Drinking Nutella? Jan Ullrich verifies crazy story to Campenaerts and Jorgenson

At this year’s Tour de France, Victor Campenaerts of Team Visma | Lease a Bike built a following with his behind-the-scenes race day vlogs, while teammate Matteo Jorgenson entertained fans with his “fact of the day” segments about each stage’s host towns. The duo have carried the concept over to the Vuelta a España, once again giving supporters a fun glimpse into the race.

On stage 2, the peloton rolled out from Alba, home to Ferrero’s Nutella factory, and Jorgenson quizzed fans: "Why do you think this place is responsible for 25% of global hazelnut consumption?" He quickly supplied the answer himself: "This is because of Ferrero's Nutella. We're standing next to the Nutella factory and headquarters." Campenaerts seized the moment to add his own trivia, telling Jorgenson, "Did you know that Jan Ullrich microwaved a jar of Nutella during his off-season and then drank it?"

Curious, the pair reached out to Ullrich directly to confirm the story. The German, winner of the 1999 Vuelta and 1997 Tour de France, responded with good humour. "Hey Victor and Matteo, that was indeed my trick when I was still a professional cyclist. But in the summer, you don't need a microwave. The sun is enough," he said in an Instagram message, before taking a swig from a Nutella jar and wishing them well: "Good luck in the Vuelta, guys!"

Now 51, Ullrich remains a colourful figure in cycling history, with his Grand Tour victories and Olympic medals from Sydney in 2000. In recent years he has struggled with his mental well-being, but it seems he is well and truly on the mend now.