Ullrich targets Tour revenge

Ullrich (left) was second in the Tour to Armstrong (c)

Germany's Jan Ullrich has not given up hope of beating arch-rival Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France.

The 28-year-old cyclist said Armstrong, who has secured a hat-trick of Tour wins in the last three years, is not unbeatable.

The 1997 champion and runner-up in the last two Tours told a German newspaper that he feels he can win cycling's premier event once again.

"I can still improve and I'm not giving up.

"I will never say that I will not win the Tour as long as Lance is around," Ullrich said.

Ullrich won the Tour in 1997

"If I thought that, I'd better stop. I want to win the Tour again."

Ullrich is under investigation in connection with a doping scandal at this year's Giro d'Italia race.

But he again denied had used banned drugs.

"I have done nothing wrong," he said.

Ullrich's Deutsche Telekom team say he was using an asthma cure with the permission of the International Cycling Union (UCI).

Italian prosecutors have notified 84 riders, including Ullrich, that they are being investigated after raids by drug squad officers at team hotels in the final stages of the Giro in June.