Ullrich said on his website Thursday that he was leaving Swiss Cycling because of what he called its ``slanderous attitude'' toward him.

``(This) doesn't mean that I am ending my career. There are contacts to other cycling federations about a licence for 2008,'' he said.

Ullrich _ who is from Germany _ lives in Switzerland and has been racing with a Swiss Cycling licence.

He won the Tour de France in 1997 and was a five-time runner-up to American Lance Armstrong. Ullrich was excluded from this year's race after being linked to a list of cyclists who allegedly had contact with a Spanish doctor accused of running a blood-doping clinic in Madrid.

Ullrich, who was fired by his German team T-Mobile, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. He has accused Swiss Cycling of waging a ``media campaign'' against him for months.