Banned Ullrich admits to meeting Fuentes

Disgraced cyclist Jan Ullrich has admitted to having met Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who was at the centre of a blood doping ring, calling it a “massive mistake”.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday handed down a two-year ban on Ullrich for a blood doping offence, also annulling all of his results from May 1, 2005.

Ullrich, the former T-Mobile lead rider who won the 1997 Tour de France and retired in November 2007, was linked to the Operation Puerto scandal in 2006 after samples of his blood were found during a police raid on Fuentes.

“I confirm that I was in contact with Fuentes,” Ullrich said yester-day.

“I know it was a massive mistake and I regret it enormously. I want to say sorry to everybody.”

Ullrich said he had kept mum on Fuentes following legal advice.

“I had the impression that the whole world wanted me.

“So, I committed the mistake of not having publicly admitted (meeting Fuentes), but my hands were tied.

“On the advice of my lawyers, I kept my silence on the accusations,” he said.

Ullrich added that he would not appeal his two-year ban, saying he wanted “to turn the page”.

He also admitted: “If I was to re-do it, I would handle some parts of my career differently.”