A license for Ullrich in 2007?

By Susan Westemeyer

"If Ullrich applies for a license, he'll get one," said Lorenz Schläfli, director of Swiss Cycling, the Swiss national federation. "If he has a team,Ullrich will be able to ride." Schläfli criticized the slowness of the process. "Nothing is happening," he said. More than four weeks ago he sent the documents he had received in the Ullrich-Fuentes case back to the UCI, because they were not certified as to conform with the originals. "Since then, I have heard nothing. I need certified documents for a disciplinary hearing or a trial. That's the way Swiss law is. But nothing is happening. If the UCI doesn't help us, then the case will be closed. At the moment we have no doping case in Switzerland and there are no investigations into riders with Swiss licenses."

If that is good news for Ullrich, then he also received bad news on Wednesday. Sportfive Agency has cancelled its marketing of Ullrich, according to the trade magazine, W&V. The agency had signed a marketing contract with him in April of this year, but is cancelling it because of the doping charges. In addition, his largest private sponsor, the Swiss clockmaker IWC, will not renew its contract with Ullrich which expires at the end of this year, the magazine reported.

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April 1, 2009 - Valverde: Italy requests two-year suspension
March 13, 2009 - Le Monde newspaper hit with fine over Puerto allegations
March 2, 2009 - WADA president Fahey asks for Puerto evidence
February 24, 2009 - Spanish federation seeks access to Puerto blood bags
February 20, 2009 - CONI considers Valverde case while UCI awaits verdict
February 19, 2009 - Valverde under criminal investigation
February 11, 2009 - Valverde summonsed for Operación Puerto in Italy
February 8, 2009 - Eight charged in Operación Puerto