Ullrich gets six-month ban

Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich has been suspended for six months following his failed drugs test.

The German tested positive for amphetamine on June 12, and his sentence was today delivered by the legal committee of the German Cycling Federation.

Ullrich admitted taking the illegal substance for personal use during his rehabilitation from knee surgery.

The Deutsche Telekom rider claimed he took the drug because he was depressed by his injury situation.

Ullrich could face further punishment, with the courts in Munich opening an investigation into the matter for ‘‘infringement of the law regarding narcotics’’.

This is a further blow for Ullrich, considered the main rival to three-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong, and he will now face an even bigger battle to return to former glories.