STATEMENT BY JAN ULLRICH ON THE CAS JUDGEMENT - DRAWING A LINE UNDER THE PAST
LONG VERSION
Scherzingen (Switzerland), 10 February 2012 - The Court of Arbitration for Sport has now banned me for two years. This ruling brings to an end disciplinary proceedings that have lasted almost three years. This sporting tug-of-war was unsatisfactory for everyone involved, both for myself and for the public. It is incomprehensible to me why we all had to wait so long for this judgement.
I accept the arbitration award and will not contest it. Not because I agree with all the points in the judgement, but because I want to put the issue to bed once and for all. I already drew personal conclusions in 2007 when I retired from professional cycling. I confirm that I had contact with Fuentes. I know that this was a big mistake that I deeply regret. I would like to sincerely apologise to everyone for this behaviour - I am very sorry. Looking back, I would have acted differently in some situations during my career.
The external pressure on me was always immense, and not just as a rider. When I won the Tour in 1997, I was suddenly the centre of public attention. Everyone expects me to win, second place is no longer enough for the public. Second place is the first loser. I finished second in Paris five times. But second place in the Tour is a huge achievement and you have to defend yourself from people who have never been on a racing bike for not winning. Even more so when Lance Armstrong, my superior opponent, ended his career, I felt the expectation even more. People said that we now had the best team that we had bought at a high price, that we couldn't lose any more. I was the captain, I had already won the Tour once, so it was clear who the target was: Jan Ullrich. That puts a lot more pressure on yourself because you can clearly see the expectations.
The last five years have been a very difficult time for me and my family. Perhaps you need to put yourself in my shoes for a moment. It's just before the start of the 2006 Tour de France and I'm about to confirm the greatest success of my life once again. The second Tour victory, nothing else was my goal. And then suddenly it hits me and from one second to the next I'm taken out. My team has suspended me. I don't want to accept that others are allowed to continue and I'm not. Instead, lawyers take over with their legalese and the whole machinery kicks in: suspension, headlines, ostracism, house searches, criminal proceedings, lawsuits. I felt abandoned, as if I had fallen through a sieve. The whole world wanted to put me up against the wall and then I instinctively ran for cover and withdrew for a while. As I said, I don't want to complain, it all happened for a reason. On the advice of my lawyers and as is usual in such cases, I kept quiet about the accusations. No experienced lawyer would accept such a mandate if the client made public statements about the subject matter of the proceedings while they were still ongoing. Of course I can understand why the media and therefore the public turned so radically against me for not speaking out. In the end, I kept this issue bottled up for years, until I fell ill and collapsed at some point. Even then, shortly after my suspension, I wanted to publicly admit the mistake I had made. But my hands were tied.
I started cycling when I was 9 years old. With your first professional contract, it becomes hard work. You're in the saddle for five or six hours a day. Whether you want to or not, whether it's raining or snowing, whether you're heartbroken or not. 40,000 kilometres a year. Pleasure, normal life, family are all on the periphery. If I was going to perform that well throughout the year, I had to put on an elephant skin in winter so that all the pressure and public expectations could bounce off me. I needed my breaks because I was absolutely empty. I needed the extra few kilos to get me through the new season. Even if it was always difficult to get rid of them again. I would certainly have cycled worse if I had also lived ascetically in winter. I needed three weeks' holiday with the family, where I didn't touch the bike, where I drank a bottle of wine or smoked a cigarette in the evening. I needed that to clear my head for the tough season.
I am glad that a judgement has finally been passed. For me, the capital of my active cycling career has finally come to an end and, for me and my family, it is the end of a difficult time that has lasted for years. Today's arbitration ruling can no longer change anything for me or my future plans. I have never considered returning to active professional cycling in any capacity. This statement says it all on my part and I do not wish to make any further statements, comments or interviews in public on this subject. I ask for your understanding. I would like to finally draw a line under this.
I was lifted up to "Olympus" in Germany, after which it was clear that when the crash came, I would fall. I never wanted that kind of adulation, I was never interested in that kind of popularity, it rather frightened me. But if my sons Max and Benno wanted to become racing cyclists, I would be very happy and totally support them. It's an incredibly beautiful sport. I love cycling more than anything and this sport has been my life. It's still good for me to be out on my bike. I will always stand up for this sport and always try to convey this joy and passion to other people. I owe a lot to cycling and I want to give back. In future, I will therefore also be active in various functions and areas in the sport of cycling for everyone. The fact that others also like to see me in this role is not only confirmed by my new partnerships. I would like to apologise once again to all cycling fans for my mistake, which I deeply regret. I am incredibly sorry. Nevertheless, I can look back on my cycling career and successes with great pride and look forward to my future.
Jan Ullrich
Source: www.janullrich.de
