Jan Ullrich is a German former professional road bicycle racer. He won gold and silver medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 1999 Vuelta a España. His victory in the 1997 Tour de France, where he became the first German to win the race, led to a bicycle boom in Germany. Ullrich retired in February 2007. In 2012 he was found guilty of a doping offence by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and in 2013 he admitted to blood doping.
Early career
Ullrich began cycling as a child in his hometown and was educated in the sports training system of the German Democratic Republic. He turned professional in 1995 with the Telekom team. In 1993 he won the amateur road title at the UCI Road World Championships. After a quiet first year and a half as a professional, he gained attention at the 1996 Tour de France, where he finished second behind his teammate Bjarne Riis.
Tour de France success
Ullrich became the favourite for the 1997 Tour de France and took the overall lead after a mountain stage. He won the final time trial and became the first German to win the Tour, aged 23. His 1998 defence was undermined by Marco Pantani's attacks, and in 2006 he was barred from the Tour amid speculation of doping. In 2012 his results since May 2005 were removed from his record.