February 14, 2007 (Hamburg, Germany) – A German court has ruled in Jan Ullrich’s favour yesterday against Werner Franke regarding a gag order related to Operacion Puerto reports the Associated Press. Franke, a German doping expert, claimed to have seen documents from the ongoing Operacion Puerto investigation that indicated that Ullrich had paid 35,000 Euros ($53,000 Cdn.) to Dr. Fuentes. Fuentes is alleged to have operated a Madrid clinic that dispensed performance-enhancing treatments to top athletes, including cyclists.

The court rejected Franke’s appeal – based on his freedom of speech – in favour of protecting Ullrich’s personal rights. The court also ruled that the Puerto investigation is not sufficiently advanced for Franke to make the kind of statements that he made.

Ullrich is presently under investigation in Spain, Germany and Switzerland for his role in Puerto, but has yet to be formerly charged with anything. Ullrich, 33, who won the 1997 Tour de France, was banned from the 2006 TdF because he was linked to Operacion Puerto.