Former Rabobank riders asked to testity in Vienna

Former Rabobank riders Thomas Dekker and Michael Boogerd have both been invited to Vienna to voluntarily testify in the Human Plasma blood centre doping investigation. Although their lawyer originally said that both would go to Vienna within the next two months as witnesses, not suspects, it now appears that neither will attend.

"I want to contribute to the cause, but think it is too much to go to Vienna for an affair with which I have nothing to do," Boogerd told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. He indicated that he would be happy to provide his testimony by telephone or in writing. Boogerd, 37, rode for Rabobank from 1996 until his retirement after the 2007 season.

Dekker's comment was even shorter. "I have never been in Vienna."

Dekker, 24, left Rabobank last August and rode with team Silence-Lotto this season. He was put on the inactive list earlier this month after the disclosure of a positive test for blood booster EPO in December 2007.

Former Rabobank rider Michael Rasmussen is expected to testify next month before the authorities in Vienna. He wore the yellow jersey at the 2007 Tour de France until the team asked him to leave after problems with his whereabouts were revealed.

Tuesday evening, Rabobank announced that Denis Menchov, Joost Posthuma and Pieter Weening had testified voluntarily last month.