Rasmussen waiting for November verdict

By: Cycling NewsPublished:

Alex Rasmussen must continue to wait until November 17 to see what sanction he will face after receiving three warnings in an eighteen-month period for missing out of competition doping controls.

The Dane received two warnings from Anti-Doping Denmark in 2010 after failing to adequately compile his whereabouts form, and he subsequently missed an out-of-competition test by the UCI in April of this year.

Rasmussen has insisted that the missed tests were due to a lack of organisation on his part rather than an attempt to cheat. Given the nature of the case, he had hoped that the Danish Olympic Committee (DIF) would be able to reach a verdict sooner than anticipated.

“The wait is a little annoying,” Rasmussen told sporten.tv2.dk. “The case is clear and I just want a decision so that I can move on. But unfortunately, DIF cannot assemble the people for consultation before then.”

Ramussen’s contract was terminated by HTC-Highroad in September after the team was informed that he had received three warnings for missed tests. With HTC-Highroad set to disband at the end of the season, Rasmussen had already agreed to ride for Garmin-Cervélo for 2012.

Garmin-Cervélo subsequently stated that it would not sign Rasmussen due to its “stringent” anti-doping policy, but the rider has since claimed that team manager Jonathan Vaughters will complete the signing if he is cleared of wrongdoing.

“They are also awaiting action, and then we’ll talk,” Rasmussen said.