The rise and downfall of Germany’s only Tour de France winner

Christoph Wagner
Université Gustave Eiffel

It is little surprising that in 2022 a number of works were published that have been written about Jan Ullrich, Germany’s only Tour de France winner, biggest cycling star, the public’s darling and enigma at the same time. The year was carefully chosen as in 2022 his victory at the Tour de France passed the marker of ‘25 years ago’ and thus can be seen as history and being from another epoch of cycling. Not only cycling has seen the dawn of a new epoch, but the times have also changed quite significantly since 1997. However, a documentary, a podcast, and two biographies have been published in 2022, and all have the same topic: Jan Ullrich, his biggest moment, his rise and the several stages of his fall.

The book in question, written by Daniel Friebe, titled Jan Ullrich. The best there never was, retraces every stage of the career of Ullrich from his earliest races in Rostock as a 9-year-old to his teenage days in Berlin and his early pro days in Hamburg before his meteoric rise to stardom from 1996 onwards. This is the work of several years in the making during which Friebe has spoken with Ullrich’s mother and his brothers. The book serves as a rich well of sources and quotes from friends, family, rivals, coaches and managers as well as journalists; only Ullrich himself has not been interviewed for the book reviewed here, although he has given his blessing to the author. Moreover, Friebe has visited the places, too. He has been to Rostock, to Merdingen, Hamburg, Belgium, the US and to Italy. This kind of immersion into the topic speaks of thoroughness, yet bears the danger of coming too close to the subject of research. This is not the case as Friebe does not meet Ullrich in the process of researching and writing the book. His interest, however, originates from being overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of Ullrich’s “arrival” on the scene in 1997 when he pedalled away with ease to climb up to win the stage in Andorra and also mount the Olymp of cycling. Over the course of 23 chapters in two parts, the book sketches the career of Ullrich meticulously.

This sentiment was reinforced that same day in a TV appearance which suddenly confronted Ullrich with Hajo Seppelt, a journalist specialised in doping questions.

While Ullrich’s ride up to Arcalis in 1997 and his subsequent winning of the Tour de France initiated a cycling craze in Germany, it was also too much for Ullrich to take, too much to handle. This is one thread Friebe follows throughout the book. All Ullrich ever wanted was to win the Tour again but also to be left alone. He felt uneasy when addressing the media; something that became apparent in 2007. On the occasion Ullrich summoned the media to announce that he would retire as a professional cyclist and reiterated that he never had used any banned substances, that he never had been doped. Here, Friebe writes, it was visible for everyone that Ullrich was no master of the media circus. This sentiment was reinforced that same day in a TV appearance which suddenly confronted Ullrich with Hajo Seppelt, a journalist specialised in doping questions. It derailed Ullrich completely – it was certainly not a nice move by the broadcaster, but by then Ullrich had lost all credibility in the public eye.

This he only regained by finally admitting – in 2023 – that he had been using banned substances, that he had been cheating. Since then, Ullrich has resurfaced in the public: he organises cycling camps for enthusiasts, he appeared as an analyst on German broadcaster ARD to discuss the Tour de France stage of the day in 2025. Ironically, it was ARD, the television station, that boosted his career, created the hype around his person – it was even the team sponsors – yet it was this broadcaster that dropped him as soon as he became subject of an investigation by the Spanish and French authorities into doping in 2006.

This story of Ullrich’s life is not an adoring biography but a thorough investigation into the cycling and its environments. Ever since the Festina scandal of 1998, there is an immense doubt, if not mistrust, hanging over professional cycling, and in fact any top level professional sport. Friebe’s book is a refreshing account of the career of Jan Ullrich, as the author avoids judging but rather lets the facts speak for themselves.

Copyright © Christoph Wagner 2025