Additional funding sought by selling Christmas gifts that won't be delivered until August 2011
Michael Rasmussen's plan to return to racing in a team that is set up by his personal sponsor, Christina Hembo, are still not entirely secure. The team is racing a January 10 UCI deadline to announce more sponsors in order to get the necessary bank guarantees in order.
After Rasmussen's plan to restart his career with the Saxo Bank team fell through, Hembo decided to help out with setting up a team around Rasmussen.
Before Rasmussen can race again on the road, he has to race from door to door. "I am busy searching for money for the team," he said to Sporza. "This is really new for me and it is late in the year."
The UCI deadline is approaching soon. "We have two more weeks," Rasmussen said. "But in the year-end period companies don't make many decisions. This increases the pressure somewhat."
To raise extra money, Hembo, who sponsors the team as well as Rasmussen, is going unusual ways. On her website she is selling special edition watches for men and women, at 200 euro a piece. A gift certificate can be obtained, but the actual watches won't be ready for delivery until August 2011.
Each year, buyers will get invited to the team's annual Christmas Party, for a "symbolic price of 40 euro." The watch has engraved Hembo's and Rasmussen's signatures on the back case and Rasmussen's signature on the clock face. The left side of the watch also has the profile of the 2007 Tour de France stage to the Col d'Aubisque engraved. Rasmussen won that stage on July 25, 2007, ahead of Levi Leipheimer.