COPENHAGEN, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - A bitter Michael Rasmussen on Friday accused his Rabobank team manager of 'stealing' what he regarded as certain victory in the Tour de France.

And the embattled Danish cyclist has enlisted the services of a lawyer after being dramatically kicked out of the Tour when wearing the leader's yellow jersey and sacked by Rabobank over a row about missed drug tests.

'I was really in control of the race, but he (Rabobank manager Theo De Rooy) stole victory from me,' Rasmussen told Danish daily Politken on Friday.

THE HAGUE, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Dutch International Cycling Union (UCI) official Joop Atsma said Thursday that the union would impose sanctions on Danish cyclist Michael Rasmussen who was fired by his team and thrown out of the Tour de France on Wednesday.

'Rasmussen lied about his whereabouts. He also lied to the UCI, sanctions must be applied,' Atsma, the president of the UCI Road Commission told the ANP news agency.

COPENHAGEN, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Michael Rasmussen has reacted angrily to being kicked out of the Tour de France and sacked by his team after allegedly lying over a missed random dope test.

Rabobank dramatically split with Rasmussen after the Danish rider had consolidated his race lead with victory in Wednesday`s 16th stage.

The Dutch team justified their action by saying Rasmussen had lied when he said he`d been in Mexico rather than Italy for one of the four dope tests he failed to show up for in the past 18 months.

COPENHAGEN, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Denmark`s disgraced former Tour de France yellow jersey wearer Michael Rasmussen was sacked on Thursday by his Rabobank team the Dutch outfit`s manager Theo de Rooy told Danish news agency Ritzau.

Rasmussen was sensationally withdrawn from the Tour de France late on Wednesday by the team after they discovered he had lied to them about his whereabouts in June.

COPENHAGEN, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Denmark`s disgraced former Tour de France yellow jersey wearer Michael Rasmussen was sacked on Thursday by his Rabobank team the Dutch outfit`s manager Theo de Rooy told Danish news agency Ritzau.

Rasmussen was sensationally withdrawn from the Tour de France late on Wednesday by the team after they discovered he had lied to them about his whereabouts in June.

PAU, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - The Tour de France set out here on Thursday for the 17th stage shaken by the doping scandal that has claimed as its latest victim yellow jersey leader Michael Rasmussen.

Rasmussen was kicked out of the race by his Dutch team Rabobank late on Wednesday for lying about where he was last month - he had said he was in Mexico when in fact he was in Italy.

There had also been revelations that he had missed four random dope tests over the past 18 months.

PAU, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Two Tour de France doping scandals in as many days were nudged temporarily to the side on Wednesday after race leader Michael Rasmussen was sensationally kicked out by his own Rabobank team.

The 33-year-old Danish climbing specialist has been at the centre of doping speculation since it was revealed last week that he missed four random doping controls over the past 18 months.

PAU, France, July 25, 2007 (AFP) - This year`s Tour de France was dealt a potentially fatal blow on Wednesday when yellow jersey wearer Michael Rasmussen was sensationally kicked out of the race by his own Rabobank team, the Dutch outfit revealed on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old Dane had seemingly weathered the storm over missing four out of competition dope tests in the past 18 months.

COPENHAGEN, July 25, 2007 (AFP) - Almost one in two Danes questioned in a poll believe Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen is innocent of doping, according to a Megafon survey announced on Danish television on Wednesday.

In the survey, which questioned 1.118 people from July 20-23, 27 percent believed he had used banned substances while 23 percent were undecided.

PAU, France, July 24, 2007 (AFP) - Tour de France boss Patrice Clerc on Tuesday said Tour leader Michael Rasmussen should not have raced in the 2007 edition saying the Dane `did not serve as a good example`.

'In the crisis period which we are living in at the moment, the champion must be a good example, unimpeachable,' said Clerc, who is boss of ASO, the company in charge of organising the race.

COPENHAGEN, July 24, 2007 (AFP) - President of the Danish Olympic committee (DIF), Niels Nygaard, confirmed on Tuesday that Tour de France race leader Michael Rasmussen has not been excluded from the 2008 Olympic Games.

'We have not ruled out Rasmussen, and the Danish Cycling Federation (DCU) were too quick to say he will not participate at the 2008 Beijing Games,' Nygaard told AFP.

The Danish Cycling Union decided in June not to select Rasmussen for September`s world cycling championships and the Olympic Games in 2008 because he missed out-of-competition doping tests.

PAU, France, July 24, 2007 (AFP) - Yellow jersey rivals Michael Rasmussen and Alberto Contador underwent random blood doping controls during the Tour de France rest day here Tuesday, the International Cycling Union (UCI) announced.

Rasmussen, who leads his Spanish rival by 2min 23sec in the race`s general classification, was among the 40 riders tested in total prior to Wednesday`s final day of climbing, in the Pyrenees mountains.

PAU, France, July 24, 2007 (AFP) - Top cycling team Rabobank have declared their full support for under-fire Michael Rasmussen, who is only days away from what could be a controversial victory in the Tour de France.

Rasmussen has been under suspicion of doping since the Danish Cycling Union (DCU) revealed he had been given formal warnings for missing two random controls run by the Danish anti-doping agency earlier this year.

LOUDENVIELLE, France, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - World cycling chief Pat McQuaid admitted on Monday the speculation and allegations surrounding Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen is bad for the image of the sport.

However the International Cycling Union (UCI) president denied making statements which suggested an eventual Tour de France triumph for the Dane would be negative for the sport.

'I did not say that, all I said was that all the controversy and media speculation surrounding Rasmussen is bad for cycling,' McQuaid told AFP by telephone.

LOUDENVIELLE, France, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - World cycling chief Pat McQuaid said on Monday the controversy surrounding Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen is bad for the image of the sport.

However the International Cycling Union (UCI) president denied making declarations which suggested an eventual Tour de France triumph for the Dane would be negative for the sport.

'I did not say that, all I said was that all the controversy and media speculation surrounding Rasmussen is bad for cycling,' McQuaid told AFP by telephone.

LOUDENVIELLE, France, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - The controversy surrounding Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen is just like the Festina doping scandal of 1998 all over again, according to one 'gutted' French team manager.

Rasmussen and his team Rabobank have been under increasing pressure since the Danish Cycling Union (DCU) revealed he had been given formal warnings for missing two random doping controls this year.

PARIS, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - Saunier Duval rider David Millar has hit out at Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen, claiming in Monday`s L`Equipe newspaper that he had ruined the race.

Scotland`s time trial specialist, who came 20th in Saturday`s race against the clock, said Rasmussen`s failure to give notice to cycling authorities of his whereabouts for out-of-competition testing had spoiled things for the whole peloton.

THE HAGUE, July 22, 2007 (AFP) - Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen, whose domination of the yellow jersey has been accompanied by controversy over missed drugs tests, received a vote of confidence from his team sponsor on Sunday.

Dutch bank Rabobank, who bankroll Rasmussen`s team, insisted they were standing by the Danish cyclist.

'Of course, we are totally behind him,' said Rabobank spokesman Raymond Salet. 'There is no reason to doubt him.'

PLATEAU DE BEILLE, France, July 22, 2007 (AFP) - Another day in the mountains, and another step towards securing the fabled yellow jersey.

But Michael Rasmussen`s continued presence on the Tour de France, in the wake of damaging revelations that he has missed several random doping controls in the past two years, is starting to grate with some teams.

Rasmussen reinforced his grip on the race lead with another commanding climbing performance on the first of three days in the Pyrenees on Sunday.

However for some, his march towards victory is an affront.