Swiss ready to move quickly on Ullrich case

Prof. Gerhard Walter, head of the disciplinary committee of the Swiss Olympic Committee, is waiting for the investigation material from the Spanish police and Operation Puerto concerning Jan Ullrich, who rides with a Swiss license.

Walter told Bild that if charges are raised against Ullrich, "it can all go very quickly. I would try to have the process finished within three to four weeks."

Ullrich claims that there are no grounds for a process, and that his guilt must first be proven. "That is nonsense," Walter said in Bild. "The presumption of innocence applies for those in normal courts. But we are dealing with a disciplinary procedure. The WADA code applies, and the athlete must prove his case. One could draw conclusions from Ullrich's reluctance to work with us."

German lawyer Michael Lehner, who has appeared on behalf of Danilo Hondo, said in Bild, "Ullrich's guilt must be proved. But it will be difficult to find evidence." He also does not see that Ullrich could be forced to take a DNA test. "In Germany, after hefty political and ethical discussion, the DNA test has been approved only for murder or other serious crimes. Doping does not belong to that category."