June 5, 2007 — Jan Ullrich might be stripped of the gold and silver medals he won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics according to a report yesterday in the Australian. The report cites International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Jacques Rogge, as making the threat based on the recent doping confessions by Ullrich’s former team mates, including CSC team owner Bjarne Riis, who admitted that he took EPO when he won the 1996 TdF. Ullrich won the 1997 TdF.

Ullrich did not test positive for any banned substance during the Sydney Olympics, but Rogge maintains that Ullrich could be stripped of the medals if it is proven that he doped.

Ullrich won gold in the Sydney road race and silver in the time trial. Russia’s Viatcheslav Ekimov picked up the gold in the time trial and Lance Armstrong won the bronze.

A German doctor, Georg Huber, has admitted to supplying amateur cyclists with banned substances from 1980 to 1990. Huber was also team doctor to the German Olympic cycling team, but apparently not for the 2000 Sydney Games.

If Ullrich has to relinquish his Olympic medals, he might not be alone. In the same article, Australian scientist, Dr. Michael Ashenden, accuses Lance Armstrong of doping with EPO during his 1998 TdF victory.

Meanwhile, UCI anti-doping manager, Anne Gripper, was quoted recently in the Danish daily, Berlingske Tidendemade, suggesting that cyclists who confess to doping should be given some sort of amnesty. Her comments do not represent current UCI policy on this matter.