http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14026397/


Jan Ullrich is looking for a new team so he can end his career with a Tour de
France victory next year.

The German rider, who was barred from the Tour de France and fired by his
T-Mobile team in a doping scandal, told the Swiss daily Blick on Tuesday that he
was in contact with Lance Armstrong's Discovery Channel team but that no
concrete agreement had been reached.

"I have always said, 'I will finish with a Tour victory,"' Ullrich said.
"Unfortunately, this year I was prevented from doing so. That's why I will try
to add another year."

Ullrich, who won the 1997 Tour and was runner-up five times behind the
seven-time winner Armstrong, was considered a leading contender for this year's
Tour. He was forced out on the eve of the race because of his links to a Spanish
doping investigation.

Ullrich was fired by T-Mobile, which said he had failed to prove his innocence.

Ullrich's name turned up on a list of 56 cyclists who allegedly had contact with
Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes. Cyclists allegedly went to his Madrid clinic
to have blood extracted for doping or to collect performance-enhancing drugs.
Ullrich has denied wrongdoing.

Ullrich met in Bonn on Tuesday with T-Mobile management who sacked him last
week.

The German has been implicated in a Spanish doping investigation and was
withdrawn ahead of this year's Tour which ended on Sunday. He has consistently
protested innocence.

T-Mobile team spokesman Christian Frommert said on Tuesday: "There were talks in
Bonn, the lawyers met. It was a very good and constructive meeting.

"We agreed to not comment on the content. We fixed the date for the next
meeting. There is no agreement yet but it was constructive and there will be
more meetings."

He added: "(Jan's ability to sign with another team) depends on the outcome of
these meetings. He was dismissed, now it is a question of what comes out of
these meetings.

"Once it is cleared up then of course other teams can make him an offer but the
question is whether from a sports law point of view he can ride. That is outside
of our remit."

Earlier, in an interview with Swiss tabloid newspaper Blick, the German rider
maintained his innocence and said he refused to accept his sacking.

"I do not accept the termination of my contract because in my opinion there is
no reason for it," Ullrich said. "I expected more support from the team.

"I have never cheated another rider in my whole career. That is a fact. This
year I have undergone 11 unannounced doping tests in training and countless
out-of-competition tests, all of which were negative."

Leipheimer joins Discovery Channel
Levi Leipheimer will leave Team Gerolsteiner at the end of the season and sign
for Discovery Channel, according to Gerolsteiner bike sponsor Specialized.

"My best results, wins at the Tour of Germany and Dauphiné Libéré, happened on
my S-Works Tarmac SL, but Discovery (Channel) made me an offer I could not
refuse," Leipheimer said.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]