Continued doping scandals have some cycling sponsors backpedaling

"BRUSSELS, Belgium: Few big-time bankers get as excited by cycling as Piet van Schijndel. Then again, he has millions of dollars in sponsorship riding on races such as the Tour de France.

Perhaps Van Schijndel's best moment came one hot July afternoon during this past year's Tour when Michael Rasmussen zipped up his yellow jersey and crossed the finish of the 16th stage, arms outstretched, with "Rabobank" emblazoned on his chest.

The Dane had won the Tour's toughest Pyrenees stage for Rabobank — one of the biggest banks in the Netherlands — and appeared to have a lock on the title.

For any sponsor, this was gold dust. But this time, it turned out to be fool's gold.

"I saw him win the stage on the Aubisque mountain at 5 p.m., then at 8 p.m., I got this call," said Van Schijndel, an executive board member of Rabobank."