In October, Stefan Schumacher was acquitted of fraud charges when the Stuttgart state court ruled in his favour in the case against former Gerolsteiner manager Hans-Michael Holczer. Having been waiting for the ruling for five years, the German insists that the system needs to be changed.

In October, Stefan Schumacher could finally put a 5-year legal battle behind him when the Stuttgart state court ruled that he had not defrauded his former Gerolsteiner manager Hans-Michael Holczer when he used doping in his time with the team. With the ruling, Schumacher is no longer involved in any legal cases and can allow himself to look forward.

The case started when it was announced that Schumacher had tested positive for CERA at the 2008 Tour de France. He served a two-year suspension but continued to deny any wrongdoings for a long time.

In March, he confessed to doping with corticosteroids, EPO and growth hormone, and claimed that the team doctors were involved, and Holczer was well aware of what was going on. The court agreed with that assessment in their ruling.

Schumacher returned to competition with the Miche team and has since been racing with the Christina Watches team. However, he has been unable to find a team on a higher level and has been forced to ride in the continental ranks since coming back from suspension.

Schumacher is convinced that the lengthy legal battle has played a role in his difficulties in finding a new home and now insists that the system needs to be changed.

"Something has to be changed," he told dpa. "My case has shown that. My real punishment was five years. That is the scandal, that it has taken so long time.

"Two years suspension, three years legal battle - in that time there was no way back to a big team with such a story linked to me."

Schumacher insists that he has been riding clean since coming back to the sport and is now ready to get involved in the anti-doping fight.

"I can tell my story," he said. "I was very close to breaking down completely. If I hadn't had my dear ones, my family, my wife, then I would have collapsed completely. I know that. I have really looked into the precipice.

"Now I know that doping is not the right way to follow. It is not worth it. At some point, you will always be caught."

Schumacher won two time trials in the 2008 Tour de France.