Believing in Jan again

Bill C said:

Maybe I am just brain damaged, but hey I'm a Sox fan.
I'm thinking he is going to be in shape and ride everyone off his
wheel in the big stuff.
http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/8075.0.html
He's the best talent out there, now he's got to put it all together
and show it.
Bill C

Yeah...provided he doesn't get sick or something as usual...and he
certainly is going to have to do a LOT better than last year if he
want to weigh on the race

"Ullrich feeling strong
---------------------------------
Germany's Jan Ullrich says he has never been in better shape at this
time of year as he cranks up his preparation for the Tour de France,
Reuters reported.

After five second places overall in the Tour as well as a win in 1997,
the 31-year-old T-Mobile leader is widely tipped as the man to end
American Lance Armstrong's long reign in July.

"I've never felt so strong at this time of year," Ullrich told Reuters
at the Tour of Catalonia where he is standing 17th overall after two
tough days in the Pyrenees.

"I didn't want to go into the red in the Pyrenees, I was only using 90
percent of my strength," added Ullrich, who is three minutes, 38
seconds behind leader Yaroslav Popovych.

"And I'm still only at 70 percent of my maximum Tour condition, so I
know I am on the right track," he said. "It's been hard training here
for me, but I am not surprised at my performance here because I've
been working hard on my condition in Italy."

Ullrich will race the GP Schwarzwald in Germany on June 4 followed by
the GP Gippingen in Switzerland on June 5 before defending his victory
in last year's Tour of Switzerland from June 11-19. -Reuters "

Keith said:

Bill C said:

Maybe I am just brain damaged, but hey I'm a Sox fan.
I'm thinking he is going to be in shape and ride everyone off his
wheel in the big stuff.
http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/8075.0.html
He's the best talent out there, now he's got to put it all together
and show it.
Bill C

Yeah...provided he doesn't get sick or something as usual...and he
certainly is going to have to do a LOT better than last year if he
want to weigh on the race

"Ullrich feeling strong
---------------------------------
Germany's Jan Ullrich says he has never been in better shape at this
time of year as he cranks up his preparation for the Tour de France,
Reuters reported.

After five second places overall in the Tour as well as a win in

1997,

Quoted message said:

the 31-year-old T-Mobile leader is widely tipped as the man to end
American Lance Armstrong's long reign in July.

"I've never felt so strong at this time of year," Ullrich told

Reuters

Quoted message said:

at the Tour of Catalonia where he is standing 17th overall after two
tough days in the Pyrenees.

"I didn't want to go into the red in the Pyrenees, I was only using

90

Quoted message said:

percent of my strength," added Ullrich, who is three minutes, 38
seconds behind leader Yaroslav Popovych.

"And I'm still only at 70 percent of my maximum Tour condition, so I
know I am on the right track," he said. "It's been hard training here
for me, but I am not surprised at my performance here because I've
been working hard on my condition in Italy."

Ullrich will race the GP Schwarzwald in Germany on June 4 followed by
the GP Gippingen in Switzerland on June 5 before defending his

victory

Quoted message said:

in last year's Tour of Switzerland from June 11-19. -Reuters "

Got my Riis autographed Telekom stuff on the altar, covered in
Edelweiss, and presenting libations of enzian schnapps to the gods for
jan to get his [censored] together.
Bill C

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Ullrich will race the GP Schwarzwald in Germany on June 4 followed by
the GP Gippingen in Switzerland on June 5 before defending his

victory

Quoted message said:

in last year's Tour of Switzerland from June 11-19. -Reuters "

Got my Riis autographed Telekom stuff on the altar, covered in
Edelweiss, and presenting libations of enzian schnapps to the gods for
jan to get his [censored] together.
Bill C

One can only wonder what would become of Jan is he left Telekom and
joined either CSC or Discovery, maybe it's not too late! Still he
probably gets a better salary at Telekom.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Got my Riis autographed Telekom stuff on the altar, covered in
Edelweiss, and presenting libations of enzian schnapps to the gods for
jan to get his [censored] together.
Bill C

One can only wonder what would become of Jan is he left Telekom and
joined either CSC or Discovery, maybe it's not too late! Still he
probably gets a better salary at Telekom.

Hum, I know he puts on weight in the off season but should he really
have a paunch !
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos.php?id=photos/2005/may05/catalunya/stage5/cycling-catalonyarace--32
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos.php?id=photos/2005/may05/catalunya/stage5/cycling-catalonyarace--33
!

Keith said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Ullrich will race the GP Schwarzwald in Germany on June 4 followed

by

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the GP Gippingen in Switzerland on June 5 before defending his

victory

Quoted message said:

in last year's Tour of Switzerland from June 11-19. -Reuters "

Got my Riis autographed Telekom stuff on the altar, covered in
Edelweiss, and presenting libations of enzian schnapps to the gods

for

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

jan to get his [censored] together.
Bill C

One can only wonder what would become of Jan is he left Telekom and
joined either CSC or Discovery, maybe it's not too late! Still he
probably gets a better salary at Telekom.

He should've gone to CSC. Staying with Telekom was a huge mistake, but
Jan has real problems with his killer instinct and comfort level. Jan
thinks he needs, and probably does, his support system more than
anything else.
He's the great champion with the fatal flaw. Riis would've either
gotten the best from him, or broken him. Jan took the easy way out and
went with comfort. I love him, but he's a headcase who doesn't have the
killer instinct.
Bill C

Keith said:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos.php?id=photos/2005/may05/catalunya/stage5/cycling-catalonyarace--32

Quoted message said:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos.php?id=photos/2005/may05/catalunya/stage5/cycling-catalonyarace--33

Hmmm. No helmets.

On 05/22/2005 12:24 AM, in article [email hidden], "Robert

Chung said:

Keith said:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos.php?id=photos/2005/may05/catalunya/stage5/cy
cling-catalonyarace--32

Quoted message said:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos.php?id=photos/2005/may05/catalunya/stage5/cy
cling-catalonyarace--33

Hmmm. No helmets.

Was the stage an uphill time trial?

http://www.uci.ch/imgArchive/Rules/1gene-E.pdf

1.3.031

1. Wearing a rigid safety helmet shall be mandatory during competitions and
training sessions in the following disciplines: track, mountain bike,
cyclo-cross, trials and BMX.

2. During competitions on the road, a rigid safety helmet shall be worn.

Except where legal provisions determine otherwise, riders taking part in UCI
ProTour events may, at their own risk, refrain from wearing a helmet during
individual time trial races taking place entirely on a mountainous course.

Every discussion regarding the qualification «entirely on a mountainous
course» will be decided by the commissaires¹ panel.

3. Each rider shall be responsible for:

* ensuring that the helmet is approved in compliance with that the helmet
can be identified as approved;
* wearing the helmet in accordance with the security regulations protection,
including but not limited to a correct adjustment adjustment of the chin
strap;
* avoiding any manipulation which could compromise the helmet and not
wearing a helmet which has been undergone which might have compromised its
protective characteristics;
* using only an approved helmet that has not suffered
* using only a helmet that has not been altered or removed in terms of
design or form.

(text modified on 5.05.03; 1.01.04; 1.08.04; 1.01.05).

--
Steven L. Sheffield
stevens at veloworks dot com
bellum pax est libertas servitus est ignoratio vis est
ess ay ell tea ell ay kay ee sea eye tee why you ti ay aitch
aitch tee tea pea colon [for word] slash [four ward] slash double-you
double-yew double-ewe dot veloworks dot com [foreword] slash

Bill C said:

Maybe I am just brain damaged, but hey I'm a Sox fan.
I'm thinking he is going to be in shape and ride everyone off his
wheel in the big stuff.
http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/8075.0.html
He's the best talent out there, now he's got to put it all together
and show it.
Bill C

Was last year really Jan's fault. I mean he did get pretty sick. Even
tho much care is given to avoid illness, it can be hard to control. I
don't think it's really fair to ask if we can believe in Jan again.
This is such a fair, even-handed group that your post is just
inappropriate.

mmm... wait until after the Tour of Switserland. That'll be the first
test. He doesn't need to win it but it'll say something about how he
is doing it in the mountains. I'm curious.

Kenny

Bill C said:

Quoted message said:

He's the great champion with the fatal flaw. Riis would've either
gotten the best from him, or broken him. Jan took the easy way out

and

Quoted message said:

went with comfort. I love him, but he's a headcase who doesn't have

the

Quoted message said:

killer instinct.

routebeer said:

Does pumping cyclists full of another's blood get the best out of them?
The answer appears to be YES!

What's the connection between Riis and "pumping cyclists full of another's
blood" ?

I think the result in 2003 really proved that Ullrich has always been a
contender and that the difference between the 2 is much smaller then
just about everyone seems to think. Jan is weaker mentally during his
prep and during the race but a well prepared Jan against a weaker year
for Armstrong could mean that Ullich finally beats Armstrong in their
final match-off. There have been Lance naysayers just about every year
and I never got caught up in that (my complaints are not related to his
performance) but I will say that this is by far the weakest spring I
have ever seen from him. There is no evidence this year that he has
good form and between that and the fact that he is the first ever to go
for 7, his age, and finally his plans to retire directly afterwards are
all conspiring to put an unprecedented amount of pressure on him. Lance
thrives on pressure but that only works when he has the physical
ability to back up his desire. If Lance shows up only as strong as he
was in 2003, and has to deal with a recovered Basso (who should retire
from this Giro and immediately start to prepare for the Tour) and an
Ullrish as strong as any other year but 2004 then Lance coudl end up
blowing up like he did in 2000, only with bigger consequences.

BTW, Lance has had an excuse for every single time he had any measure
of failure in the Tour. What I mean is that he has never given a
sincere compliment to his competition. He might give Basso a slap on
the back while winking as reporters that ask "Did you let him win the
sprint?" Lance says "Oh no, Basso was great today" "Wink wink". Every
other time " I was under geared, and installed a cadence unit on my TT
bike" (when Botero knocked him off the long ITT in 2002, "I wsa
dehydrated" (when Ullrich did the same thing the following year), and
other great ones like "I forgot to eat" (2000 mountain stage in the
final week), "I had a brake caliper rub the whole stage" (2003 in the
Alps), and "I am not trying to win the stage, I am trying to win the
Tour" about every TT or mountian stage he does not win.

I hope Jan wins but if not, I hope he softens him up for Basso to
thrash him. I just want to see him explode when he gets mocked for
whatever excuses he whips out.

Are you joking?

On 23 May 2005 19:42:14 -0700, "Chris M" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

He might give Basso a slap on
the back while winking as reporters that ask "Did you let him win the
sprint?" Lance says "Oh no, Basso was great today" "Wink wink". Every
other time " I was under geared, and installed a cadence unit on my TT
bike" (when Botero knocked him off the long ITT in 2002, "I wsa
dehydrated" (when Ullrich did the same thing the following year), and
other great ones like "I forgot to eat" (2000 mountain stage in the
final week), "I had a brake caliper rub the whole stage" (2003 in the
Alps), and "I am not trying to win the stage, I am trying to win the
Tour" about every TT or mountian stage he does not win.

Looking for the pure, unvarnished truth in a mid-Tour interview that
will be read by opponents is like expecting the truth when reporters
ask NFL coaches for injury reports. I would expect that if Lance says
the other guy was better, it is the most likely indicator that Lance
was sandbagging.

OTOH, on occasion it is simply that Lance will not, by nature, concede
that anyone is better than him when he is on or near form, especially
if you ask while the testosterone is still flowing at the end of the
stage. Sort of aasking the jockey on Afleet Alex about the winner of
the Kentucky Derby while he is still on his horse (something in a very
irritated voice about sometimes the best horse doesn't win, at which
point my only thought was, well, it was you and the horse and if it
wasn't the horse....)

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

Quoted message said:

"OTOH, on occasion it is simply that Lance will not, by nature,

concede

Quoted message said:

that anyone is better than him when he is on or near form,

That is getting close to my point. Now see if you can show me other
times where Lance ever admitted anyone was ever stronger than him
during any competition. You may simply have never noticed that Lance is
exceptional in his overly inflated ego. I have never heard him admit
that anyone ever beat him fairly or because they were simply stronger
than he was. Any other top rider would try to be more gracious. Lance
takes his cues from pro American athletes like basketaball and football
players, (the nasty ones). My point is that Lance is hyper extreme in
areas related to his ego and it is annoying. I wish that Sean Yates
would have been young enough to stay with him as a rider through the
first few Tour wins. The only time Lance ever improved his attitude is
when he was Sean's room mate. Everyone else kisses his ass too much for
Lance to understand how over-the-top his crappy attitude is. I know why
Lance chose to retire just after this Tour. It is his ego. I hope it
turns out to be one Tour too many so that we can compare his behavior
to that of Indurain's in 1996.

Quoted message said:

"especially
if you ask while the testosterone is still flowing at the end of the
stage. "

Especially whenever he opens his mouth. Hey, you are a MD and you
should know that his testosterone is not going to peak then. These
times are more cases of peak adrenal flow and emotional high of some
kind. Of course, I guess "testosterone flow" is kind of slang for they
way males can act in extreme situations so maybe that is what you mean?

Chris M said:

Hey, you are a MD

He may be a doctor, but he also lives in Maryland.

On 24 May 2005 10:26:06 -0700, "Chris M" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hey, you are a MD

Uh, I'm a CPA/MBA from Maryland. I only operate on books...

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

Bill C said:

routebeer said:

Bill C said:

Maybe I am just brain damaged, but hey I'm a Sox fan.
I'm thinking he is going to be in shape and ride everyone off his
wheel in the big stuff.
http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/8075.0.html
He's the best talent out there, now he's got to put it all

together

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and show it.
Bill C

Was last year really Jan's fault. I mean he did get pretty sick.

Even

Quoted message said:

tho much care is given to avoid illness, it can be hard to control.

I

Quoted message said:

don't think it's really fair to ask if we can believe in Jan again.
This is such a fair, even-handed group that your post is just
inappropriate.

Jan's been making me, and everyone else, crazy since one of our friends
who also coached my son was working Tours for Telekom, and Udo Bolts'
dad hung out at his shop, along with team members dropping in
occasionally.
Every year there always seems to be something with Jan. Last year was
probably unavoidable, but damn it still makes me nuts.
Of course we are fair to everyone here even if they are all jackoffs,
losers, and dopers.
Bill C

I think last year didn't go the way he expected, but you can not
seriously be disappointed in his previous years. All but one must lose
the Tour, right? Coming in second is excellent and means he was in
good form, imo.