Bobby Julich

[Willy_Voet]

Before Zulle hit the wall at the Giro he had some insane performances: he averaged 54 kmh on a flat tt which included a climb.

Was that the TT into Trieste that had a straight finish with three turns in it?

 

[NashbarShorts]

Prologue TdF 1998 - 5.6km Dulbin
1. Chris Boardman 0.06:12
2. Abraham Olano Manzano +0.00:04
3. Laurent Jalabert +0.00:05
4. Bobby Julich +0.00:05
5. Christophe Moreau +0.00:05
6. Jan Ullrich +0.00:05
7. Alex Zülle +0.00:07
8. Laurent Dufaux +0.00:09
9. Andrei Tchmil +0.00:10
10. Viatcheslav Ekimov +0.00:11

That's great, but they are talking about the '99 Tour, the year Julich crashed out during the first TT.

 

[NashbarShorts]

I always wondered "what if?" Doping aside, maybe it would have been Julich with a hand full of Tour titles...

Dream on! Julich left Cofidis and went to C/A, which reportedly was a strictly clean team in the aftermath of the Festina affair.

As prior poster mentioned, once at C/A, Julich's performances plummeted almost "inexplicably". (Well, in hindsight, not so inexplicable..).

Anyways, w/ Julich riding for a clean team, and Lance in bed w/ "the Hog", there is/was no chance for any "what-ifs".

 

[Ninety5rpm]

That's great, but they are talking about the '99 Tour, the year Julich crashed out during the first TT.

Results:

1. Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal 8.02
2. Alex Zülle (Swi) Banesto 0.07
3. Abraham Olano (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 0.11
4. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Festina 0.15
5. Chris Boardman (GBR) Crédit Agricole 0.16
6. Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 0.18
7. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kzk) Casino 0.21
8. Santos Gonzalez (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 0.21
9. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina 0.21
10. Gilles Maignan (Fra) Casino 0.23
11. Andrea Peron (Ita) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 0.23
12. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Saeco-Cannondale 0.23
13. Steffen Wesemann (All) Telekom 0.24
14. Christian Vandevelde (USA) US Postal 0.25
15. George Hincapie (USA) US Postal 0.26
16. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Crédit Agricole 0.26
17. Angel Casero (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros 0.26
18. Tyler Hamilton (USA) US Postal 0.27
19. Jonathan Vaughters (USA) US Postal 0.27
20. Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Mapei-Quick Step 0.28
21. François Simon (Fra) Crédit Agricole 0.28
22. Bobby Julich (USA) Cofidis 0.28
23. Alvaro Gonzalez Galdeano (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros 0.29
24. César Solaun (Spa) Banesto 0.29
25. Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 0.29
26. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale 0.31
27. Patrick Jonker (Aus) Rabobank 0.32
28. Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Lampre-Daikin 0.32
29. Benoit Salmon (Fra) Casino 0.32
30. Magnus Backstedt (Suè) Crédit Agricole 0.33

autobus.cyclingnews.com/results/1999/tour99/prologue.html

 

[Ninety5rpm]

Can't help but comment on Pharmstrong's quote after the 1999 prologue:

Lance Armstrong (USA/US Postal, winner of the prologue): "Limoges, and the stage victory in the 1995 Tour was a very good day in my life. Today also. Coming into the climb, Olano had three seconds on me. But my team responsibilities kept me aiming towards the win. This Tour de France is a major objective of my team. Now we have the biggest responsibility of them all - to guard the yellow jersey. I am happy that I have proven that I am now over my illness. I did not ride the 1998 Tour with all the problems. It is true that cycling is going through problems at present. But it is a problem like those that exist in other areas of life."

In other words, "the problems" are no big deal; nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[issoisso]

The thing is, Festina didn't have an absolutely top-class rider to win GTs until they signed Zülle in 1998. Virenque was a very good climber, but until 1997 or so he lost a lot in the time trials. Few people thought he could improve on his 1997 podium, and that was before we knew just how juiced he was. Dufaux was a decent time-trialer, but he didn't climb as well as Virenque. Riis's program was probably superior in 1996 because he apparently wanted to die or something, but in subsequent years Festina was the most powerful team. They just lacked someone to win.

Zülle should have been that someone. However, in the 1998 Giro they went to such ridiculous lengths with their program that it backfired in the last week. I read somewhere that Zülle wanted the same Dufaux tried at Romandie, but a week-long race is not the same as a three-week race.

Willy Voet wrote in his book that the problem wasn't in the program. The problem was a soigneur who had no idea what he was doing, who thought "more can't hurt" and injected Zülle with a further substance that wasn't in the program, destroying the carefully crafted balance.

Zülle promptly fell to pieces.

 

[hrotha]

Willy Voet wrote in his book that the problem wasn't in the program. The problem was a soigneur who had no idea what he was doing, who thought "more can't hurt" and injected Zülle with a further substance that wasn't in the program, destroying the carefully crafted balance.

Zülle promptly fell to pieces.

Thanks, I didn't know that. I should probably read that book.

That also confirms Festina's program was downright scary. While the whole Telekom squad was very strong in 1996-1998, they still relied on proven climbers like Bölts and Totschnig to do most of the work in the climbs, while absolutely everyone in Festina could blow up the peloton and then go on a breakaway with a gazillion climbs ahead.

I disagree with roundabout, but it's a pity I don't have anything to back my claims because damn, debating which team was the most juiced in 1996-1998 is fascinating.

 

[NashbarShorts]

Can't help but comment on Pharmstrong's quote after the 1999 prologue:

..I did not ride the 1998 Tour with all the problems. It is true that cycling is going through problems at present. But it is a problem like those that exist in other areas of life."

In other words, "the problems" are no big deal; nothing out of the ordinary.

I think you are missing your own point. Sounds to me like Armstrong was drawing the analogy that doping is a cancer within cycling -- not unlike cancers that occur in other areas of life as well.

This would be height of irony of course, b/c a decade later when Kimmage made the same analogy, Armstrong summarily sentenced him to death by stoning in front of an angry mob of bracelet wearers

 

[cymbop]

I had a teammate who rode with Julich on the 7-Eleven junior team in the 80s. He said that Bobby was simply biggest *** on two wheels.

.02.

 

[shouldawouldacoulda]

I had a teammate who rode with Julich on the 7-Eleven junior team in the 80s. He said that Bobby was simply biggest *** on two wheels.

.02.

I'm not surprised. A lot of riders who are super talented at a young age are also very very arrogant. They haven't matured emotionally enough to understand that being a good athlete doesn't equate to being a better person (than most). Some of these arrogant *** never grow out of this ...

I've bumped into Julich here and there in the past few years and spoken to people who've worked with him and I think he is now quite a nice guy - he grew up

He is a bit of an obsessive athlete though, he never grew out of that.

 

[pmcg76]

I have never heard anything in particular with LA and Julich. I know LA hated when people left him post 1999 and he went out of his way to be a *** but what was his issue with Julich? Between ablasion surgery for BJ and LA going out with cancer its not like they were together all that long. What was the issue?

I think you are thinking Dave Zabriskie in the TTT when he was in yellow maybe, BJ was not going to pass LA.

I dont think Julich & Armstrong were ever great buddies going back to their amateur days, Julich was every bit as big a talent as Lance in 90-91 but wasnt such a good one day racer and his career went of track in 92-93 when he turned pro for Spago. Never understood why Motorola didnt pick him up in 92 along with Lance, Julich for the stage races and Lance for the one day races, maybe it was the rivalry between them that prevented it happening.

 

[NashbarShorts]

I have never heard anything in particular with LA and Julich. I know LA hated when people left him post 1999 and he went out of his way to be a *** but what was his issue with Julich? Between ablasion surgery for BJ and LA going out with cancer its not like they were together all that long. What was the issue?

I think you are thinking Dave Zabriskie in the TTT when he was in yellow maybe, BJ was not going to pass LA.

I think you're forgetting the anger Armstrong held toward Cofidis for dropping him during his cancer. They chose to drop him and instead went with Julich as their star American and team leader for the GT's.

In '99 Lance came to the Tour w/ a huge chip on his shoulder. The American TV coverage (CBS?) was pumping the 1st TT as a big showdown b/w Julich and Lance. "Who is the rightful owner of title "America's best Tour hope". Etc, etc.

 

[JPM London]

"Who is the rightful owner of title "America's best Tour hope". Etc, etc.

Or did they say "America's best Tour dope"?

Sorry, couldn't resist!

 

[velogator]

Not in 1999, Julich was 14-15th in prologue and was well back on GC when he crashed on the stage 8 ITT.

I will go back and view my "tape" yes video tape, I still have a VCR and see for sure. However, I'm pretty sure it was a prolog and Phil and Paul were commneting that it was one of the fastest times. I'll let you know. Maybe someone else has it handy. And I believe the friction between Lance and Bobby goes back to when they were both amatures and invited back to Colorado Springs and Julich was picked over Lance for a place on the team. Does someone else remember the story?

 

[Oldman]

I dont think Julich & Armstrong were ever great buddies going back to their amateur days, Julich was every bit as big a talent as Lance in 90-91 but wasnt such a good one day racer and his career went of track in 92-93 when he turned pro for Spago. Never understood why Motorola didnt pick him up in 92 along with Lance, Julich for the stage races and Lance for the one day races, maybe it was the rivalry between them that prevented it happening.

I helped coached several guys in the same junior to senior USAC program and those riders' personalities, as some have noted, where very self-serving. Growing up in the environoment where they were insulated from other realities they thought they were the absolute sh*t and behaved accordingly. Some of the coaches tolerated it to keep a job. When you see the scattering of the alumni to Spago, Saturn, Motorola, etc it was more an acknowledgement that you couldn't have them on the same team at that time. LA was notorious for actively promoting himself as the only team leader well before he'd performed to a level justifying it. Tyler and Levi were more passive and willing to go along...with everything.

 

[Benotti69]

I think you're forgetting the anger Armstrong held toward Cofidis for dropping him during his cancer. They chose to drop him and instead went with Julich as their star American and team leader for the GT's.

In '99 Lance came to the Tour w/ a huge chip on his shoulder. The American TV coverage (CBS?) was pumping the 1st TT as a big showdown b/w Julich and Lance. "Who is the rightful owner of title "America's best Tour hope". Etc, etc.

cofidis never dropped pharmastrong. another uniballer myth

huge chip had a name ????? yeah it sure did, EPO

 

[md2020]

I'm not surprised. A lot of riders who are super talented at a young age are also very very arrogant. They haven't matured emotionally enough to understand that being a good athlete doesn't equate to being a better person (than most). Some of these arrogant *** never grow out of this ...

Another part of it is that he didn't really fit in from a very early age. I remember being at a training camp at the OTC in Colorado Springs for 16-17 year old kids and Julich was the only 14 year old there. He tried to hang out a little with our group but it was hard for him. I got a sense from some of the local Colorado kids that his dad kept him pretty isolated.

Regarding those 7-11 junior teams in the 80's, I raced against them during the year and got to know a bunch of them at the winter camps at the OTC. There were a few good guys but, for the most part, they were all arrogant punks. Julich wasn't the exception in that regard.

 

[NashbarShorts]

cofidis never dropped pharmastrong. another uniballer myth

Didn't Lance specifically state this in his 1st book? That they dropped him, or had an option to re-sign him but walked after initially saying he was their guy?

I could go to the library and look it up, but it might induce nausea. I hate feeling queasy.

 

[Benotti69]

Didn't Lance specifically state this in his 1st book? That they dropped him, or had an option to re-sign him but walked after initially saying he was their guy?

I could go to the library and look it up, but it might induce nausea. I hate feeling queasy.

well read Walsh's book about the cofidis affair and see it from their side. they stood by him all through his illness and he got paid in full for basically doing nothing and then lied in his book, but you know Pharmastrong Inc don't let truth get in the way of myth.

 

[pmcg76]

well read Walsh's book about the cofidis affair and see it from their side. they stood by him all through his illness and he got paid in full for basically doing nothing and then lied in his book, but you know Pharmastrong Inc don't let truth get in the way of myth.

I dont think they dropped him, wasnt the case that Cofidis wanted to renogtiate his contract in light of his illness but he wasnt having any of it.

 

[Freddythefrog]

Re:

Just looking somewhere else for something else and came across this little gem from Sir David Brailsford's ex employee

New York Times 2004 post Hamilton being busted and claiming his innocence.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/14/sports/othersports/14hamilton.ready.html?pagewanted=3&_r=0

One American cyclist at the show, Bobby Julich, had other questions. Julich had roomed with Hamilton in Athens and won the bronze medal in the time trial. He said the suspicions about Hamilton "go against everything I've ever known from the guy." But, he added: "The rest of us at the Olympics passed the test. Why didn't he?"

Julich took a deep breath.

"I'm sick of people who cheat, sick of cleaning up their mess and trying to explain it," he said.

Poor Bobby, sick of cheats. Well actually Bobby, whilst we can sympathise, some of us are sick of something else.

And to think Sky did all that "due diligence".

 

[blackcat]

Bobby was LRP's coach no?

just a good excuse for me to use the acronym LRP

 

[bobbins]

Re:

Bobby was LRP's coach no?

just a good excuse for me to use the acronym LRP

He looks after Froome.

 

[del1962]

Re: Re:

Bobby was LRP's coach no?

just a good excuse for me to use the acronym LRP

He looks after Froome.

I presume you mean looked after as now he works for Olga

 

[bobbins]

Re: Re:

Bobby was LRP's coach no?

just a good excuse for me to use the acronym LRP

He looks after Froome.

I presume you mean looked after as now he works for Olga

Is that what you read?