F
or the past eight years, Michael Rasmussen has been a regular in the Centre de Presse at the Tour de France. The Dane is easy to pick out. Stick-thin, closely cropped hair and, at least in appearance, not much different to the guy who won at the summit of the Col d’Aubisque in 2007 and increased his lead to more than three minutes. With only four days to go, the Tour was his.
That evening Rasmussen travelled by helicopter from the Aubisque to the Rabobank team hotel, the Mercure in Pau. His director sportif, Theo de Rooij, arrived later, having got there by car. “Well,” De Rooij said, “did [Davide] Cassani see you training in Italy or not?” “Yes,” Rasmussen said, “he saw me.” “Then
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