Danish TV ran with some powerful allegations last night. TV2’s “Lige På og Sport” claimed to have seen a document resulting from disgraced Austrian sports manager Stefan Matschiner. Matschiner’s been linked to Bernhard Kohl but rumours put him with Michael Rasmussen. And last night Denmark’s TV2 accused Rasmussen of a further blood doping offence, storing blood in 2008 (during his ban) and also of co-owning a blood centrifuge, a machine used to seperate precious red blood cells from other components of the blood. If it’s true – and can be proved – then the rules say this is another doping offence and he’d lose his racing licence again.
 |
| Rasmussen: Hotstepping away from the studio? |
Reality TV Check?
Rasmussen denies the allegations and is furious with the TV channel as it is also host to the Vild Med Dans celebrity dance show that currently features The Chicken. Ekstra Bladet reports the channel’s entertainment manager has had an emergency phone call with Rassmussen: “I’ve talked to Michael today and I am aware that he has had a hard day. Entertainment editors have no editorial influence on sports editors and vice versa. I’m not completely into what the case is about. We have agreed that we must wait and see” said Gitte Madsen, trying to convince Rasmussen that the allegations are seperate from the TV show.
Denmark awaits and The Chicken will make his decision whether to continue with the show or not today. The show was supposed to help rehabilitate his public image.
Longer term, the UCI is promising to investigate the claims and it could well be that a dance show is the least of his worries.
Photo: Ekstra Bladet
Judging by the performance I saw, he'd be doing the show a favor. Then again, Denmark only has so many "stars" of DWTS calibre.
These allegations, aired on the eve of the show, plus the fuss over whether he quits the show, can only improve the audience figures.
The sad bit is that Rasmussen becomes the exhibit in a freak show. For sure he's dropped himself in the mess but it's only making things worse.
I must agree with the person above its really shocking and i am very interesting to know more about this topic.