CYCLIST BANNED FOR DRUGS

FRANKFURT, Germany - The 1997 Tour de France champion, Jan Ullrich, was
banned from cycling for six months Tuesday after testing positive for
amphetamines.

Ullrich was given half the maximum suspension and was fined $1,400, the
German cycling federation said.

Although officially six months, Ullrich's ban expires March 24 to take into
account the winter offseason.

A three-person disciplinary panel decided to impose the minimum penalty
because it determined that Ullrich did not take the amphetamines to enhance
his performance.

Ullrich, also a four-time runner-up in the Tour de France, tested positive
for amphetamines in an unannounced out-of-competition test June 12.

Ullrich admitted this month that he took "two little pills" in a disco the
night before the test but denied taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Ullrich has been sidelined for most of the season with a knee injury and
was recovering from surgery when he was tested.

Officials from Ullrich's pro squad, Team Telekom, said they were uncertain
about the cycling star's future. "Right now, Jan doesn't know himself
whether he will come back as a cycling professional," Team Telekom chief
Walter Godefroot was quoted as saying in an interview with the German
sports news agency SID. "Jan has often said things without following them
with deeds. Let's wait and see how serious he is."