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Jan Ullrich admitted to psychiatric hospital after suffering panic attacks

Former Tour de de France champion Jan Ullrich has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital after suffering panic attacks

Former Tour de de France champion Jan Ullrich has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital after suffering panic attacks

The 44-year-old former pro cyclist has been headlining the news recently after being arrested in Spain for assaulting a neighbour and then arrested on his return to Germany for allegedlly assaulting a prositute.

After being freed from a Greman court, Ullrich suffered a severe panic attack.

Jan Ullrich was admitted to a psychiatric hospital on Friday night where his state of health is being assessed by specialists.

"Due to his mental and physical state there was no other choice but to transport him to a psychiatric unit by ambulance" the spokesperson said.

Ullrich has been struggling with alcohol and drug problems for many years.

Ullrich's run-in with the law came just a week after his 24-hour detention in Spain, where he had sought to force his way into the Mallorca home of his neighbour, German actor Til Schweiger, and threatened him.

Ullrich's latest woes came just hours after he arrived back in Germany to seek therapy for his drink and drug habit following last week's scandal in Mallorca.

The former cyclist's dramatic fall from grace came two decades after he became the only German to have won the Tour de France, in 1997.

Born in former communist East Germany, Ullrich racked up his triumphs after reunification, turning him into a national hero.

He later won Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000, but failed to replicate his victory at the Tour de France again, finishing behind US cyclist Lance Armstrong for several years.

Ullrich was embroiled in allegations that he used performance enhancing substances that were rife in his era. The German was excluded from the 2006 Tour de France over his links to the Operation Puerto scandal that centred on disgraced doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who gave performance-enhancing blood transfusions to top cyclists.

After retiring from cycling in 2007, Ullrich finally came clean in 2013 about his doping past.

In 2014, he injured two people in a car crash in Switzerland, and was charged with drink driving. His addiction led to his separation from his wife Sara at the end of 2017.

Lance Armstrong offers his Help

Earlier this week, former rival Lance Armstrong offered his support.

Armstrong said he was "ready to get into a plane and come to Europe" to help Ullrich.

Armstrong also stated "What's most important is that Jan first allows himself to be helped"