Short introduction

Jan Ullrich is one of the maximum a hit racing cyclists Germany has ever produced. He changed into the primary and to this point the simplest German to win the Tour de France. With a resting coronary heart fee of 30 to 35, a lung quantity of 6 liters and a coronary heart length of 1200 milliliters, he changed into taken into consideration a small sports activities medicinal drug miracle and expertise of the century.

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

However, in the direction of the stop of his profession, Ullrich changed into himself centered via way of means of the doping investigators while his call changed into determined at the listing of clients of the Spanish doping medical doctor Eufemiano Fuentes. Ullrich later made a partial confession. However, he changed into allowed to hold his Tour de France title.

After the stop of his profession, Ullrich persisted to attract interest to himself with bad headlines associated with alcohol and drugs.

Early life

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

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

Through similarly successes, the GDR aggressive sports activities device ultimately have become aware about Ullrich, which promoted him especially and made it viable to replace to the children’s and young people sports activities faculty of SC Dynamo Berlin. In 1987 he gained the GDR student championship withinside the quad, in 1988 the GDR young people championship in avenue biking and in 1990 the GDR young people championship in factor biking.

After reunification, Ullrich moved to the west, wherein he celebrated his first successes as an amateur, such as 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 changed 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 done his first level win withinside the time trial. In the general standings, he completed 2d in the back of his Danish team-mate Bjarne Riis.

The following 12 months, Ullrich made his huge leap forward via way of means of triumphing the Tour de France. In Germany he changed into offered the title “Athlete of the Year”.

In the approaching years, Ullrich needed to address ailments and accidents in practise for the Tour de France. Critics accused him of missing fitness. Nevertheless, in 1998 Ullrich took 2d region 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 stop, Ullrich needed to be content material with 2d region. In the equal 12 months he gained the street race of the Olympic Games in Sydney and changed 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 2d withinside the Tour de France in the back of his everlasting rival Lance Armstrong. After all, in 2003 he done the primary level win in a Tour de France seeing that 1998.

He changed into additionally offered the Fair Play badge via way of means of 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 allow Armstrong free up him. At the stop of the 12 months, Ullrich changed into once more athlete of the 12 months.

In 2004 Ullrich gained the Tour de Suisse. At the Tour de France, he completed fourth in spite of bloodless problems. In 2005 he completed 0.33 once more. In 2006, he changed into excluded from the Tour de France for doping allegations associated with the Fuentes scandal. The exclusion additionally heralded the stop of Ullrich’s profession, which he introduced in early 2007.

Career highlights

The spotlight in Jan Ullrich’s profession changed into the victory on the Tour de France in 1997. The victory made Ullrich one of the maximum famous athletes in Germany. At the equal time, biking and specially the Tour de France won exceptional popularity.

Famous quotes

“I changed into 2d lengthy enough, now it’s time for any other excursion win.”

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

“From the day on, not anything changed 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 simplest German to have gained the Tour de France to this point

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

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