THIS time last year, as Lance Armstrong won his fourth Tour de France, Jan Ullrich was mountain-biking in Whistler, Canada, pondering his retirement from cycling. The Olympic road race champion and 1997 Tour winner had been written off after a series of injuries and weight problems, followed by a drink-driving ban and a positive “out of competition” drugs test that was the result of a wild night on the town.

This afternoon, however, ten million Germans are expected to tune into television coverage of Ullrich’s effort to reverse his narrow deficit on Armstrong in the most gripping finale to the Tour in memory. The fact that Ullrich, 29, is racing at all is unexpected, but a decisive victory over the American, who has won all the final time-trials in his four-year reign, would be unforgettable.

Twelve months ago, Ullrich’s career was in freefall. Scorned by Telekom, his sponsor, and deserted by the German public after years of excuses for poor performances, the final humiliation came early in July. As Armstrong left Luxembourg en route for a fourth successive Tour win, Ullrich faced the press in Frankfurt and hesitatingly tried to explain how he had found himself in a nightclub taking Ecstasy.

This time there were no excuses, just a confession that his career had plumbed the depths and that he was responsible. “It took courage,” he said, “but it only makes things worse when you don’t say anything, because then they write what they want anyway. But what made me sad was that there were as many press in the room that day as when I won the Tour in 1997.”

As soon as he could, Ullrich headed to North America for five weeks with only his long-term girlfriend, Gaby, for company. “But I watched some of the Tour on American TV,” he said. “I didn’t feel anything in particular, other than I knew I wanted to be back there again.”

Ullrich’s decision to make a comeback was far from straightforward. Labelled a drink-driver, a dilettante and a flop, he was forced to search hard for a new team. Eventually, Team Coast, his new German sponsor, although known to have financial problems of its own, made him a lucrative offer which he chose to accept instead of joining CSC, the more stable Danish team.

Across the Atlantic, Armstrong did not approve. “Ullrich doesn’t have the attitude of a champion. I would have ridden at CSC for free,” Armstrong, who is reputed to charge a minimum of $50,000 (about £31,000) for a personal appearance, said. Ullrich, though, countered that it was none of Armstrong’s business. “Money wasn’t the issue, because I’ve got enough already,” he said. “I’m happy with the decision I’ve made.”

Against a backdrop of contractual and financial wrangling, Ullrich was steadily getting his career back together. First came a solo victory in the Around Cologne race before strong performances in the Tour of Germany and Tour of Switzerland — despite the chaotic conversion of Team Coast to Team Bianchi — sealed his return. Now, after an extraordinary Tour, Ullrich’s comeback has caught the imagination.

Since emerging as a prodigious talent at 22 in his debut Tour in 1996, Ullrich has struggled to come to terms with his fame. He was 23 when he won his first Tour and was hailed “the next Eddy Merckx”, but it was too much, too soon.

“Being famous doesn’t always make things easy,” he said. “There are a lot of hangers-on. I made some really big mistakes, but in my case fame was extreme because I went from zero to the top of the sport in 12 months. Sometimes, when everything you do is news, it’s scary. And I’m not a natural extrovert.”

Now, the father of a four-week-old daughter, he finally seems at ease and he and his management believe he can wipe out his 65-second deficit over the 49-kilometre route from Pornic to Nantes. “It’s very do-able,” Ullrich, a former world time-trial champion, said, “and it’s the first time that Lance has had such a narrow lead before the final time-trial. That motivates me even more.”

Yesterday, Johan Bruyneel, team director of US Postal, who will be willing Armstrong to victory, seemed as uncertain as Ullrich appeared resolute. “It’s a good route for both riders,” Bruyneel said of today’s time-trial. “It’s straight and flat. But it’s going to be tough for both guys. I hope we don’t need to calculate. I’m not sure, but I hope Lance can win — and hopefully not by a few seconds.” The once tongue-tied Ullrich, however, may this time have the last word.

Stage result and overall positions

EIGHTEENTH STAGE (Bordeaux to Saint Maixent-L’Ecole, 203.5km): 1, P Lastras (Sp, Ibanesto.com) 4hr 03min 18sec; 2, C Da Cruz (Fr, FDJeux.com); 3, D Nardello (It, Team Telekom) both same time; 4, D Canada (Sp, Quick Step) at 4sec; 5, M Lelli (It, Cofidis) 19; 6, A Flickinger (Fr, AG2R); 7, T Voeckler (Fr, Brioches); 8, P Fornaciari (It, Saeco) all same time; 9, F Guidi (It, Team Bianchi) 35; 10, V Miholjevic (Cro, Alessio) same time. British: 147, D Millar (GB, Cofidis) 24:05.

OVERALL POSITIONS: 1, L Armstrong (US, US Postal) 79hr 07min 49sec; 2, J Ullrich (Ger, Team Bianchi) at 1min 05sec; 3, A Vinokourov (Kaz, Team Telekom) 2:47; 4, H Zubeldia (Sp, Euskaltel) 5:18; 5, I Mayo (Sp, Euskaltel) 5:27; 6, T Hamilton (US, Team CSC) 6:37; 7, I Basso (It, Fassa Bortolo) 8:10; 8, C Moreau (Fr, Crédit Agricole) 11:14; 9, F Mancebo (Sp, Ibanesto.com) 16:07; 10, C Sastre (Sp, Team CSC) 16:14. British: 57, Millar 1.55:07.

POINTS POSITIONS: 1, R McEwen (Aus, Lotto) 178pts; 2, B Cooke (Aus, FDJeux.com) 176; 3, E Zabel (Ger, Team Telekom) 165; 4, T Hushovd (Nor, Crédit Agricole) 151; 5, S O’Grady (Aus, Crédit Agricole) 133; 6, L Paolini (It, Quick Step) 132; 7, J-P Nazon (Fr, Jean Delatour) 119; 8, Guidi 107; 9, Ullrich 104; 10, B de Groot (Neth, Rabobank) 99.

KING OF THE MOUNTAINS POSITIONS: 1, R Virenque (Fr, Quick Step) 324pts; 2, L Dufaux (Switz, Alessio) 187; 3, Armstrong 168; 4, J M Mercado (Sp, Ibanesto.com) 133; 5, Moreau 132; 6. Mayo 130; 7, Zubeldia 125; 8, Ullrich 124; 9, Hamilton 116; 10, P Bettini (It, Quick Step) 100.

TEAM POSITIONS: 1, Team CSC 234hr 35min 12sec; 2. Ibanesto.com at 18min 18sec; 3, Euskaltel 40:27; 4, US Postal Service 47:22; 5, Team Bianchi 1hr 08min 57sec.