Ullrich hits out at UCI

In a 43-minute long monologue announcing his decision to retire, Ullrich criticised the sport's governing body, as well as those who have spoken out against him as the saga rumbled on.

The affair, which broke on the eve of the Tour de France, led to Ullrich being suspended from the race, and ultimately to his sacking by the T-Mobile team.

"It was one of the darkest days of my career," he said. "When the news broke, I thought it was a nightmare. I was in my room on my exercise bike when I heard I was suspended. At that moment my sporting world collapsed. It was a massive shock that I still haven't quite come to terms with yet.

"To this day I don't understand how I and some of my colleagues were suspended."

Ullrich accused the UCI of an "over-reaction" to the case, and insisted that they reached premature conclusions regarding riders' implications in the scandal.

"The world governing body has shoved all the responsibility and the dirty work over to the national federations," he claimed.

"Apart from me, everybody has been acquitted. They are all riding again.

"But when somebody does actually get cleared, the UCI comes crawling out of their hole and refuses to accept it!

"I would have liked to be heard, just as was the case with (Ivan) Basso. Nobody rang me up, nobody wanted to speak with me. I couldn't give my opinions, and give my side of the story to the federations. I found that ridiculous."

Ullrich then turned his attentions to the Swiss federation, from which he withdrew his membership last October, claiming they were leading a media campaign against him.

He said: "For eight months now, the Swiss federation has been purporting to have exclusive material against me. It's being said that Jan Ullrich will be given a life suspension. But I ask myself, where is this material? And why has no trial been brought against me?"

Ullrich earlier this month submitted a DNA sample as requested by authorities in Bonn, though said he has no confidence in the Spanish authorities investigating the affair.

"The basis for the premature conclusions that have been drawn is a report that the UCI has obtained illegally from Spain. This report has been falsified several times, there are differing versions. Apart from that, certain people's own opinions and interpretations have gone into it. And the compilers of the report are now being legally investigated in Spain," he added.

Court proceedings are currently taking place in Bonn against Ullrich, though he insisted he was unable to say anything further regarding that, and once again protested his innocence.

He added: "A trial is taking place against me in Bonn. Anyone who has been through what I have been through in the last few months will understand that I can't comment on that.

"I have got nothing to be ashamed about, and have never cheated or deceived anyone in my career. And yet I still feel like a criminal."