Denmark's Rasmussen admits to 12 years of doping

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish cyclist Michael Rasmussen on Thursday admitted to 12 years of doping after making a tell-all deal with anti-doping authorities.

Rasmussen said in a televised news conference that he took performance-enhancing drugs between 1998 and 2010, both before and after he served a suspension for evading doping controls.

In 2007, Rasmussen was kicked off the Tour de France by his team while leading the overall standings for lying about his whereabouts - information required under anti-doping regulations. He served a two-year suspension between 2007 and 2009.

The revelation comes after American Lance Armstrong earlier this month admitted he took performance-enhancing drugs during all his seven Tour de France victories, saying he was part of a doping culture in the sport.

(Reporting by Johan Ahlander; Editing by Clare Fallon)