April 15, 2008 (Bonn, Germany) — Jan Ullrich (formerly T-Mobile) has made an out-of-court settlement with the German prosecutor reports AFP. Ullrich, the only German ever to have won the Tour de France, was under investigation for fraud. This was in connection to Ullrich’s alleged doping but doping infractions themselves are not a criminal charge in Germany. Ullrich agreed to make a payment to an unspecified charity as part of the settlement. The prosecutor’s office did not indicate the exact amount that Ullrich will pay, but did reveal that it was in the six figures, that is between 100,000 and one-million euros ($160,000 to $1,600,000 CDN). In exchange, Ullrich has made no admission of guilt.

This is the conclusion of a 21-month investigation into charges that Ullrich was a client of Dr Eufemiano Fuentes, the man at the centre of the “Operacion Puerto” doping investigation. The prosecutor indicated that there is proof that Ullrich doped, but that the cyclist has already suffered, having put an end to his cycling career, foregone his salary, paid considerable legal costs, and ended up with a stained reputation. The prosecutor also indicated that fraud charges might be inappropriate if doping was widespread in procycling at the time (Ullrich raced pro from 1995 to 2006).

“My wife and I are glad that this procedure is finally over,” writes Ullrich in German on his website. “But even after the conclusion of the fraud allegations, there is still speculation about me. I have never in my whole career defrauded or caused damage to anyone. I was always a fair sportsman”¦My success is the result of hard work and my passion for sports – and I am very proud of my long and successful career. [This settlement] now gives me the opportunity for me to look to my future and to new professional challenges.”

Unfortunately for the 34 year-old, there are three other legal cases to be dealt with. The first involves a civil procedure launched by German anti-doping crusader, Werner Franke. The second is a disciplinary procedure by the Swiss cycling federation (although a German citizen, Ullrich raced with a Swiss license) and the third is an investigation of the Freiburg University clinic where Ullrich and other T-Mobile cyclists allegedly doped.

Meanwhile, a Spanish judge has refused a request from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to hand over bags of blood seized during the Puerto investigation according to Reuters. The sports daily, Marca, published Judge Antonio Serrano’s explanation that the CAS is “a private association and therefore not subject to agreements allowing the sharing of legal evidence in the European Union.” The CAS request was related to an appeal by both the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the UCI against the Spanish cycling federation. The case concerns Spanish cyclist, Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne).

For more on this story…
Reuters
Deutsche Welle article (in English)
AFP (French)
Ullrich’s website(German)