Contador Questions Rasmussen's Forced Tour Exit

Contador questions Rasmussen's forced Tour exit
08-02-2007

MADRID (AFP)

The winner of the 2007 Tour de France, Spain's Alberto Contador,
seen here in July 2007, criticised the forced exit of Danish cyclist Michael
Rasmussen which paved the way for his victory.

The winner of the 2007 Tour de France, Spain's Alberto Contador, on
Thursday criticised the forced exit of Danish cyclist Michael Rasmussen
which paved the way for his victory.

"I don't know what is really behind it but I know that what should not
be possible is to be told in the middle of the race that you can't
participate when there was no problem at the beginning," he told private
radio Cadena Ser.

"I would have liked to have won in another way," he added.

Rasmussen was kicked off the Tour by his Rabobank team while leading
with four days left for allegedly lying about his whereabouts before the
race to evade drug testers.

He missed random drug tests in May and June, saying he had been in
Mexico. But a former Italian rider turend television presenter said he saw
him in Italy at the time.

His expulsion was one of four doping scandals to hit the 94th Tour de
France, cycling's biggest event.

Contador, 24, rejected accusations made earlier this week by German
doping expert Werner Franke that he was also involved in doping by pointing
out that he has not failed a doping test.

"Now you have to prove that you are innocent without being a culprit
but what you need to do is devote yourself to doing things well," he said.

Franke bases his claim on documents he says are in his possession from
the Spanish police's Operation Puerto inquiry into Eufemiano Fuentes, the
doctor alleged to have masterminded doping programmes for athletes.

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