Danish rider speaks about his clearing, his errors and his future
September 14th 2011, the Tour of Britain, stage four and just ‘another day at the office’ for Danish sprint and time trial star, Alex Rasmussen.
Garmin’s world champion Thor Hushovd won the stage, Rasmussen’s HTC squad had Lars Bak as their best rider in 22nd position and Rasmussen was 80th at 3 minutes 32 seconds; best to save the watts for the days when Cav requires them.
But there was no routine shower, ‘rub’ and pasta for Rasmussen that evening; rather the chilling announcement that he was off the race, fired from his team, and booked on a plane back to Denmark for ‘whereabouts’ infringements.
To those that knew him there was little doubt that his errors were more a result of his laissez-faire attitude to life than anything more sinister – nonetheless, it looked as if his inexorable upward progress in world cycling was at an end. He was facing a suspension of up to two years and things looked grim.
Rewind back eleven years and the young ‘Razi’ gained his first medal with a bronze medal in the Danish junior sprint championship in 2000. Within a year he was junior national champion in the sprint, team pursuit and kilometre, and added the senior titles in the latter two for good measure.
Five more national track titles came his way in 2002 along with his first Worlds medal; bronze in the junior scratch championship.
The progression continued over the following seasons, with multiple Danish titles, European and World Cup track podiums, his first win in a UiV Cup race – the U23 six day series – in 2004, then European and World scratch titles in 2005. His Euro Madison title saw him partnered by Michael Morkov.
Road successes began to pile up in 2006, including the Tour of Berlin, where he out sprinted a certain Mark Cavendish, and the Danish under 23 time trial title.
He and Morkov also picked up second place in the Six Days of Grenoble.
In the years since his career has continued to gain pace; he signed a contract with Saxo Bank for 2009 and remained with them through 2010 before moving to HTC for 2011.
Rasmussen’s results have included the Danish elite road title, four stages in the Tour de Qinghai Lake, World titles in the team pursuit, madison, and scratch races, six day wins, two stages in the Four Days of Dunkirk, a time trial win over Bradley Wiggins and Tony Martin in the Ruta del Sol and the GP Herning.
This year saw Rasmussen top the leader board with Morkov in Copenhagen again, be part of the victorious HTC Giro TTT machine, play a key part in Cav’s two Giro stage wins and go close to final TT victory – thwarted by a late puncture.
He then used his hot Giro form to take the Philadelphia International Championship, and all was looking good. The picture would be very different three months later.
Running into problems:
Rasmussen was at the Tour of Britain for two reasons: as well as being on the race to provide support for Cavendish, the Dane was there as part of his build up for a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride the world road and time trial championships on his home roads in and around Copenhagen.
That dream was abruptly shattered with the news of his suspension. So too his hopes of stepping even further up the ladder with Jonathan Vaughters’ Garmin squad for 2012; it was a move which would have given him more freedom and team leadership in certain situations.
Garmin were unequivocal when asked for a statement on the matter, though: ‘Our policy is stringent – in light of this situation, Alex Rasmussen will not be joining our team.’
The case against him was based on three incidents. Rasmussen first explained the circumstances to VeloNation back in September; “It’s actually two [whereabouts violations]…there was one when the testers came to Denmark but I was riding the six days of Berlin; and another when they came to Girona and I’d gone home to Denmark for my sister’s confirmation and I hadn’t updated my whereabouts.
“The third offence was regarding ‘quarters’ as we call them – you have to have your whereabouts form for the following three month period completed five days prior to that quarter starting, and I was late with my submission.”
It should be noted that Rasmussen was tested during the Six Days of Berlin, despite missing the test in Denmark.
There followed a tense wait for the Dane until his hearing on 17th November. The result was very much better than he expected, with the Danish Sports Federation ruling that he had been cleared due to the UCI breaking its own rules. “Alex Rasmussen is dismissed because his third violation of the whereabouts rules was notified too late and thus there is no longer any case,” it said.
“The UCI spent 10 weeks to report the infringement to an athlete, while the international standard dictates a deadline of 14 days.”
VeloNation spoke to a relieved Rasmussen the day after the hearing.
VeloNation: You have been cleared to continue; it was a better than expected result for you?
Alex Rasmussen: For sure, I expected some type of punishment; I had it in my mind that maybe I would get one year. Whilst I hoped for the best during my wait for the hearing, I was prepared for the worst.
VN: Your defence was based on the UCI late notification of the third offence?
AR: Yes, you can say it’s a technicality but the rules are the rules and they have to apply both ways. And I think I’ve been punished enough by missing the Worlds on my home roads – they were a dream for me.
VN: Has your case been big news in the Danish media?
AR: Really big! What’s been pleasing for me is that the reaction has been super positive.
I’ve had great support from the media, other riders, friends and family – everyone acknowledges that whilst I may have been silly, there’s no way I committed any doping offence.
VN: And is the door back open at Garmin?
AR: Yes, I’ve spoken to Jonathan Vaughters and Johnny Weltz and I’ll be at the Garmin training camp in December.
VN: Did you keep in shape during the time you were suspended?
AR: Yes, I did a lot on the bike, actually. It keeps your mind off things and gets you out in the fresh air – I decided to keep training and not just sit around.
VN: Will we see you back in six day action, over this winter?
AR: Yes, I want to ride Berlin and Copenhagen at least, with Michael Morkov – and maybe one other.
VN: The Six Days of Berlin will be your first race since the Tour of Britain, then?
AR: The Danish madison championships are in January. I plan to ride that with Michael, so that will probably be my first race.
VN: Is the Olympic team pursuit in your plans?
AR: Definitely, but I’ll have to qualify through the World Cup – I think I’ll be riding the London round if that fits in with the team’s plans.
VN: Will we see you at the Track Worlds?
AR: No, they clash with the cobbled Classics which are a very important time for me and the team.
Paris-Roubaix is a big priority for me. I finished 50th this year but that was my first time over that parcours and that distance. I had five punctures but I was in super shape and I know I can do a lot better; I want to go back and improve upon that result.
VN: Talking of ‘shape,’ do you work with a coach?
AR: I talk with Casper Jorgensen who was in the squad with me when we won the world team pursuit championship.
VN: The Giro prologue in Herning…you must be thinking about it?
AR: I’ve been thinking about it since the announcement was made; it’s a big priority. I know the parcours a little, but I plan to go there well before the day and get really familiar with it so as I can dream about it and be ready.
VN: Are any of your ‘whereabouts’ infringements still ‘live.’
AR: I think I’m pretty close being back to ‘zero’ with that.
VN: And how are you going to avoid a repeat of the whereabouts problem?
AR: I’ve spoken to my girlfriend about it; I’ll do the submission but in future she’s going to double-check it for me.
VN: Was there a big celebration after you got the news?
AR: Yes, but nothing too crazy, I was just relieved that it turned out that way.
Of course, there’s always the chance that someone might appeal the decision to the CAS (the Court of Arbitration for Sport) but I hope not…I just hope that it’s over.