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Stapleton was pleased that the UCI acted so quickly: "This is an important step for both our team and the ProTour. The
UCI immediately recognized the value that T-Mobile brings to cycling and respects the team management's commitment to clean
and fair sport. We are making good progress as a team and are happy for this important validation", said Stapleton, who also
praised the sponsor T-Mobile for its support.
"By granting the license, the UCI is laying down a marker. In response,
we will continue to actively contribute to the battle against doping, in order to give the sport of cycling back its credibility",
says Ulli Gritzuhn, T-Mobile International's chief marketing officer.
According to Gritzuhn, Bob Stapleton not only
enjoys the full confidence of the T-Mobile board, but his straightforward manner has, in a short space of time, earned him
the respect of the professional cycling world. "We are sure that with Stapleton and Rolf Aldag on board we can successfully
push through the restructuring of the T-Mobile Team", Gritzuhn added.
As Stapleton stressed, the license grant is
"a first step in the ongoing restructuring of the team". The ProTour license provides the necessary security to plan ahead
and makes the job easier for the team management.
Head of sport management and former T-Mobile pro Rolf Aldag also
welcomed the news from the UCI-headquarter in Aigle. "Now armed with the license, we can approach contract talks with riders
very differently. I'm convinced that we are assembling a strong team, capable of meeting our expectations, and not just on
the bike".
At the end of July, team sponsor T-Mobile International announced that its working relationship with Olaf
Ludwig Cycling (OLC) GmbH was set to end by October 31, but said it would continue its sponsoring engagement, as planned,
with a new management regime and clear guidelines
The UCI also extended the licence for Alejandro Valverde's Spanish
Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears team.
The conflict about the immediate termination of Jan Ullrich's contract with T-Mobile has been settled. In a statement,
published on Jan Ullrich's website it says that both parties reached an agreement but won't comment about it's details. In
the statement it is also written that despite media reports were it was published that Ullrich accepted his dismissal,
Jan Ullrich does not accept the terminationation of the contract.
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