An email from the UCI, international cycling’s governing body, suggests that a case of mistaken identity may have barred Alex Rasmussen from his comeback at the Circuit de la Sarthe race in Le Mans on Monday. The Dane, who rides for the Garmin-Sharp team, was set to compete in France following his return from an 18-month ban for unknown whereabouts during a doping control. The email was sent by UCI president Pat McQuaid and indicates that tournament officials may have mistaken Rasmussen for a fellow Dane, Michael Rasmussen. The latter Rasmussen recently retired after admitting to years of doping. Tournament officials had initially claimed problems with Garmin-Sharp’s insurance for not allowing Alex Rasmussen to enter the race.
All out of luck
Last week on Monday, the country’s best known card player Gus Hansen, a three-time winner on the World Poker Tour, lost 1.4 million kroner in just under 24 hours in a cash game. Still, compared to his recent form, it was just another day, albeit an extremely bad one, at the office. So far this year, he has lost 16.7 million kroner, and in 2012, he lost a staggering 24 million kroner.
All out of Plock
Lars Walther has resigned as coach of Polish handball team Wisla Plock. The Dane’s resignation followed a loss to Danish team Tvis Holstebro in the EHF European Cup. The defeat marked the end of the European hopes of Plock, and also those of Walther renewing his contract, which was set to run out in 2014. Walther, who had been at Plock since 2010, was voted coach of the season two years ago.
All together at Canucks
Ice hockey right-winger Nicklas Jensen, 20, made his debut for the Vancouver Canucks on Monday in a 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks. Jensen was called up from a (farm team) feeder side due to an injury crisis. He joins Jannik Hansen, a fellow Dane who has played for the team since 2007, and his debut brings the number of Danish players in the NHL to eight.
Masters bid hits skids
Thorbjørn Olesen’s participation in the upcoming US Masters next week is in jeopardy following a car crash last week. Olesen was involved in a four-vehicle collision caused by a driver who fell asleep behind the wheel. The accident caused Olesen to pull out of the Shell Houston Open on doctors’ orders. Olesen is set to make his US Masters debut on April 11. Thomas Bjørn is also expected to compete.
