Amid new Doping - German TV ARD and ZDF Suspend TV Coverage

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Amid new Doping - German TV ARD and ZDF Suspend TV Coverage

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ZDF on Thursday announced it was seeking financial redress from the organizers of the Tour de France for the lost revenue. "We bought the rights to a clean sporting event," Brender told the Berliner Zeitung when questioned about the move.

The German withdrawal came after it was announced that the "A" sample of a blood test taken from Patrik Sinkewitz following a pre-Tour training session in early June showed a sharply elevated testosterone level. Should the "B" sample confirm that result, he will be immediately fired from the T-Mobile team. Last year's Tour champion Floyd Landis remains under suspicion of doping after he was tested with raised testosterone levels following an impressive mountain-stage victory.

Sinkewitz is no longer racing in this year's Tour after he collided with a spectator earlier this week. The 26-year-old rider suffered a broken nose and other facial injuries in the crash and was reportedly having surgery on his jaw. When contacted by German news agency DPA on Wednesday, he didn't have much to say. "It's not possible," he said. "I know nothing about it. I am about to have surgery. I can't deal with it now."