German cyclist Jan Ullrich has been suspended by his racing team from the upcoming Tour de France after his name surfaced in a doping scandal in Spain.
A spokesman for the T-Mobile team announced the 1997 Tour de France winner's suspension Friday morning. Teammate Oscar Sevilla and team manager Rudy Pevenage were also suspended by the T-Mobile team.
The three are among more than 50 people allegedly linked to a Spanish doctor who is the central figure in a doping probe. Spanish cycling teams Astana-Wurth and Communidad Valenciana have been implicated in the probe. Communidad Valenciana had its invitation to participate in the Tour rescinded.
Italian racer Ivan Basso has been suspended by his team, CSC, from the race after his name also surfaced in the investigation.
The cases could potentially turn into the biggest doping scandal to hit the Tour de France since 1998.
