This title is currently out of stock. Leave us your email address, we’d let you know when it’s in stock again!
-
A note on book covers: while we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
Jan Ullrich: The Best There Never Was
Jan Ullrich: The Best There Never Was
Couldn't load pickup availability
In 1997, Jan Ullrich announced himself to the world by obliterating his rivals in the first mountain stage of the Tour de France. So awesome was his display that it sent shockwaves throughout the world of cycling and invited headlines such as L'Equipe's 'The New Giant'. He went on to become Germany's first ever Tour winner, storming to victory in that edition by almost ten minutes, a result that was greeted as an era-defining changing of the guard. Everyone agreed: Jan Ullrich was the future of cycling. He was soon also voted Germany's most popular sportsperson of all time, and his rivalry with Lance Armstrong defined the most controversial years of the Tour de France.
Ullrich was a German national treasure credited with popularizing cycling in his home country. And yet - for all the acres of coverage he received throughout his career, and the interest in Ullrich as the only person who had seemed capable of knocking Armstrong off his perch - the boy from East Germany remained an enigma. Now, Daniel Friebe - who has covered 21 editions of the Tour de France - has gone in search of the man who was said in 1997 would go on to dominate his sport for a generation, but never quite managed it.
Just what did happen to the best who never was?
This is a gripping account of how unbearable expectation, mental and physical fragility, the effects of a complicated childhood, a morally corrupt sport and one individual - Lance Armstrong - can conspire to reroute destiny. Daniel Friebe takes us from the legacy of East Germany's drugs programme to the pinnacle of pro cycling and asks: what price can you give sporting immortality?
Details of Book
Related Collections:
A note on book covers: while we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
-
One Line Summary
In-depth look at Ullrich's rise, fall, and misfortune.
-
Who is this book for?
If you're curious about the turbulent career of Jan Ullrich, this biography offers an engaging exploration of the cyclist's undeniable talent and the controversies that shadowed his success. It vividly captures the pressure of high expectations and the complex world of professional cycling. You'll gain a nuanced perspective on a sports legend whose story resonates with themes of greatness, vulnerability, and the cost of fame.