Lance Armstrong: Jan Ullrich says he was 'nearly dead' before a visit from former cycling rival helped with his recovery

Former cyclist Jan Ullrich has said that he was "nearly dead" before a visit from Lance Armstrong, his rival during the 1990s and 2000s, helped him turn his life around.

The 47-year-old Ullrich, who won the 1997 Tour de France and in 2013 admitted to having received blood-doping treatment during his cycling career, was speaking to Armstrong as part of The Move podcast after the pair had been riding together in Mallorca.

"Two years ago, I had big problems. You come and visit me and I'm so happy that you come," Ullrich told Armstrong, who was stripped of all seven of his Tour de France titles.