Organisation’s sports director chose to break confidentiality obligation when he gave information to Michael Rasmussen’s team
Disagreements over the fate of cyclist Michael Rasmussen when he was pulled from certain victory at the 2007 Tour de France have forced the Danish Cycling Union to defend its breach of confidentiality in the case.
Jesper Worre, the organisation’s sports director, told Berlingske Tidende newspaper that the high level of panic over doping in the cycling world at that time meant withholding the reasons for Rasmussen’s exclusion from the Danish national team would have cost Worre his job.
The issue has hit the media spotlight again after the recent release of ‘Løgn over løgn’ (‘Lies Upon Lies’), a book written by a professor of sports science at the University of Aarhus accusing DCU of treating Rasmussen unfairly.
In 2007, Rasmussen was leading the Tour de France in its final stages when his team, Rabobank, pulled him out of the competition and subsequently fired him, citing the cyclist’s failure to report his whereabouts as required to the International Cycling Union during a period prior to the race.
Worre had passed on the information to Rabobank, despite rules stating the information was to be kept confidential by DCU.
‘Rasmussen should never have even started in the 2007 Tour,’ said Worre. ‘That decision ended up costing Rabobank’s sports director his job.’
Rasmussen’s omissions meant that he missed random drug tests conducted during that period. But ‘Lies Upon Lies’ author Verner Møller argued that the Dane was tested continually during the Tour itself and should have simply been fined for his violation.
It has never been proven that Rasmussen was ever doped, although suspicions still persist from many in the cycling world.
DCU president Tom Lund defended Worre’s decision to break the confidentiality agreement.
‘Jesper did the right thing – he told the truth,’ said Lund. ‘He was in a situation where he could either lie, stay silent or tell what the real reasons were for Rasmussen’s exclusion, and thankfully he chose the latter.’
Rasmussen, 35, is still hoping for a return to the tour but is currently without a team. He is reportedly negotiating with a number of Italian teams.
