Swiss cycling authorities confirmed on Tuesday that former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich is facing renewed anti doping proceedings after new evidence was gathered.
Formal disciplinary proceedings were launched against the German in the Swiss Olympic committee’s anti-doping chamber about two weeks ago, Swiss Cycling federation director Viktor Andermatt told AFP, confirming a nespaper report.
”The disciplinary commission is now dealing with the Ullrich case,” he said. ”It was two weeks ago. They have received some more information.”
However, he was unable to give details on the case against the cyclist, who was a Swiss licence holder because of his residence.
Swiss anti-doping foundation expert Bernard Welten told the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung that the proceedings were ”necessary and justified.”
Ullrich, now 35, was suspended for six months for taking amphetamines in 2002.
He won the 1997 Tour de France and was a multiple runner-up behind American seven-time winner Lance Armstrong.
Ullrich was later thrown out of his team T-Mobile in 2006 amid suspicions that he was involved in the Spanish ”Puerto” doping network and he subsequently retired from the sport.
In the absence of a positive drugs test, Swiss anti-doping officials said three years ago that they were unable to pursue their case against Ullrich because of legal obstacles in using other evidence from Spain, and suspended their bid for disciplinary proceedings.
However, several officials had vowed to pursue the search for usable evidence.
”It’s good for us and for the sport to find the truth,” Andermatt said.
”It’s a matter of principle, ethics, that are important for cycling and we can’t leave the case without a result,” he explained. — AFP
