Rasmussen unhappy with special treatment of Basso

By Katharina Schulz

Danish climber Michael Rasmussen, who is recovering from a broken femur during the crash in the Giro dell'Emilia, is unhappy with the fact that Ivan Basso is going to ride for Discovery Channel next season.

Basso parted company with his former team, CSC, following serious doping allegations in the wake of Operación Puerto. Basso then signed a two-year contract with the American team even though all ProTour teams had previously agreed not to sign riders who are under suspicion.

"It is irritating that the legal aspects are unsolved, and that the gentleman's agreement that all ProTour-teams have consented to is circumvented as soon as a prominent rider is involved who also has the potential to win the Tour de France. It is irritating that not everyone has equal rights," Rasmussen told the Danish TV station DR.