Rasmussen looks for team for Vuelta

Lance Armstrong isn't the only elder statesman looking at the pro peloton and thinking he can show those young types a thing or two. However, the cheers that accompanied Armstrong as he rolled off the ramp in Monaco probably won't be ringing in Michael Rasmussen's ears should he find a team for the Vuelta a España.

That's right: Rasmussen's two years are up. The Chicken was sensationally removed from the 2007 Tour de France after it transpired that he'd falsified the schedule that he'd sent to the UCI: when he was supposed to be in Mexico, he was spotted by former pro Davide Cassadi training in the Italian Dolomites. He was sacked by Rabobank and his tour ended on the day when he'd more or less secured the yellow jersey.

Later a two year ban, effective from 25 July – the day he was removed from the Tour – was imposed by the UCI. That ban ended three days ago and he finished second in the Designa Grandprix in Kjellerup yesterday on his first return to competition since the ban ended. the latest reports are that the Dane is looking for a team that'll give him a berth in the upcoming Vuelta a España. There's a few obstacles in the way of his return, not least the fact that, according to his Wikipedia entry, he's still in dispute with the UCI over the one years' salary fine for doping violations, which is unpaid.