Germany’s former cycling idol Jan Ullrich has once again spoken bluntly about his past in a new documentary.
“Five years ago I had my huge crash, it was a matter of life and death, I lost almost everything, almost my life,” said the 1997 Tour de France winner on Thursday at the Bayerischer Hof in Munich an event hosted by Prime Video.
The streaming service will show the documentary series “Jan Ullrich – The Hunted” from November 28, 2023. Excerpts of this were presented for the first time at the event.
Ullrich had a violent fall in 2018 and made the headlines with alcohol and drug escapades as well as an assault on a prostitute.
The former professional cyclist reported that he “fought his way out of it with the help of friends, experts and of course family.” “My life is like a stage in the Alps, always up and down.”
The 49-year-old has now stabilized and is regularly cycling again. “Despite everything, I stayed healthy,” said Ullrich. “I’ve tested the limits up and down. I don’t need that anymore.”
Jan Ullrich: “The backpack is finally gone”
Ullrich admitted that he had “panic attacks” around the making of the documentary, “because I asked myself: Can I do this, can I make this public? It was the right path. The goal is to make peace with the past “So that she can’t catch up with me anymore. That heavy backpack that I was carrying with me is finally gone.”
It was important to come to terms with the past, he explained: “You have to face up.” It was “incredibly difficult” at the beginning: “There were also a lot of tears.” But he was now “really open and honest with everyone.”
Ullrich hopes “that the viewers, the fans, the people who see this, maybe get to know me a little better” and “can empathize with me a little bit.”