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Posted at 5:09 p.m., Friday, July 20, 2007

Cycling: Ex-racer accuses Rasmussen of tricking him

By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Sports Writer

A former amateur mountain bike racer from Boulder, Colo., has accused Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen of trying to trick him into carrying illicit doping materials into Italy five years ago.

Whitney Richards said 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.

The 31-year-old Richards told The Associated Press on Friday that he decided to go public with his story after Rasmussen promised cycling fans they could trust him.

Asked about the allegations at a post-race news conference, Rasmussen said he was familiar with Richards' name but declined further comment.

"He's a very nice guy," Richards said. "That's the thing that kind of (stinks) about some of this stuff. He's a really talented athlete and a super-smart guy. It's not like he's a monster. He just made a bad decision — and then he dragged me in and got me involved."

The story first was reported by VeloNews on Friday.

Richards said he felt sorry for Rasmussen, the sport of cycling and the Tour but in his heart knew he was doing the right thing by coming forward.

"I knew if I had any integrity and ethics, I had to say something," Richards told The AP from the tarmac in Los Angeles as he awaited a flight back to Denver. "He's a gifted athlete, he's smart, he's articulate. It's not fun to have to say something like this. It's also not fun to be putting another black eye on the Tour."

Last year's Tour winner, American Floyd Landis, is trying to retain his title and avoid a two-year ban after testing positive for synthetic testosterone during the race.

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.

Richards said he and Rasmussen became friends when the Dane came to Colorado to prepare for the 2001 world mountain bike championships in Vail. Rasmussen was back home in Italy when he asked Richards to bring over a pair of cycling shoes he had left behind, Richards said.

Richards, who was moving to Italy to live with his fiance, said he didn't remember how the box was delivered to his home in Boulder.

Richards said he wanted to fit everything into his suitcases so he decided to take the shoes out of the box. That's when he discovered the IV bags labeled "Biopure."

Afraid he might have an illegal product in his possession, he called a friend, Taro Smith, who has a doctorate in physiology. Together they figured out what the product was — a hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier known as Hemopure. It's manufactured by U.S.-based Biopure Corp. and is banned under the World Anti-Doping Code.

They then decided to dump the blood substitute down the drain, Richards said.

"I got some scissors and said, 'I'm getting rid of this stuff. I'm not carrying this across customs for nobody,"' he said.

Richards said he didn't notify law enforcement or cycling authorities because he was leaving for Italy the next day.

Smith confirmed Richards' recollection of the incident to VeloNews. Smith didn't immediately return messages from The Associated Press on Friday night.

Richards, who splits his time between Boulder and Cari Mate, Italy, said he confronted Rasmussen when he arrived in Italy a few weeks later. He said Rasmussen acknowledged it was poor judgment but asked what he had done with the hemoglobin substitute. Richards said Rasmussen became angry when Richards explained he had dumped it down a sink.

Richards said he hasn't spoken with Rasmussen since confronting him although he's seen him at some races.

He said he struggled with his silence over the matter for years: "It's like watching someone steal your neighbor's car and not saying anything."

"I've had mixed feelings. I don't like to create chaos out there," Richards said. "But I don't have any regrets."