Cycling NewsThe former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich met in Bonn yesterday with T-Mobile management who sacked him and team-mate Oscar Sevilla 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The German has been implicated in a Spanish doping investigation and was withdrawn ahead of this year's Tour, which ended on Sunday.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 his innocence.

T-Mobile team spokesman Christian Frommert said yesterday: "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 freedom 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 our remit."

Earlier, 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.

"The sacking by T-Mobile is not acceptable for me," he said. "I am very disappointed that I was not informed personally of this decision, but only by fax.

"I find it shameful that we have worked so well together for so many years and then after all I have done for the team I have been treated like a fax number."

The former T-Mobile team sporting director Rudy Pevenage, Ullrich's long-term mentor, was dismissed earlier this month after his name was also linked to the investigation.