Jan Ullrich admits causing three-car crash

Tour de France winner and former pro Jan Ullrich has admitted to his part in a car crash involving his vehicle and two others near his home in Switzerland on Monday.

Swiss news source The Local reports that the police are treating the collision as a drink-driving incident. Ullrich admitted to his role in the collision in an interview with Swiss paper Blick on Wednesday.

Ullrich's Audi A6 estate struck the rear of another car at a junction, before hitting a further vehicle and coming to rest in a nearby field. All three cars were written off.

“I was stressed, coming from an apppointment, and wanted to go home as soon as possible," Ullrich initially said. "My God, that can happen to anyone... there was no alcohol involved."

Police, however, reported that the 'driver of the vehicle causing the accident' was over the alcohol limit. On Wednesday evening, Ullrich published an admission on his website that he had drunk alcohol before the incident, saying that it was a "huge mistake that I deeply regret".

Ullrich was previously banned from driving in 2002 after he crashed his Porsche whilst over the drink-drive limit.

The former German superstar cyclist admitted in 2013 to blood doping during his career with the assistance of Operacion Puerto medic Dr Eufemiano Fuentes. He won the Tour de France in 1997, but a troubled career and domination of the Tour by Lance Armstrong never saw him reach those heights again.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport banned Ullrich from competing for two years for his involvement with Fuentes and had all of his results stripped from May 1, 2005 onwards. He announced his retirement from the sport after being fired by the T-Mobile team in 2006.

Ullrich apologises and regrets not admitting doping link

German former pro Jan Ullrich says he had dealings with Fuentes and gives reaction to sanction for doping