Archive notice: This article was originally published on July 20, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
“We stopped live reporting on the Tour de France 2007 for good reasons. The Sinkewitz case is exemplary of professional cycling that was unable to dispel the suspicion that doping is apparently inherent in the system”, said the Deputy ARD Chairman and Director General of Bayerischer Rundfunk, Prof. Thomas Gruber. “Nevertheless, it should be emphasized: ARD’s decision not to exercise exclusive rights for live reporting does not mean that we will no longer report on the event. Rather, there will continue to be Tour coverage in the form of summaries on our First Channel, but also on ARD radio, in teletext and on ARD Online. We will therefore continue to fulfill our mandate and thus our journalistic duty. This will -especially in the light of current events- continue to take the issue of doping in cycling appropriately into view.”
As an example of reporting, Gruber cited the “Sportschau Extra” programme planned for this evening on the First Channel from 6:50 p.m. to 7:20 p.m., which will contain an analysis of the Rasmussen case, a report on today’s stage and a conversation with sports scientist Dr. Andreas Severin.
“The decision to withdraw from live reporting on the Tour de France 2007 takes account of the special situation of professional cycling and therefore does not constitute a precedent for live reporting of other sporting events or sports”, Gruber clarified.
