Tour de France - A summer day in Andorra in 1997: Ullrich storms into yellow

By Stefan Tabeling and Tom Bachmann, dpa

A bike tour with children from the region, plus a session or two on his racing bike in the vineyards and, of course, a look at the latest Tour de France action on TV.

Jan Ullrich is all about cycling these days. "A lot of emotions" are being aroused in the former German cycling star, especially when Friday marks the 25th anniversary of his legendary ride into the yellow jersey.

"This will always be one of my favourite memories that I will never forget," wrote Ullrich in an open letter that appeared in the "Bild" newspaper. He has received many personal messages from fans over the past few days. "There were also some who, like me, had a very eventful life story or difficult phases of life, and many parallels in your stories were quite recognisable with my own. That really touched me," says Ullrich.

The start of an "eventful" journey

This "eventful" journey began on 15 July 1997 in Andorra-Arcalis, when a likeable boy from Rostock with red-blonde hair and freckles on his face stormed up the steep ramps and snatched the yellow jersey. Cycling Germany is upside down, "Voilà le Patron", headlines the Tour organisation "L'Équipe".

Yet he is actually only the crown prince of title defender Bjarne Riis in the Telekom team. But Ullrich is stronger, and when the Dane gives him the go-ahead, there is no stopping him. "Those were the best moments of my life as sporting director," his former mentor Rudy Pevenage told the German Press Agency in retrospect. "You come back to a different life. He was in demand everywhere. That changed Jan's life. The calm was gone. It was unbelievable."

Germany in cycling fever

Suddenly Germany is in cycling fever. Every year in July, millions of people gather in front of the television and suffer for hours with Ullrich as he climbs the mountain giants in the Alps and the Pyrenees. Ullrich is everybody's darling, the pop star on two wheels. The mate who likes to go over the top in winter and carry a few extra pounds around with him.

His talent on the bike is almost unrivalled. Ullrich becomes Olympic champion, world champion, German champion. But he doesn't win the Tour again, even though experts like Eddy Merckx predict five or more victories for him. A certain Lance Armstrong stands in his way. "I think Jan was stronger than Armstrong in terms of his sporting ability," says Pevenage. "Well, Armstrong also had a different character. He concentrated on cycling for the whole twelve months."

And it is Ullrich who drives Armstrong to peak performance. "He had so much talent. He scared me. This man made me get up early, he made me go to bed early," said Armstrong in the ARD documentary "Being Jan Ullrich". The Texan, obsessed and cured of cancer, won the Tour of France seven times - with unauthorised means, as it later turned out. Ullrich often only managed second place. This does nothing to diminish his popularity.

Operacion Puerto exposes Ullrich

When Armstrong retires, Ullrich wants to take the Tour throne again in 2006. One last attack for the big goal. It remains an unfulfilled wish. In Spain, the cycling star is exposed as a client of doping doctor Eufemiano Fuentes in the large-scale Operacion Puerto. Ullrich is withdrawn from the starting field before the Tour, and his T-Mobile team quickly draws a line under him. The tragic turning point in Ullrich's life.

This is followed by an extensive investigation by the public prosecutor's office in Bonn. In one fell swoop, his career was over and Ullrich would never get back on his bike as a professional athlete. However, it was not until 2012 that he was banned by the International Court of Arbitration for Sport Cas.

Ullrich also makes negative headlines in his private life. Like in 2014, when he crashed into two cars in Switzerland with a blood alcohol level of 1.8 at a significantly higher speed. Ullrich gets off with a suspended sentence.

One scandal follows another

Ullrich moves to Mallorca with his wife and children, but after 13 years the marriage breaks up. The cycling star is left alone on Mallorca. A shocking video makes the rounds. In the course of an argument on the neighbouring property of TV star Til Schweiger, he is temporarily taken into police custody. Ullrich returns to Germany, where the next scandal breaks. There is a violent altercation with an escort lady in a luxury hotel in Frankfurt.

Ullrich is under the influence of alcohol and drugs. He is eventually admitted to a psychiatric ward. Ullrich is at rock bottom until his old rival Armstrong suddenly turns up. "That was scary for me. I saw a man in a place like no human being had ever been before. (...) I had never seen anyone in such a state," said Armstrong. Ullrich recovers and later reports in Armstrong's podcast: "I was on the road of Marco Pantani. Almost dead."

The now 48-year-old Ullrich now lives in the seclusion of Merdingen again, close to his four children. There are plans for a bike centre, including with his friend and business partner Mike Baldinger. Possibly a new mainstay for Ullrich, who avoids public appearances. He wouldn't get one at the Tour anyway, and Ullrich is not a welcome guest because of his doping past.

Nevertheless, Pevenage says: "I just hope that Jan shows himself much more in public in the coming months. In the end, he did nothing. Belgium, Holland, Italy, Spain - all these people want to see Jan Ullrich." And preferably like he did on that summer day in Andorra-Arcalis.

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