August 4, 2007 (Stuttgart, Germany) — The most recent indications are positive concerning the 2007 Road World Championships scheduled to take place in Stuttgart, September 25-30 as reported by AFP. The news agency quotes Susanne Eisenmann as confirming Stuttgart will host the 2007 Championships and that elected officials in the German city have faith in the anti-doping program put in place. Eisenmann is the president of the organizing committee for the championships. “Doping and dopers have no chance (in Stuttgart),” concludes Stuttgart mayor, Wolfgang Schuster.

As reported earlier, the German federal government froze some 150,000 Euros of the € 240,000 it promised for the event. While this is only a small portion of the event’s € 5.2 million ($7.54 million CDN) budget, it threatened to set off a domino effect, jeopardizing the € 800,000 that the Bade-Wurttemberg (state) government promised and the € 2.3 to 3 million promised by the Stuttgart municipal government.

Assured by promises from the UCI and the German cycling federation (BDR) that the games will be as clean as possible, the German federal government is now removing the freeze on the slated monies. Eisenmann indicates that there still are budget concerns: no private sponsors have dropped the Championships but that no new sponsors have signed on, either.

It is questionable whether Erik Zabel (Milram) can take part in the championships because of his admission to doping in 1996, thus precluding him from joining the German national team.