http://www.procycling.com/news_main.asp?newsId=5297
After a prolonged silence which fuelled rumours of further troubles in his
Tour de France build-up, Jan Ullrich declared today that he was satisfied
and reassured by a four-week stint of "intensive training". Ullrich has
reportedly spent much of the past month in his now customary training haven
in the Metallifere hills of Tuscany.
Speaking on his website just over a month since his last competitive outing
at Flèche Wallonne, Ullrich confirmed his intention to return to racing at
the TEAG Hainleite race in Germany on Saturday. The 30-year-old 'Kaiser'
will then line up at the Tour of Germany on May 31, two days later.
"After such a long break from racing I know that I can't expect miracles,"
Ullrich said of his comeback.
The German appeared keen to set the record straight on his impromptu
sabbatical in May. In a statement clearly designed both to hit back at his
critics and to reassure his supporters, Ullrich claimed: "I didn't embark on
a training blitz in May because I lacked fitness: in fact, after so many
weeks of hard work early in the year I had a very good base.
"In the first few real competitive tests I just realised that I lacked a bit
of race rhythm. I've improved that now," Ullrich concluded.
The ever-sympathetic German tabloid 'Bild' made a different appraisal of
Ullrich's form this spring: "Too fat, too slow," was their withering
verdict.