Lance Armstrong: Jan Ullrich says he was ‘practically lifeless’ earlier than a go to from former biking rival helped together with his restoration
“Two years in the past, I had huge issues. You come and go to me and I am so completely satisfied that you just come,” Ullrich instructed Armstrong, who was stripped of all seven of his Tour de France titles.
“I used to be on the identical approach as Marco Pantani, practically lifeless. After which I get better and I’ve good buddies … buddies bringing me again to life and now I am very completely satisfied.”
Pantani, winner of the Tour de France and Giro D’Italia in 1998, was additionally a fierce rival of Armstrong and Ullrich. He died of a drug overdose in 2004.
Reflecting on his latest return to the bike, Ullrich added: “God gave me this physique and God gave me this expertise after which I am nothing or full gasoline … I practice day by day good, I drink water. I finished alcohol, medicine three years in the past. I reside very wholesome, my girlfriend’s cooking very healthily for me.
“And this altogether brings me in good condition and a very good feeling … I forgot for a very long time what is nice for me.”
He added: “I would be the previous, new Jan, who will do every little thing and struggle to defeat his demons and to search out his approach again to the sunshine with new power and joie de vivre.
“I apologize sincerely to the individuals I’ve not handled with due respect within the latest previous due to my sickness.”
“Anyhow, it was not a very good journey. He was crucial individual in my life. No person scared me, motivated me. The opposite guys … no disrespect to them, did not get me up early. He bought me up early. And he was only a f*cking mess.
“Once I take a look at Jan’s scenario and I take a look at my scenario, as a result of they’re very related, the timing could be very related… he had all of the issues I had. He had a spouse, kids, cash, and that wasn’t sufficient to maintain him collectively.”
Within the podcast episode of The Transfer, launched on Sunday, Ullrich acknowledges that he began driving once more 5 weeks in the past and beat Armstrong when the pair rode collectively in Mallorca.
