Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich says he is open to returning to professional cycling.

The German, who won the Tour in 1997, said in an interview with German newspaper Bild (opens in new tab) that he might be interested in working in the sport again after years of controversy following his retirement in 2007.

"Obviously, I wouldn't be the director sportif of a team, but if someone needs me, I'm open to anything," he said. 'Of course, I wouldn't force it.'

Ullrich was involved in Operacion Puerto in 2006 and retired seven years later after admitting to blood doping. Since then he has faced a long list of drug, alcohol, and legal problems.

In 2017 he was convicted of driving under the influence following a 2014 car crash. A year later, he was detained for "forcible entry and intimidation" after forcibly entering a neighbor's home in Majorca.

Also in 2018, he attacked a prostitute in Frankfurt and was admitted to a mental hospital. He was subsequently sentenced to a fine of €7,200. Ulrich says he has now recovered from his addiction and has let bygones be bygones with his troubled past.

"I've let bygones all alcohol and drug problems. I'm back to my real life. I didn't think I needed help for a long time, but now I accept it."

"I'm not going to let my problems get in the way of my life," he said.

"I've been able to build a stable environment around myself again. It gives me so much more, like sports. It is an important part of my therapy. I've consulted psychologists, I've tried hypnosis. It all helps, but it's not that deep. It takes me a while to open up to people."

Ulrich was speaking before the release of the four-part TV series "Jan Ulrich - The Hunted," which will be available on Amazon Prime in 2023.

He also spoke about his friendship with longtime rival Lance Armstrong.

"After our careers, we both went through a lot, and we were able to understand what the other was going through. And Lance was actually there the next day when I needed help. He really cares about me. He really cares about me. It's a great friendship."