The absence of Jan Ullrich from the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in Düsseldorf has sparked huge debate, with Lance Armstrong one of many to highlight the hypocrisy of other former dopers working on the race or attending as VIP guests, while the only German winner of the Tour has not been invited.
The 1997 Tour winner was not invited by race organiser ASO and will instead mark the 20th anniversary of his historic win by taking part in a charity race in Bocholt, according to his friend and former teammate Andreas Klöden in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper.
Ullrich's ties to the EPO era of cycling have left him somewhat of a pariah in the German and global cycling community. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) banned him for two years in 2012 because of his connections to the Operación Puerto investigation of Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes and he has never fully explained how much he doped during his career and expressed sincere remorse.
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Speaking to L’Equipe in a long interview, Ullrich explained that has preferred to keep a low profile and remain away from professional races out of choice. He still offers only partial admission of any wrongdoing and still feels he has been overly criticised and targeted by the German media. He is now happy spending time with his young family. He has moved on from his troubled career as a professional athlete and has rediscovered the simple joy of riding a bike.
“It's a personal choice. It’s no longer my world and I don’t think I have the legitimacy to speak today. My story was what it was, I made mistakes and I paid for it. I chose to turn the page, switch to another life. I didn’t want to dwell on the past. Today, I am happy with my family, I found my way,” he told L’Equipe while in Mallorca, where he often spends time with his wife Sara and three children.
“I’m proud of what I achieved, proud of my record, because I won some great races except the Giro. All this belongs to the past and it will never take away the love I have for this sport. Today, when I see a rider dominating against the others, it never comes to my mind to say: ‘Look, he’s surely doped. Never.’”
Ullrich describes himself as older and wiser compared to when he was the star of German cycling and considered a national hero.
Responsibility for the problems that followed
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