No doping case for Schumacher

By Susan Westemyer

Stefan Schumacher has nothing to fear from the Bund Deutsche Radfahrer (BDR - the German cycling federation) concerning the fact that he tested positive for amphetamines in a control by German police following an auto accident in October last year. On Monday evening the Gerolsteiner rider announced that a blood test following his accident on October 7 showed traces of amphetamines in his system.

Schumacher had been celebrating his third place finish in the World Championships and admitted to having driven his car while under the influence of alcohol, but denied having used any sort of drug.

After being informed of the case, the BDR reviewed the situation and deemed that there's no need for it to get involved in the matter. "[The BDR] came to the conclusion that it is not a doping case, because amphetamines are not on the World Anti-Doping Agency's 'out-of-competition' forbidden list," the federation said in a press release issued late Tuesday afternoon.

The BDR noted that Schumacher's last race for the 2007 season was the World Championship race in Stuttgart, Germany, and that he had a negative doping control after the road race on September 30. "That there was more than a week between the Worlds race and the police control after Schumacher's accident, it can be assumed that the amphetamine was not taken in connection with a race or in a preparation phase for a race," the BDR release continued. "There is therefore no violation of the doping rules."

Jan Ullrich was suspended for six months in 2002 after testing positive for an amphetamine, which was on the forbidden list at the time, however the rules were changed in 2004. Schumacher may still face civil charges or punishment by Team Gerolsteiner.