By John Bagratuni Jun 30, 2006, 14:56 GMT
Hamburg - Jan Ullrich achieved what world politics could have never managed hours ahead of Germany's highly-anticipated World Cup quarter-final match against Argentina in Berlin - he made top news in all the German media on Friday.
A woman on a bicycle passes the T-Mobile team hotel prior to the 2006 Tour de France near Strasbourg, France, Friday 30 June 2006. Germany‘s T-Mobile team suspended tour favorite German Jan Ullrich, team-mate Spanish Oscar Sevilla and team official Rudy Pevenage in connection with a Spanish doping probe. Officials of the Tour de France were working hard on Friday to protect the credibility of the race as a doping scandal has cast a deep shadow over the event just one day before it begins. EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON
But unlike in 1997 when he became a national icon by winning the Tour de France, the news was bad this time - suspended by his team for alleged involvement in a major Spanish doping scheme.
But that somehow fits a trend as Ullrich never managed to repeat his feat from 1997 which ranks ahead of his 2000 Olympic gold in the road race and several world titles.
Ullrich has four second-place finishes at the world's most prestigious race but almost made more headlines with his weight problems on entering the season, a drink-driving incident and a positive doping test after ingesting two ecstasy pills.
Ullrich named that incident in 2002, which saw him banned for six months 'a major stupidity,' but he insisted that he didn't use performance-enhancing drugs.
Knee injuries also plagued the 32-year-old, who tried in vain to beat American star Lance Armstrong at the Tour and in 1998 also lost against the late Marco Pantani.
All this was due to change this year.
Armstrong has retired and Ullrich said he had prepared well, he proposed to girlfriend Sara Steinhaeser a few weeks ago and then won the Tour de Suisse earlier in June.
'My biggest desire is another Tour de France title. I will be ready for the Tour and feel I can win the Tour again,' he said recently.
'It (the form) is very good. The Tour de Suisse was the right event for the final preparation and victory there the icing on the cake. But I hope I can improve even more.'
But how true these statements were remains unclear because his world may have changed on May 23.
The Spanish affair broke on that day with police raids and the detention of doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, former Liberty team official Manolo Saiz and three other men. The five have since been released on bail.
Police seized blood bags, doping substances and documents.
Ullrich was linked with the scandal earlier this week and is mentioned with more than 50 others in the report by Spanish authorities. He protested his innocence but T-Mobile said that he was 'clearly' in contact with Fuentes.
Ullrich admitted Friday that the affair was not good for his morale, that it was the reason he quit the Giro d'Italia and that it overshadowed his final Tour countdown.
'It is quite unsettling to arrive at the Tour in this way,' he said.
Whether he would have won had he been allowed to race will never be known. And he may never get another chance, depending on the outcome of the case and given his age.
If that is the case Ullrich will be remembered as German cyclist of the century who could have achieved even more than he did.
'Jan gives the minimum to achieve the maximum. He doesn't love what he does,' said former American team-mate Bobby Julich.
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