Cycling recovering, no thanks to Ullrich, says German federation head

By Susan Westemeyer

Cycling "is recovering its health. It is no longer in the Intensive Care Unit," said Rudolf Scharping, head of the German cycling federation BDR. "It's not only the ethics of the sport, but its economic survival," he told the press agency dpa.

Scharping sees no chance for Ullrich to represent Germany in the Olympic Games or World Championships in the future. "The future of cycling no longer depends on him," he said, according to the sid press agency. German cycling owes him a lot, but "you can't imagine how much cycling has been damaged by him." He also ruled out the possibility of Ullrich working with the federation after his active career. "Riders like Erik Zabel or Jens Voigt are much closer to us."

The former German defense Minister also noted that "What applies to the Tour de France, also applies to races in Germany: riders suspected of doping should not start." Thinking of the Tour of Deutschland, he said that if such riders should be nominated by their teams, then the courts must be called upon to act.