July 23, 2009 – The Danish rider Michael Rasmussen has expressed his intention to return to international level competition at the end of his two-year suspension, which concludes on 25 July. Mr. Rasmussen signed the “Riders’ commitment to a new cycling”, in which he pledged to make a contribution to the anti-doping campaign equal to his annual salary in the event that he was given a suspension of two years or more as a result of a doping violation.

Despite being handed a two-year suspension by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Mr. Rasmussen has not paid this sum. The UCI therefore takes the view that he should not resume competition. Nevertheless, in the case of Mr. Vinokourov, who contested his pledge, the CAS decided that any rider who had signed the “Riders’ commitment to a new cycling” should be permitted to return to competition pending a decision by the CAS on riders’ obligations to honour their signed commitments.

As Mr. Rasmussen has also appealed to the CAS to contest his pledge, the UCI has decided not to oppose Mr. Rasmussen’s return to competition, pending the CAS’s judgment. Nonetheless, the UCI strongly rejects the attitude displayed by Messrs Vinokourov and Rasmussen; despite committing serious violations of the anti-doping rules they have rejected any form of reparation by refusing to contribute to the costs of anti-doping procedures.