Elk Haus can stay in Deutschland tour

By Susan Westemeyer

Team Elk Haus Simplon will be allowed to ride the Deutschland Tour to the end, since a court in Hamburg, Germany, postponed a further hearing on its preliminary injunction against the race organizers. The court put the hearing off until Monday, at which time the race will be over.

The tour revoked Elk Haus wild-card invitation last week, saying the team had not complied with all the paperwork requirements, including submitting the required signatures to the UCI's Code of Ethics. The Austrian Professional Continental team went to court and obtained a preliminary injunction, which allowed it to start.

The judge on Wednesday noted that the signed code of ethics statements have since been submitted and suggested that the two sides reach a settlement. The attorneys for the Tour rejected this, according to the press agency dpa, saying it was important that its believability be maintained. The judge's final decision is now due on August 20. The race ends on August 18.