BLAGNAC, France — The head of cycling's world governing body says it would be bad for the image of the sport if current leader Michael Rasmussen goes on to win the Tour de France.
"With all this speculation around him it would be better if somebody else were to win," UCI president Pat McQuaid said Monday. "The last thing this sport needs is more speculation about doping."
McQuaid added, however, that the Danish rider has "broken no rules, so from that point of view . . . you have to give him the benefit of the doubt."
Rasmussen was dropped from Denmark's national team last week for failing to notify anti-doping officials of his whereabouts for drug-testing.
He missed two drug tests by Denmark's anti-doping agency in May and June, and failed to respond to two warnings from the International Cycling Union since April 2006. A third infraction with either the UCI or the Danish agency would be considered equivalent to a positive test and lead to a ban.
Rasmussen retained the overall leader's yellow jersey after Monday's 15th stage, which was won by Alexandre Vinokourov. Rasmussen has a lead of two minutes 23 seconds over Alberto Contador of Spain. The Tour ends Sunday in Paris.
"The UCI is committed to a zero-tolerance policy," McQuaid said. "It's committed to cleaning up the sport completely and that's what we're going to do."
UCI officials, meanwhile, met to discuss allegations by a former American amateur mountain bike racer that Rasmussen tried to trick him into carrying blood doping materials into Italy five years ago.
The UCI's Anti-Doping Manager, Anne Gripper, said Monday she had received an e-mail from Whitney Richards in which he tells of "some interaction he had had with Rasmussen."
She said a legal council meeting Monday had not yet resolved how to handle Richards' accusations or set a date to meet with him.
"We are just needing some further advice on the best way of obtaining the information," Gripper said. "The meeting was just to discuss the approach that we would take.
"We have to make some further inquiries as to the best way."
On Sunday, McQuaid said Richards' allegations would need proof, otherwise "the story might go down the drain."
"Its a tricky one," Gripper said. "In everything we do we have to ensure the rights of the riders are properly assured before we make any disciplinary proceedings."
Richards said last week that Rasmussen asked him to carry a pair of cycling shoes in March 2002 when Richards was moving to Italy. When he opened the box, Richards said he found 14 IV bags filled with human blood substitute, which he poured down the drain.
Richards decided to go public with his story after Rasmussen promised cycling fans they could trust him. Rasmussen said he was familiar with Richards' name but has declined further comment.
Richards' allegations against Rasmussen come one day after the Dane was kicked off the national cycling team for failing to report his whereabouts for possible unannounced doping tests.
"The key point is that we have not opened disciplinary proceedings against Rasmussen," Gripper said. "We have sent him a warning."
The timing of the Rasmussen revelations midway through the Tour led the race's owners, the Amaury Sports Organization, to wonder whether it was done to upset cycling's showcase race — and who was behind it.
"It effectively resembles an attempt at destabilization," ASO chief Patrice Clerc told French sports daily L'Equipe on Saturday.
On Wednesday, the German cycling federation announced that T-Mobile rider Patrik Sinkewitz had tested positive for elevated testosterone at a team training camp in the French Pyrenees more than five weeks ago.
The UCI was "not involved in the timing of the revelations", Gripper said.
"There was no intention at all on the part of the UCI to have a negative effect on the Tour," Gripper said. "Sinkewitz is totally unrelated to the UCI.
"The test was conducted by a German (anti-doping) agency and the decision was made by the German (cycling) federation."
Gripper said the UCI supports the best interests of the Tour.
"The decision was made not to make disciplinary proceedings before the Tour as it would have had a negative effect on the Tour," she said. "Our decisions were made as much as possible to ensure the integrity of the event."
