Dane says not enough time to try to get on Olympic team
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Denmark's Alex Rasmussen looks pretty pleased with the evening's progress(Image credit: Luc Claessen)
Alex Rasmussen (Denmark) approaches the line(Image credit: Shane Goss)
Alex Rasmussen (Garmin-Barracuda) took second in the sprint in the GP de Denain (Image credit: Fabrice Lambert)
Alex Rasmussen will not appeal the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision banning him for 18 months. He had hoped to still be able to ride in the 2012 London Olympics, but said that the time was just too tight for an appeal.
Earlier this month CAS gave him a retroactive 18-month ban for three violations of the whereabouts requirements. He was subsequently let go by his team, Garmin-Sharp. His attorney indicated that the decision might be appealed, but now the Dane has ruled that out. Rasmussen had expected to ride on the track for Denmark in London.
"If I could get to the Olympics, I would have appealed the judgment. The Olympics mean so much to me and we would certainly have won a medal," Rasmussen said, according to the Ritzau news agency.
Rasmussen was annoyed at CAS's delay in announcing its decision. Originally scheduled for June 15, it wasn't handed down until July 4.
"If they had come to the decision a month before. as they said they would, I could have done something. Now it came two days before the Olympic team was announced and then it is impossible to do anything," he said.
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