Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich admitted to psychiatric hospital

Jan Ullrich, winner of the 1997 Tour de France, has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Frankfurt.

The 44-year-old was taken to the facility yesterday evening, after being released on bail earlier in the day after allegedly assaulting a prostitute at a five-star hotel in the city on Thursday.

> Jan Ullrich arrested again - this time for "assaulting prostitute"

The German, who is being investigated for attempted manslaughter, was reported to have had a panic attack upon his release.

A spokesperson for Frankfurt police told AFP: "Jan Ullrich was admitted to a psychiatric hospital on Friday night where his state of health is being assessed by specialists.”

They added that “there was no other choice” but to take Ullrich to the facility by ambulance “due to his mental and physical state.”

Ullrich’s admission to the psychiatric unit came at the end of a week in which he was seldom out of the headlines in Germany and abroad.

Last Saturday, he appeared in court in Mallorca following his arrest after allegedly becoming involved in a brawl with his neighbour on the island, the German actor and director Til Schweiger.

Ullrich subsequently said that he would seek treatment for addiction to alcohol and drugs and that he was “in despair” after separating from his wife and being unable to see three sons.

The incident in which he is alleged to have choked an escort whom he had invited to his room at a luxury hotel happened after his return to Germany earlier this week to undergo therapy.

In a joint statement, police and prosecutors said that Ullrich had "attacked the 31-year-old escort lady in one of the hotel rooms after a dispute.”

They also said that he had resisted arrest when officers arrived, and that Ullrich “was likely under the influence of alcohol and drugs."

The statement added that Ullrich “is under investigation for attempted manslaughter and grievous bodily harm,” and that while investigations were continuing, the woman involved had provided "extensive details on the attacks."

Besides his 1997 Tour de France victory, Ullrich also won the road race at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and was twice world time trial champion.

Retired since 2007, he admitted doping in 2013, a year after he had been handed a two-year ban for his links to Operacion Puerto with his results since May 2005 annulled.