Stefan Schumacher (R) and lawyer Michael Lehner after the first CAS hearing for his positive in the Olympics in July, 2009.(Image credit: AFP Photo)
Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner)(Image credit: Stephen McMahon)
Stefan Schumacher (Germany) kits up to go pre-ride the course.
Stefan Schumacher has signed a contract with the Miche team and will make his comeback to racing at the Giro del Veneto on August 28. The German rider was suspended for two years after testing positive for CERA at the 2008 Tour de France. It is understood that his contract with Miche will run until the end of the season, with the option of an extension for 2011.
“I’m just interested in getting back to racing,” Schumacher said. “I must get back up to the speed of racing as quickly as possible and I want to show myself in the races that will take place in Autumn, for myself and to thank the people who still believe in me."
Schumacher was targeted for testing for CERA by the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) at the 2008 Tour de France. He had previously returned a positive test for norpseudoephedrine in 2005 but was subsequently cleared of wrongdoing by the German federation, while in 2007 traces of amphetamine were discovered in a blood sample he gave to German police after a car accident.
Schumacher has maintained his innocence throughout his suspension and last month refused to discuss his past in an interview with German news agency Sid, saying “I won’t address that theme anymore.”
Michael Rasmussen rode for the Miche team earlier in the season until his contract was terminated by mutual agreement in mid-April. The Dane had himself recently returned to racing after a two-year suspension.
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Barry Ryan was Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.
