July 2, 2003 – The German champion Jan Ullrich, winner of the Tour de France in 1997 and leader of the Bianchi team, has become a father for the first time. Four days after the start of the Centenary Tour de France, his wife gave birth to Sarah Maria. An additional motivation for Ullrich in view of the upcoming 'Gran Boucle' where, surely, the German champion will celebrate the happy event by taking on a leading role in the French competition.