Team Tinkoff's Jörg Jaksche won the fifth stage of the Circuit de Lorraine on Sunday, giving him the event's overall victory. But a lot of observers were surprised to see the German rider racing for the Italian squad at all, as the last word on him was that his team had suspended him indefinitely before the start of the Giro d'Italia.
On May 9, the team announced that Jaksche and Tyler Hamilton would not ride the Giro "due to the new circumstances and decisions made public in the last few days", meaning the latest revelations in the Operacion Puerto doping scandal.
The press release went on to state that "The management of the team also decided to suspend the two riders from the team until the competent authorities will have finally sorted out all the implications of the riders in 'Operacion Puerto.'"
Tinkoff has since declared that Jaksche was allowed to contest the Circuit de Lorraine at the discretion of the event's organisers and will continue on a race-by-race basis requiring similar approval from organisers.
"It was possible for him to compete after the acceptance from the organiser but the team has absolutely not changed its line after the precautionary suspension of the German and that of American Tyler," read a release from the Oleg Tinkov owned team.
The squad declared that it sidelined the two riders initially to not create trouble and 'go along with the ProTour' on the eve of 2007's first GrandTour - the Giro d'Italia.
"In regards to Tyler Hamilton, we are working with his manager to find a contract agreement that is good for both sides," added the release.
