Cycling: Tour de France race director Christian Preudhomme has criticised the timing of the announcement to drop race leader Michael Rasmussen from Denmark's cycling team in a row over drug testing.
The Danish Cycling Union (DCU) claimed Tour leader Rasmussen, who rides for the Rabobank team, had been warned three times about failing to inform drug testers of his whereabouts.
Rasmussen will not be allowed to compete in either the Olympics or the World Championships because of the decision.
But Preudhomme has confirmed Rasmussen will contest stage 12 of the Tour, between Montpellier and Castres, today.
"Michael Rasmussen will start today, regardless of events," Preudhomme told a press conference.
Preudhomme is also unhappy about the timing of the announcement with the DCU originally taking the decision to punish Rasmussen at the end of June.
"We're asking ourselves why wait until July 19th, when Rasmussen is racing in the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, to disclose these details. Why not do it before the start of the Tour?" he continued.
"Michael Rasmussen raced in the Danish championships 48 hours after he received a warning from the UCI and at that time there were no problems. So we're wondering why is it only being made public now?"
Under International Cycling Union (UCI) rules athletes must inform the sport's governing body of their schedule in order for random drug tests to be carried out.
If a rider misses three tests in an 18-month period they will be deemed to have committed a doping violation and will face a two-year ban.
DCU director Jesper Worre said: "It has been decided that Michael will no longer be part of the national team."
He added on Danish TV station DR: "We've got information from both the UCI and Anti-Doping Denmark and we know that he received several warnings. It's confidential information."
Rasmussen responded by claiming he had only received one warning and blamed a postal delay.
"There must be someone at the top who doesn't wish me well," he said.