCI doping tests to date, but that he’s also passed the team’s internal tests.

And Rasmussen may still go to the 2008 Games in Beijing after all. Last week the Danish Cycling Federation announced he was banned from the Danish team heading to the 2008 Beijing Olympics for not reporting his whereabouts. But today, Niels Nygaard, president of the Danish Olympic Committee (Danmarks Idraets-Forbund or DIF) declared that Rasmussen is still being considered for the Olympic team and that the final decision on this rests with the DIF, not the Danish Cycling Federation.

Only yesterday AFP reported that UCI President Pat McQuaid said doping suspicions around TdF leader, Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) were bad for cycling’s image but with today’s revelation regarding Vinokourov’s positive test and Astana quitting the Tour the sport has been delivered a direct hit.

Ullrich and T-Mobile Update

Meanwhile, Jan Ullrich (formerly with T-Mobile) – the only German to ever win the TdF – has promised that he will soon talk about his alleged role in doping. He made the claim to private television chain Sat.1, saying he was waiting until “Germany was ready,” reports AFP. Earlier this month, the German weekly, Focus, claimed that Ullrich’s bank accounts show a payment of € 25.000 to Dr Eufemiano Fuentes in 2006. Fuentes allegedly ran a doping clinic in Madrid until 2006. The German prosecutor in Bonn now has obtained access to Ullrich’s bank records and will verify the claims made by Focus.

Meanwhile, Patrik Sinkewitz (T-Mobile) will fight his positive doping test. The German cyclist made the news this past week with his positive doping test during a June training ride. Sinkewitz, who abandoned the TdF after a crash on July 15, declared through his lawyer, Michael Lehner, that the positive test was supervised by an inspector who did not follow (proper testing) protocol.

In addition T-Mobile’s future in cycling hangs in the balance. Christian Frommert, communication director at Deutsche Telekom, which sponsors the cycling team, announced today that a decision would be made after the Tour de France finishes about whether the telephone company would continue its association with the team reports AFP.