Deutschland Tour cancelled in wake of doping scandals

Continuing a grim day for German road cycling fans, organizers cancelled the Deutschland Tour for 2009. After losing a major sponsor, organizers said they would not be able to market the race to sponsors well enough to fund the race after the recent round of positive doping tests and the retreat of television broadcaster ARD.

German cycling was dealt a double blow with the test results this week and last week of Team Gerolosteiner riders Bernard Kohl and Stefan Schumacher, both of whom tested positive for EPO CERA for samples taken during the Tour de France.

"It's news that does not surprise us entirely," said a UCI spokesperson to the AFP in response to the cancellation of the ProTour race. "It must reflect the middle position of cycling."

"The UCI continues to hope that with all of its efforts to fight against doping, we will be soon be able to re-create conditions in which cycling can be popular again with sponsors, the media and the public in Germany."

The 2008 Deutschland Tour was won by Germany's Linus Gerdemann (Team Columbia).