Schumacher's "irregular" blood values due to diarrhoea

The German cycling federation (BDR) announced Monday that an intestinal infection was responsible for irregular blood values which were found in UCI World Road Championships bronze medal winner Stefan Schumacher before the event. The UCI and BDR emphasized that the problem was not due to any manipulation or doping.

The Gerolsteiner rider underwent an unannounced out-of-competition doping control by the German National Anti-Doping Agency on September 25 and an unannounced control by the UCI three days later. The results showed "irregularities in various parameters". Schumacher requested that further tests be made and the investigating doctors concluded that the problem was due to the diarrhoea from which the German rider was suffering.

All of the blood values were within the UCI's limits. "A removal from competition came at no time into consideration," BDR said.