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Could two of cycling's biggest rivals be joining forces?


In an interview with Swiss tabloid newspaper Blick, Jan Ullrich said he has had informal talks with Lance Armstrong's Discovery team, but that no formal agreement was made.




Ullrich
The comments came on the same day Ullrich met with T-Mobile management, the same group that fired the German rider last week via fax after he was banned from this year's Tour de France for being implicated in a Spanish doping probe. Ullrich has protested his innocence since the ban was handed down.


"I have always said I will finish with a Tour victory," Ullrichtold Blick. "Unfortunately, this year I was prevented from doing so. That's why I will try to add another year."


If Ullrich signed on with Discovery, it would indirectly pair two of cycling's biggest rivals. Armstrong has been long credited as being the foil in Ullrich's Tour de France plans as the German has finished second overall to the American five times in the last seven years.


Whether Ullrich signs with Discovery, or any other team for that matter, weighs on his meetings with T-Mobile.

T-Mobile team spokesman Christian Frommert said Tuesday: "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 ability 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 of our remit."


Information from Reuters was used in this report.