In November, Jan Ullrich (50) admitted after years of silence that he had doped during his successful career as a cyclist. This marked the beginning of a new phase of his life. “Yes, I have a story, but now that everyone knows it, everyone can deal with it better,” he explained in an interview with the “Bild” newspaper.
“Now, for example, ‘Eurosport’ has asked again whether I can do something for the Tour de France. That shows me that I’m on the right path and that people are finally forgiving me,” said the 2000 Olympic champion. Ullrich, who also went through turbulent times in his private life after the doping scandal in 2006, has finally found his “center” again. “I do everything very quietly, unlike before, take a lot of time for the family and don’t want to take on myself,” he reported.
After his numerous negative headlines, Ullrich is now sober and taking care of his body. “I eat healthily, I haven’t drunk alcohol for five years and I try to ride my bike for two hours four times a week,” he emphasized. The former Tour de France champion regrets his actions back then. “Of course the doping thing was a huge mistake, and I can only strongly advise everyone against it. But the pressure in sport and in society was different back then,” he claimed.
For years, Jan Ullrich had lived in the fast lane in the truest sense of the word, winning one important title after another in cycling. Then, in 2006, it all came to an abrupt end after he was involved in the Spanish doping scandal “Fuentes”. In 2012, the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found him guilty of doping in the final instance.
Until November 2023, Ullrich had always refused to confess to doping. “There was still criminal proceedings going on against me at the time. My lawyers recommended that I remain silent. Advice that I followed, but I suffered from the consequences for a long time,” he explained in his revealing interview with “stern”.
