Jan Ullrich News

The Tour de France begins Saturday in Monaco. The complex series of jerseys worn by riders can leave the casual viewer a bit confused by all the colors, so to help you sort them out we'll provide an easy to understand guide for the novice Tour de France viewer.

So exactly who is the leader of the most intimidating team at this year's Tour de France? Is it 26-year-old Alberto Contador, who will be wearing Astana's No.

Spanish ace Carlos Sastre faces the race of his life over the next 21 days if he is to become the first rider since seven-time champion Lance Armstrong to successfuly defend a Tour de France crown.

The Tour de France has been in rehab more times than Pete Doherty, but at Saturday's Grand Dpart in Monaco, the organisers are hoping for yet another fresh start.

In the first of several 2009 Tour de France previews, Felix Lowe looks at the main contenders for the white jersey.

HE IS AN American hero: a Tour de France winner who almost died and was written off, before staging one of the most remarkable comebacks in sporting history.

They may yet win the Tour de France. In fact, they probably will. But does any pro tour team carry a stranger aura than the Bruyneel's Faded Baby Blues? To wit: * Today La Gazetta carries an interview with Alberto Contador in which he describes Levi Leipheimer and Lance Armstrong as rivals.

The investigation into two former Freiburg University Clinic doctors at the centre of controversy surrounding alleged doping of T-Mobile riders has been extended to include four more practitioners.

Giro d'Italia 2009 - TTT Tech: Milram's Focus rigs, lined up and ready. Photo: Don Karle - VeloNews Milram's Focus Milram finished 10th in the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia on Saturday, a 20.5km team time trial, riding on two different models of SRAM-equipped German Focus TT bikes.

The Swiss federation's investigation of Jan Ullrich and his connection with Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes remains at a standstill.

Saxo Bank's Fabian Cancellara, reigning Olympic time trial champ and one of the best in the world against the clock, has been logging miles on an unknown S-Works labelled machine.

An expert committee has finished its two-year investigation into doping practices at a German hospital specializing in sports medicine.

Andreas Klöden and Matthias Kessler are said to have received blood transfusions at the Freiburg University Clinic after the start of the 2006 Tour de France, along with Patrik Sinkewitz. The German news magazine Spiegel reported Saturday that the independent commission looking into organized doping at Team T-Mobile/Telekom reached this conclusion in its not-yet released report.

Germany's former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich, who retired in 2007, could be set to return to competitive cycling as a team advisor, it was revealed on Sunday.

Rudy Pevenage, former mentor of Jan Ullrich and now sports director for American team Rock Racing, has spoken to Austrian media about his past and present work life, making interesting comments on doping in the sport. The Belgian, whose alleged involvement with Operación Puerto doctor Eufemiano Fuentes was never proved, said that many team directors used to know about doping opportunities via blood transfusion - and not only in Spain.

Zurich - Blood doping in Austria, and elsewhere, was an open secret in the cycling community, the former advisor of ex-Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich said in an interview published on Thursday.

Rain woke me up today as it beat against the shutters of my apartment. "I guess I won't be riding today," I thought.

Rudy Pevenage – the former Telekom sport director who’s now behind the wheel at Rock Racing – suggested there was more than one large-scale doping ring operating in Europe when the Operación Puerto scandal erupted in May 2006.

Rudy Pevenage, sports director for the American Continental Rock Racing Team, seems to be moving more and more into the team's management. On Thursday he said that Jan Ullrich may be joining the team as a PR advisor, but noted that the team desperately needs a new sponsor.

German rider Tony Martin, 23, has been hailed as the best rider his country has produced since Jan Ullrich. A strong time-trial rider and solid climber, he possesses the necessary keys to stage racing.