ARD chairman Lutz Marmor has said the German public-service broadcaster will make a decision over a possible return to live coverage of the Tour de France cycling race by the end of this year.
The SID news agency said the issue was discussed at an ARD directors meeting in Hannover, with program director Volker Herres adding: “At the Tour de France much progress has been made against doping in recent years.”
ARD and fellow public-service broadcaster ZDF stopped showing the race in 2012 after temporarily halting coverage during the 2007 Tour due to doping scandals in the sport.
But the impressive performances of German cyclists Marcel Kittel (pictured), Tony Martin and André Greipel in the 2014 Tour, plus efforts to clean up cycling’s doping problems, appear to be forcing a rethink.
Pan-regional broadcaster Eurosport provided live coverage of the 2014 Tour in Germany.