Back racing for several months now, Michael Rasmussen is still dreaming of a return to the Tour de France, an event he nearly won in 2007.
The Danish climber was just four days from victory in Paris when he was forced to withdraw over what he later admitted were lies about his whereabouts prior to the race. He had said he was in Mexico, but was actually training in Italy; in theory, this prevented out of competition tests being carried out on him during that period.
"There is no reason to hide the fact that I hope to get to ride the Tour de France again,” he told TV2 Sport. “I would feel very comfortable with it if I could already do it in 2010.”
Rasmussen was recently connected to the CDC-Cavaliere team but has said that what the management said was a signed contract was only a pre-agreement. He’s currently negotiating with an unnamed squad which expects to ride the Grand Tours next season.
Tour de France organiser ASO have not said if Rasmussen would be welcome back at the race or not. However it is likely to be nervous at the prospect, especially after the negative publicity that surrounded the Maillot Jaune in July 2007.
For his part, the Dane has his mind focussed on returning to the event. "I feel I still have a quarrel with the Tour de France,” he said. “No one knows if I can come back and ride as strongly as I did two years ago. Initially, it is about getting a number on my back again and have a season that is structured and planned.”