German national broadcasters ARD and ZDF announced Thursday that they will no longer broadcast the Tour de France live, according to dpa. "The sporting value of the Tour de France has been significantly reduced as a result of the numerous doping cases and the perceptions that have materialised," ARD chairman Fritz Raff said. ARD and Germany's other state broadcaster ZDF terminated their live broadcasts of the Tour last year after several doping cases. The statement to pull out of next year's race follows revelations that German rider Stephan Schumacher, Austrian Bernhard Kohl and Italy's Leonardo Piepoli tested positive for CERA, the third generation of the blood booster EPO, at the Tour de France in July. Kohl admitted Wednesday that he was guilty of doping during this year's Tour, where he finished third. Silence-Lotto, the Belgian team which Kohl was due to ride for in 2009 announced Thursday that was looking to cancel its three-year deal with the rider. "The directors are absolutely outraged, especially as Kohl was considered one of the new clean generation in the sport of cycling," said ARD spokesman Peter Meyer following the station's unanimous decision at a meeting in Cologne to cease live broadcasts. The ZDF immediately followed suit although both stations will continue to show short highlights for news purposes. "We won't broadcast the Tour de France without ARD," said chief editor Nikolaus Brender. Both stations will now discuss the legal implications of the move with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Last summer, the EBU signed a deal until 2011 with the Tour organizer ASO, which involved all its members, including ARD and ZDF. Eurosport, which broadcasts in 59 countries, is expected to continue with its coverage of the race despite the latest case.
