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Posted at 1:35 a.m., Friday, July 20, 2007

Cycling: Tour leader admits error in drug-testing rules

By Jerome Pugmire
Associated Press

MONTPELLIER, France — Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen acknowledged today that he made an "administrative error" involving drug-testing rules that prompted his expulsion from the Danish national cycling team.

Denmark's cycling federation said yesterday that Rasmussen could no longer ride with the national team at international races because he failed to meet requirements on reporting his whereabouts for drug-testing purposes.

Danish federation and international rules require cyclists to keep officials informed of their whereabouts for possible unannounced doping controls.

"I do admit that I've committed an administrative error," Rasmussen said before today's start of the 12th stage of the Tour. "I was informed of this at the Danish championship 2 1/2 weeks ago, so it's no news."

"It might be a surprise that it comes out right now," he added. "I'm very calm and very relaxed ... It's a minor deal. I know that a lot of riders in the peloton receive warnings for not informing or not giving updated information to the UCI" — cycling's governing body.

"I'm just one out of many, and I just happen to ride with the yellow jersey right now."

Rasmussen said he was tested out of competition in June, and the results were negative.

"I have no positive doping tests, and that's it," he said.

Rasmussen cannot represent Denmark at the 2007 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, in September, nor can he wear the Danish jersey at the Olympic Games in Beijing next year.

In May, Denmark's only winner of the Tour — 1996 champion Bjarne Riis — admitted to using the banned performance enhancer EPO on way to victory that year. He has offered to return his yellow jersey.