JAN Ullrich has revealed that he was close to death after taking cocaine and drinking whiskey "like it was water".
The Olympic gold medalist and Tour de France winner is set to star in a documentary that will review the best and worst bits of his career.
Ullrich, 49, won the Tour de France in 1997 and picked up his Olympic gold during the 2000 Sydney Games.
As well as that, the new show will also delve into his connection to Operation Puerto – a Spanish police operation against the professional sports doping network of Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes.
Some parts of the documentary – Der Gejagte (The Dam) – will also highlight Ullrich's drug and alcohol usage
Ullrich was admitted to a Swiss clinic in 2021 after relapsing into alcoholism, according to German outlet Bild.
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Opening up in the documentary, Ullrich claimed that he was on "the verge of death" due to his substance abuse.
He said: "At that time every day was a matter of life or death.
"I did a lot of cocaine, I drank whiskey like it was water until I was on the verge of death."
Ullrich is hoping that the series on Amazon Prime that will be released on November 28 can give viewers a better understanding of what he went through.
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5He added: "It would be a lie if I said that I didn't fool anyone, but I think I made peace with my past.
"Viewers, fans and people who watch the documentary will be able to put themselves in my shoes and think about this."
Ullrich started riding a bike when he was nine and joined a cycling school in Berlin.
He quickly developed into an excellent rider and was able to compete at a high level.
Before his triumph at the 1997 Tour de France he had already won the Tour de Suisse and the National Road Race Championship.
Ullrich became a top rival of disgraced American cyclist Lance Armstong, however he struggled to beat him in the iconic French race.
He was accused of doping during the 2006 Giro d'Italia which led the German to be suspended, despite denying the rumours.
Ullrich retired from cycling in 2007 and was found guilty of a doping offence in February 2012.
This saw all of his results after May 2005 scrapped and in 2013 he admitted to blood doping.
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