After doping, drugs and alcohol, friends Armstrong and Ullrich find each other again on their bikes in Germany

Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich will once again go head-to-head on the bike during the annual Jan Ullrich Cycling Festival, according to BILD. The two former rivals from a controversial cycling era have reconnected as friends in recent years, after both endured turbulent times. Now, they are celebrating that bond on the bike.

This website has frequently reported on Armstrong and Ullrich over the past months. Now 51 years old, Ullrich made headlines when he was admitted to a rehab clinic. In 2023, a documentary series detailed his harrowing past, covering drugs, alcohol, and multiple near-death experiences. His doping history was also extensively discussed.

While Armstrong’s didn't sink that deeply to the bottom, he recently revealed his battle with alcohol addiction, which is now under control—just as Ullrich’s life has stabilized. It was during the most difficult times that the two sought each other out. For example, Armstrong visited Ullrich during his period of rehab and the two were spotted together more often in the following years.

Read more below the photo.

Ullrich and Armstrong, smiling side by side

Armstrong confirms participation in Ullrich's event

Now that Jan Ullrich is hosting a cycling festival on May 17 and 18, Lance Armstrong is naturally set to join. In Bad Dürrheim—where Ullrich now also has a museum—the two will even ride together for a few kilometers, just like they did in the late '90s and early 2000s. In the Tour de France, they were fierce rivals for years—and the rest is history...

Due to their infamous doping past, not everyone in the cycling world still embraces Armstrong and Ullrich. However, the American remains deeply engaged with the sport. Through his podcast The Move, he regularly shares his opinions on cycling, alongside his former team director and close friend Johan Bruyneel, as well as his ex-teammate George Hincapie.

Read also

LeMond opens up about doping and his feud with Armstrong: "Bizarre that the Armstrong era was even worse than the '90s"

Lance Armstrong refused to speak with Tom Boonen for years: "And I was only 20 years old, you know..."

"I was seemingly dead," Jan Ullrich explains bizarre situation and tells what gave him push in right direction

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