Short introduction

Jan Ullrich is one of the maximum a success racing cyclists Germany has ever produced. He turned into the primary and thus far the best German to win the Tour de France. With a resting coronary heart price of 30 to 35, a lung quantity of 6 liters and a coronary heart length of 1200 milliliters, he turned into taken into consideration a small sports activities remedy miracle and expertise of the century.

The reality that Ullrich gained the Tour de France best as soon as turned into due now no longer least to his American rival Lance Armstrong, whose victories had been eventually revoked because of doping.

However, in the direction of the give up of his profession, Ullrich turned into himself centered through the doping investigators while his call turned into discovered at the listing of clients of the Spanish doping physician Eufemiano Fuentes. Ullrich later made a partial confession. However, he turned into allowed to preserve his Tour de France title.

After the give up of his profession, Ullrich persisted to attract interest to himself with terrible headlines associated with alcohol and drugs.

Early life

Jan Ullrich turned into born in Rostock, in which he grew up in tough own circle of relatives relationships. His father turned into a violent drinker who left the own circle of relatives while Ullrich turned into ten years old.

The climb that Ullrich made as a bicycle owner is all of the greater remarkable. At simply 9 years old, he controlled to win a motorcycle race prepared through his faculty. A 12 months later, he gained his first race for the SG Dynamo Rostock.

Through similarly successes, the GDR aggressive sports activities gadget eventually have become privy to Ullrich, which promoted him particularly and made it feasible to exchange to the children’s and adolescents sports activities faculty of SC Dynamo Berlin. In 1987 he gained the GDR scholar championship withinside the quad, in 1988 the GDR adolescents championship in avenue biking and in 1990 the GDR adolescents championship in factor biking.

After reunification, Ullrich moved to the west, in which he celebrated his first successes as an amateur, consisting of the general World Cup for amateurs, the biking Bundesliga and excursion victories at the Czech Bohemia Tour and the Australian Pacific Power Commonwealth Bank Cycle Classic. In 1993 he turned into additionally voted German “Cyclist of the Year”

Career

In 1996, Jan Ullrich signed his first expert agreement with Team Telekom. On his first Tour de France in 1996, Ullrich executed his first level win withinside the time trial. In the general standings, he completed 2nd in the back of his Danish team-mate Bjarne Riis.

The following 12 months, Ullrich made his massive leap forward through triumphing the Tour de France. In Germany he turned into offered the title “Athlete of the Year”.

In the approaching years, Ullrich needed to cope with ailments and accidents in practise for the Tour de France. Critics accused him of missing fitness. Nevertheless, in 1998 Ullrich took 2nd vicinity in the back of Marco Pantani. In 1999 he gained the Vuelta a Espana and the World Time Trial Championships.

In 2000, the Tour de France encountered Jan Ullrich and Lance Armstrong for the primary time. In the give up, Ullrich needed to be content material with 2nd vicinity. In the identical 12 months he gained the street race of the Olympic Games in Sydney and turned into the primary German to take the lead withinside the UCI international biking rankings.

In 2001 and 2003, Ullrich once more met the destiny of completing 2nd withinside the Tour de France in the back of his everlasting rival Lance Armstrong. After all, in 2003 he executed the primary level win in a Tour de France seeing that 1998.

He turned into additionally offered the Fair Play badge through the German Olympic Society for his response to the autumn of his opponent Lance Armstrongs. Instead of the usage of the autumn for an attack, he permit Armstrong release him. At the give up of the 12 months, Ullrich turned into once more athlete of the 12 months.

In 2004 Ullrich gained the Tour de Suisse. At the Tour de France, he completed fourth notwithstanding bloodless problems. In 2005 he completed 1/3 once more. In 2006, he turned into excluded from the Tour de France for doping allegations associated with the Fuentes scandal. The exclusion additionally heralded the give up of Ullrich’s profession, which he introduced in early 2007.

Career highlights

The spotlight in Jan Ullrich’s profession turned into the victory on the Tour de France in 1997. The victory made Ullrich one of the maximum famous athletes in Germany. At the identical time, biking and particularly the Tour de France received unheard of popularity.

Famous quotes

“I turned into 2nd lengthy enough, now it’s time for every other excursion win.”

“I even have by no means cheated on every other racing motive force in my profession. That is a reality. ”

“From the day on, not anything turned into similar to earlier than. I nevertheless don’t recognise the way it happened. ” (Jan Ullrich on his suspension quickly earlier than the 2006 Tour de France)

Amazing facts

Ullrich is the primary and best German to have gained the Tour de France thus far

At simply twenty-three, Jan Ullrich turned into one of the youngest winners of the Tour de France

In Ullrich’s followed domestic of Merdingen, a road is called after him