German Public Broadcaster ARD Decides To Bring Back Tour De France In '15

German public broadcaster ARD "has reportedly decided to show the Tour de France live this year after a several-year hiatus," according to SPIEGEL ONLINE. The broadcaster is expected "to officially announce the Tour's comeback this week." After several doping scandals, public broadcasters ARD and ZDF "decided to drop the race from their programs in '12." ARD will cover this year's Tour -- "without partner ZDF and very cautiously." The public broadcaster reportedly acquired the rights for two years and paid less than €5M ($6M), according to insider information. Between '09-11, ARD and ZDF paid around €20M for the rights, but "a decline in ratings and doping scandals have reduced the costs." The contract "also includes a doping clause, which allows ARD to end its coverage in case of new scandals" (SPIEGEL ONLINE, 4/1).