"Even if it sounds immodest: We were the greatest in cycling" - Lance Armstrong on the close bond he and Jan Ullrich share

Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich have both suffered many ups and downs during their lives, both professionally and personally. Nowadays the pair share a close personal friendship.

Although they were once rivals on the bike, Armstrong visited Ullrich in rehab back in 2018 and subsequently dedicated his time to helping the German in his recovery. “Marco Pantani was already dead back then. I couldn’t bear to lose another one of us,” said Armstrong in an interview with Zeitmagazin. "I didn't know what to expect. But I love this man. The fact that he was doing so badly broke my heart."

Although both were admittedly doping at the time, the battles between Armstrong and Ullrich were brilliantly entertaining at the Tour de France. "We were both icons in our countries - me, because I had overcome my cancer and inspired many people; Jan as the first German Tour winner," said Armstrong, who has since been stripped of all his Maillot Jaune victories. "Even if it sounds immodest: We were the greatest in cycling, worldwide. And we were part of this shitty generation."

Reflecting on the many doping transgressions, Armstrong admits he wishes that "neither I nor Jan nor anyone from our generation would have had to make this decision. Unfortunately the reality was different," he laments. "It took me ten damn years to fight my way out of this hole. My life imploded. Not only did I lose millions of dollars, I lost almost everything that had defined me."