COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Michael Rasmussen is leading a new cycling team 312 years after he was sacked by his former team while leading the Tour de France.
Danish watch designer Christina Hembo said Wednesday that Rasmussen will captain her Christina Watches outfit, which was formed after her company bought 100 percent of a UCI-registered professional team.
Rasmussen led the 2007 Tour until he was kicked off the Rabobank team for lying about his whereabouts when he missed pre-race doping tests. He was banned for two years.
The 36-year-old Dane returned to cycling in 2009 and has been racing since July with Hembo as his personal sponsor.
The second-tier UCI professional teams can compete in events such as the Tour, the Giro d’Italia, and the Spanish Vuelta but must be invited by race organizers.
