Ullrich: "I am shocked" ... Team wanted to quit in solidarity ...

[Serafino]

From the teams website:

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30.06.2006/ T-Mobile Jan Ullrich has issued his first public response to his suspension and exclusion from the Tour de France. "I am shocked,“ said Ullrich. "I still don't have anything to do with this affair.“

Earlier Christian Frommert, director of sport communication at T-Mobile International, again emphasised that there wasn't any clear evidence that Ullrich had used banned substances. "But we have good reason to doubt that he has told us the truth as far as his contact with Fuentes is concerned. That’s why we suspended him”, says Frommert. "Furthermore, we have confirmation from the A.S.O., that they would have taken action in case we hadn’t“. However, according to Frommert, Ullrich still has the chance to prove his innocence.

Ullrich see himself "as a victim. I was in peak form and now I could cry, because I have to head home“. The 32-year-old will now return to his home base in Switzerland, to get a few days of peace and quiet. "Together with my lawyers I will then set out to prove my innocence.“

Ullrich said that after the decision was made public, his team mates considered not racing the Tour de France out of solidarity with their captain. „But I told them to do it with a vengeance now. I want them to fight for me at the Tour“.

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[Ullefan]

I feel so sad for him, even if he was involved, he shouldn't have to bear the brunt of a problem much broader. Part of me still wants to believe him.

 

[Orla_24]

I feel so sad for him, even if he was involved, he shouldn't have to bear the brunt of a problem much broader. Part of me still wants to believe him.

I feel SO bad for him, there's a huge part of me that wants to believe him.

Basso, too.

If JU is indeed truthful, than he is a HUGE victim of it all, he is nearing the end of his career, and that would have been his year.

 

[tcklyde]

Ullrich could still be a hero in this: He could come clean and expose the doping problem that goes throughout the peloton. If he just hires lawyers and weakly protests like all the other riders then he'll be no better than any of the other cheaters and liars. Now is his chance to be honest and try to save the sport. I hope he does it.

 

[barnstorm]

Question about the Ullrich involvement. I know he signed a statement for his team declaring that he had no contact with Fuentes. If the report from today implicates him with Fuentes, the team has to take action. Good for Tmo for being so strong on this.

What I never heard is what did the report actually say about Ullrich being involved? Surely Tmo needed more than "Son of Rudy" to take their whole team out of the tour but I haven't read what the evidence was.

If Jan had contact with Fuentes, AND the contact was legal and didn't involve PED, then he made a huge mistake lying to his team. He should have dealt with the issue right then and there.

 

[bobke]

Question about the Ullrich involvement. I know he signed a statement for his team declaring that he had no contact with Fuentes. If the report from today implicates him with Fuentes, the team has to take action. Good for Tmo for being so strong on this.

What I never heard is what did the report actually say about Ullrich being involved? Surely Tmo needed more than "Son of Rudy" to take their whole team out of the tour but I haven't read what the evidence was.

If Jan had contact with Fuentes, AND the contact was legal and didn't involve PED, then he made a huge mistake lying to his team. He should have dealt with the issue right then and there.

Julich explained in an interview. The riders havent been given the report. The team owners/leaders have. T-Mob was unequivocal that Ullrich's denial was flatly contradicted by the report they were given.

Basso's situation sounds murkier.

Bobby stands behind Basso:

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/tdf2006/news/story?id=2505640

 

[The Argonut]

Question about the Ullrich involvement. I know he signed a statement for his team declaring that he had no contact with Fuentes. If the report from today implicates him with Fuentes, the team has to take action. Good for Tmo for being so strong on this.

What I never heard is what did the report actually say about Ullrich being involved? Surely Tmo needed more than "Son of Rudy" to take their whole team out of the tour but I haven't read what the evidence was.

If Jan had contact with Fuentes, AND the contact was legal and didn't involve PED, then he made a huge mistake lying to his team. He should have dealt with the issue right then and there.

To add to this point, I read in El Pais today, that JU's contract with TMO has a clause allowing TMO to release him (and I'm guessing any team member) in case of any suspicion of activities that may be harmful to TMO and the T-Mobile brand. He knew the rules... These are the just consequences that arise from bad decisions.

 

[wolfix]

From what I have gathered TM suspended JU because of the paper and his lying about contact with the doctor. They say there is evidence connecting him to the doctor. But they have said nothing about doping. But has everyone noticed that the riders are all claiming they have never met the doctor, know the doctor , etc......??? Has any of the riders denied being part of doping though?
This whole thing is strange...... Riis comes out and is confident that Basso needs to go, TM does not question the connection and codenames.
The really stange part was that Pantani's name was there.
I think the teams at the meetings were adised to keep quiet about what was discussed. I get the feeking that they have strong evidence. And it was reported that they have tested the bloodbags with last years TDF blood. In Jan's case, because it was 3 bags found with "Jan"on them , there should be strong evidence one way or another......

 

[Mansmind]

From what I have gathered TM suspended JU because of the paper and his lying about contact with the doctor. They say there is evidence connecting him to the doctor. But they have said nothing about doping. But has everyone noticed that the riders are all claiming they have never met the doctor, know the doctor , etc......??? Has any of the riders denied being part of doping though?
This whole thing is strange...... Riis comes out and is confident that Basso needs to go, TM does not question the connection and codenames.
The really stange part was that Pantani's name was there.
I think the teams at the meetings were adised to keep quiet about what was discussed. I get the feeking that they have strong evidence. And it was reported that they have tested the bloodbags with last years TDF blood. In Jan's case, because it was 3 bags found with "Jan"on them , there should be strong evidence one way or another......

I'm like you in that there must be strong evidence we haven't heard. They've taken some relatively definite steps in comparison with steps taken in the past. I can't believe they would do that lightly.

 

[sydsyd]

And it was reported that they have tested the bloodbags with last years TDF blood. In Jan's case, because it was 3 bags found with "Jan"on them , there should be strong evidence one way or another......

So, I'm wondering how they got the blood from last year's TDF tests. Were the riders notified? Did they give consent? I'm just thinking of all the hullaballoo about the testing of LA's urine sample from '99 and lack of consent and confidentiality issues...amongst other problems.

 

[lwedge]

So, I'm wondering how they got the blood from last year's TDF tests. Were the riders notified? Did they give consent? I'm just thinking of all the hullaballoo about the testing of LA's urine sample from '99 and lack of consent and confidentiality issues...amongst other problems.

Consent won't be an issue and the testing is under the contol of the investigation team and the world is watching.....

 

[Orla_24]

If the team managers got to see the entire thing, I really don't understand how the riders and the public didn't get to see it, I feel it's their (and our) right. It's going to be out in a day or two anyway, someone in one of the teams is BOUND to blab.

 

[rockinchair]

TMO suspended Ulle not because his blood was compared! in the evening the TMO press officer said again that these are not doping cases yet. They suspended them because they don't have any doubt Ulle, Sevilla and Rudy had contact to Fuentes. As a result they obviously lied when signing a statement some days before. TMO doesn't know more and they explicitly repeated the information that was handed out (40 page fax) did not procure evidence that they doped, but they do know about phone calls at least, as far as I know the Spanish police handed out transcripts. Of course they didn't phone Fuentes just for fun...

 

[rockinchair]

If the team managers got to see the entire thing, I really don't understand how the riders and the public didn't get to see it, I feel it's their (and our) right. It's going to be out in a day or two anyway, someone in one of the teams is BOUND to blab.

I don't think the Spanish police is allowed to reveal the information to the public, because their final report isn't finished. As far as I know they made an exception for Prudhomme and LeBlanc, but obviously the Spanish police doesn't seem to be that credible if many documents are handed out to a newspaper. I bet this isn't in accordance with the law as well, but this let us hope we get to know more details soon in this Spanish newspaper.

 

[dexjava]

Ullrich could still be a hero in this: He could come clean and expose the doping problem that goes throughout the peloton. If he just hires lawyers and weakly protests like all the other riders then he'll be no better than any of the other cheaters and liars. Now is his chance to be honest and try to save the sport. I hope he does it.

Who better to do this than Jan? He has always commanded such enormous respect. Now he's caught. He can show that he is still a bigger man the the rest.

Der Kaiser to win the tour again? No...that dream is over. Der Kaiser to save the sport of cycling? I hope so. I don't think he will stand up, but god it would be refreshing.

 

[bobke]

Who better to

MODERATED : LAST WARNING BOBKE :

 

[sydsyd]

The fact that he did it? What fact? Until the facts of the case are released and all parties have presented their evidence, how do we know what really happened?

 

[bobke]

The fact that he did it? What fact? Until the facts of the case are released and all parties have presented their evidence, how do we know what really happened?

T-Mobile kicked him out and Rudy and Sevilla for LYING to them, that would be his boss, his employer.
Any questions?

 

[dexjava]

MODERATED

I certainly wasn't one of the people to jump on Lance. In my eyes all the charges against him have been proven to be too shady to put any trust in. I don't know if he doped or not, but there sure as hell isn't any credible evidence against him.

As far as Jan, I never said he was a Saint. I'm saying that if he were to come out and admit he doped and spill his guts about what the other guys were doing, it would do a lot for the sport. He would be setting a far better example than the hamilton's and the heras's who will deny and make up crazy stories till the day they die. Jan has a huge name in cycling. At this point it would be refreshing to see him use it for some good.

 

[wolfix]

So, I'm wondering how they got the blood from last year's TDF tests. Were the riders notified? Did they give consent? I'm just thinking of all the hullaballoo about the testing of LA's urine sample from '99 and lack of consent and confidentiality issues...amongst other problems.

Consent isn't needed to gather the blood from the year before TDF's supply. This case has nothing to do with cycling. It is a criminal investigation.

LA 's case was not criminal. WADA had a code that they were to live by. WADA broke that code. It was written in the mission statement of WADA that confidentialty was granted.

In this case the police are investigating criminal activity. {of the doctors, not the riders}

Except Basso could face Fraud charges like Pantani did if it is proven he doped in the Giro. Italian laws are really strict.