Editing Jan Ullrich (section)

==='Eternal second' behind Armstrong===

====2000–2002 Tours====
The [[2000 Tour de France]] brought Ullrich, Marco Pantani and Armstrong against each other for the first time. Armstrong proved too strong and won then and again in 2001. Ullrich crashed during a descent in 2001 and Armstrong waited for him to return to his bike.<ref name="usatoday.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/2003-07-21-tour-fall_x.htm |title=Lance's fall leads to display of Tour sportsmanship |work=USA Today  |date=21 July 2003 |access-date=2 October 2009}}</ref> Ullrich cited his failure to defeat Armstrong as why he fell into depression the following year.

Ullrich rode well in the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] in Sydney, Australia. After establishing a three-man break with Telekom teammates [[Andreas Klöden]] and [[Alexander Vinokourov]], Ullrich won the gold with Vinokourov second and Klöden rounding out the all-Telekom podium. He won the silver in the time-trial, losing by only seven seconds to [[Viatcheslav Ekimov]] but beating Armstrong soundly into third.

In May 2002, Ullrich had his driver's license revoked after a [[drunk driving]] incident.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news/index.php?id=2002/may02/may06news |title=Ullrich's blood alcohol level more than 1.4 g/L|publisher=Autobus.cyclingnews.com |date=6 May 2002 |access-date=17 July 2012}}</ref> After a positive blood sample for [[amphetamine]] in June 2002,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2002/jul02/jul04news2 |title=Ullrich tests non-negative for amphetamines |publisher=Autobus.cyclingnews.com |date=4 July 2002 |access-date=17 July 2012}}</ref> Ullrich's contract with Team Telekom was ended, and he was banned for six months. He said he had taken [[ecstasy (drug)|ecstasy]] with amphetamine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2002/jul02/jul06news2 |title=Ullrich foregoes B test: "It was a stupidity"|publisher=Autobus.cyclingnews.com |date=6 July 2002 |access-date=17 July 2012}}</ref> He had not been racing since January due to a knee injury,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2002/may02/may08news |title=Ullrich concedes in Battle of Jan's Knee|publisher=Autobus.cyclingnews.com |access-date=17 July 2012}}</ref> and the [[German Cycling Federation]]'s disciplinary committee agreed that he was not attempting to use the drug for [[doping (Sport)|performance enhancement]], so he was given a minimum suspension.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2002/jul02/jul24news |title=Ullrich given six months suspension|publisher=Autobus.cyclingnews.com |access-date=17 July 2012}}</ref>

Following a disappointing 2002 season, Ullrich was looking for a new team, with interest coming from {{UCI team code|CSC|2002}},<ref>{{cite web |last1=Henry |first1=Chris |title=Ullrich confident about CSC move |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2002/nov02/nov03news |website=cyclingnews.com |access-date=23 September 2019 |date=3 November 2002}}</ref> {{UCI team code|SAE|2002}},<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Jeff |title=Saeco interested in Ullrich |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2002/nov02/nov19news |website=cyclingnews.com |access-date=23 September 2019 |date=19 November 2002}}</ref> and {{UCI team code|PHO|2003}}.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Jeff |title=Phonak steps up in Ullrich bidding |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2003/jan03/jan06news |website=cyclingnews.com |access-date=23 September 2019 |date=6 January 2003}}</ref>

====2003 Tour and sportsmanship====
On 13 January 2003, Ullrich, along with his advisor [[Rudy Pevenage]], joined [[Team Coast]] on a multi-million Euro deal.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/2648577.stm |title=Ullrich moves to Coast |publisher=BBC News |date=15 January 2003 |access-date=17 July 2012}}</ref><ref name=coast>{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Jeff |title=Ullrich announces new team |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2003/jan03/jan13news |website=cyclingnews.com |access-date=23 September 2019 |date=13 January 2003}}</ref> Financial problems at the team were known from the beginning of the season.<ref name=coast/> These led to the Coast team folding in May 2003.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ullrich verläßt Team Coast |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/sport/radsport-ullrich-verlaesst-team-coast-1102609.html |access-date=23 September 2019 |work=[[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]] |date=14 May 2003 |language=de}}</ref> Ullrich moved on to the newly founded [[Team Bianchi]], set up from the remainders of Coast by [[Jacques Hanegraaf]], a former cyclist at Team Telekom.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nell |first1=Fred |last2=Wagner |first2=Lutz |title=Das Team Coast ist tot, es lebe Bianchi! |url=https://www.abendblatt.de/sport/article106684924/Das-Team-Coast-ist-tot-es-lebe-Bianchi.html |access-date=23 September 2019 |work=[[Hamburger Abendblatt]] |date=27 May 2003 |language=de}}</ref>

The [[2003 Tour de France]] was the first for many years that Ullrich had not been considered a favorite. In the first week, Ullrich became sick and almost retired. He lost a minute and a half on Armstrong in the Alps. Ullrich fought back in the time trial. Armstrong had trouble with the heat and lost one and a half minutes to Ullrich. Ullrich was within a minute of Armstrong in the classification. The next day, he closed the gap by another 19 seconds in the first mountain stage. Two days later Ullrich rode away from Armstrong on the [[Tourmalet]] but Armstrong caught up. Halfway into the next climb, Luz Ardiden, Armstrong's handlebar got caught in a spectator's yellow [[Glossary of bicycling#Musette|musette]] waving in the air and he fell. Ullrich waited for Armstrong to recover, returning the courteous display by Armstrong 2 years previously.<ref name="usatoday.com"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2003/07/21/story106890.asp |title=BreakingNews.ie – 2003/07/21: Armstrong wins as Ullrich pays for sportsmanship |publisher=Archives.tcm.ie |access-date=2 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040517062136/http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2003/07/21/story106890.asp |archive-date=17 May 2004}}</ref><ref name="accessmylibrary1">{{cite news|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-8178642_ITM |title=Article: Ullrich's courtesy one of the few possibly costly gestures in sports. &#124; AccessMyLibrary – Promoting library advocacy |publisher=AccessMyLibrary |date=26 July 2003 |access-date=2 October 2009 | first=Ted | last=Hutton}}</ref> Armstrong then caught the group and attacked shortly afterwards.

Ullrich lost 40 seconds in the final kilometers, but the final time trial would be decisive. In it, Ullrich crashed and saw a stage and Tour victory disappear. He finished second, by 71 seconds.

For waiting on Armstrong after his fall during the stage to Luz Ardiden, the German Olympic Association (''Deutsche Olympische Gesellschaft'') gave Ullrich their fair-play medal.<ref>{{cite news |title=Armstrong-Sturz: "Ullrich wartete nicht auf mich" |url=https://www.spiegel.de/sport/sonst/armstrong-sturz-ullrich-wartete-nicht-auf-mich-a-266959.html |access-date=23 September 2019 |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=24 September 2003 |language=de}}</ref> Commenting on Ullrich's wait for Armstrong to recover, Dan Boyle, of the Institute for International Sport said  "It was an act that will live with him forever, cynics will say he lost money, but it was a highly commendable thing that he did."<ref name="accessmylibrary1"/>

====2004 and 2005 Tour====
[[File:Jan Ullrich Nacht von Hannover 2005.jpg|thumb|left|Ullrich in [[Hanover]], 2005]]

For 2004 Ullrich returned to Team Telekom, now named [[T-Mobile International AG|T-Mobile]]. He won the [[Tour de Suisse]], beating Swiss [[Fabian Jeker]] by one second overall.<ref>{{Cite web |last=swissinfo.ch |first=S. W. I. |date=2004-06-20 |title=Ullrich wins Tour de Suisse by one second |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/life-aging/ullrich-wins-tour-de-suisse-by-one-second/3960554 |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=SWI swissinfo.ch |language=en-GB}}</ref> In the Tour de France, he finished fourth, 8:50 behind Armstrong, his first finish lower than second. Klöden finished second and [[Ivan Basso]] third.

For 2005, Ullrich again captained T-Mobile. He maintained a low profile for the early season, surfacing in the 2005 [[Tour de Suisse]], which he finished third behind [[Aitor González]] and [[Michael Rogers (cyclist)|Michael Rogers]].
[[file:Jan-ullrich.jpg|thumb|upright|Ullrich in 2005]]
The day before the 2005 Tour de France, Ullrich was training when his team car stopped unexpectedly. Ullrich hit the back window, ending up in the back seat of the car. Less than 24 hours later Ullrich was passed by Armstrong in the time trial. Ullrich fell again in the mountains, bruising his ribs. He could not keep up with Armstrong or [[Ivan Basso]]. Ullrich began focusing on finishing ahead of [[Michael Rasmussen (cyclist)|Michael Rasmussen]] for a podium position. He rode a good second time trial, beating all but Armstrong. Rasmussen had several crashes and bike changes, which gave Ullrich a podium place in the Tour.