Jan Ullrich was celebrated by millions of cycling fans. But after his career, things went downhill more steeply than from the summit of the Tour de France. Now his autobiography is being published.
At 50, Jan Ullrich has experienced more than most people in their entire lives: first a celebrated cycling professional, then a doping offender and finally a wreck from alcohol and drugs. Things have been looking up again for a few years now, and now Ullrich has written his autobiography with a co-author: “Heaven, Hell – and Back to Life” will be published on June 25th. from the book – and they are quite something.
Ullrich describes the time after his retirement in 2007 as follows: “I was not ready to confront my past and my mistakes. I still saw myself as a victim of circumstances… The years passed. But I was unable to give my life a new direction. I could not find a new purpose.” He eventually tried to chase away the emptiness with alcohol: “It was as if a fog was forming around my head, which at least kept the bad thoughts away to some extent.” He became depressed and later resorted to cocaine.
Jan Ullrich in a frenzy
His drug use ultimately caused his marriage to fail. After his wife and children moved back to Germany from Mallorca, he finally fell apart: “The drugs made me a new person. A loud, extroverted asshole. And my house, where I had lived with my family just a few months ago, had become a ‘rock star hell’. People I had never seen before were coming in around the clock. Actors, artists, criminals, rockers, people from the underworld. Everyone was welcome here.”
Cycling
Jan Ullrich’s career in pictures: The great triumph was followed by a total crash
Finally, the total crash that made headlines follows. Ullrich now describes himself as “a man who has finally found happiness in life. A man who has gone beyond all his limits to realize how beautiful it can be to be in the middle. It was a damn long and exhausting road. But it was worth it.”
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
