Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich could rejoin Team Telekom after his doping ban ends next year.

The German cyclist tested positive for amphetamines in June while recovering from a knee injury and was suspended by the German Cycling Federation.

But his former team have offered him the chance to return to action when the ban finishes in January.

Team spokesman Olaf Ludwig said that Ullrich, who will be able to resume competing next March, had been given a contract for 2003.

Ullrich was believed to have been considering retirement after being out of action since last January because of a recurrent knee injury.

The team stopped Ullrich's salary after he failed the drugs test and his future remained unclear, but Ludwig said the team were now ready to have him back.

"We have presented Jan Ullrich and his manager Wolfgang Strohband with a new contract," Ludwig said.

"We have had no reply yet but we expect everything to be sorted out by next week," he added.