Jan Ullrich still has it!!!

[the delgados]

I think whats being referred to is the book written by Friebe

Anyways, Der Kaiser is without a doubt one of my personal favorites, so Ill have to read at some point and I trust Friebe to have written a very good book on the topic.

Ez 2006 victory. Unlucky

Friebe did indeed write a very good book on the topic.
In addition to interviewing pretty much everyone -- except Ullrich -- he provides a comprehensive account of how an exceptional athlete can be used and abused by those around him, regardless of the geopolitical dynamic involved.
The vast majority had both their own and JU's best interest in mind, but it's hard to crack the mind of an athlete, let alone your everyday person.
Kudos to Friebe for humanizing what seems to be a good human being who has no ill will or malice in his heart. I wish the best for Jan Ullrich.
P.S. Just in case you think it could never be done, Friebe manages to humanize Armstrong and bring to light his best characteristics. Armstrong never left JU's side, regardless of the circumstances.
If anyone can understand Ullrich, it's Armstrong. Kudos to Armstrong for not coming across as a complete douchebag for once.

 

[Rob5091]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/i-...to-death-jan-ullrich-opens-up-in-documentary/

"‘Der Gejagte’ - ‘The Hunted’ four-part documentary series that will be released on Amazon Prime in Germany from November 28, ahead of Ullrich’s 50th birthday on December 2. "

Glad to hear he's in a better place now. Look forward to the documentary.

 

[webvan]

Probably subtitled in English?

He's in a "better place" but it looks like he let himself go again compared to last year...Hopefully it's not alcohol again that's causing that.

 

[Rob5091]

I guess it's aimed primarily at the German market, so subtitles for everyone else.

 

[jmdirt]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd4pdCHd40Y

 

[the delgados]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd4pdCHd40Y

For those interested, the interview starts with Lance saying the number one question he is asked by others is: How is Jan?
We don't know, because the subsequent conversation is centred around Lance. We get Lance and Johan yukking it up about "The Look" and what it really meant, as well as insinuations that both team directors had access to radio communications throughout the race. I heard otherwise, but that does not matter.
What matters here is that Lance and Johan dominate the conversation. And aside from Hincapie getting "The Look" from Lance when he interrupted one of Lance's soliloquy's to ask Jan a serious question, there is nothing to see other than Jan looking on while the bros relive the glory days.
Jan seemed to be a bit tipsy and uncomfortable speaking English, which just made the spectacle even sadder.

 

[webvan]

Thanks for the summary, I refused to watch this out of principle and I'm glad I didn't. No surprise, it's always been about Lance, it will never change. Sorry to hear that Jan looked a bit tipsy, there again no surprise, he doesn't look as "healthy" as he did last year when the Baldinger (?) brothers organized that first "Re-Tour" for him after rescuing him from "rock bottom" in Merdingen a few years ago.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

For those interested, the interview starts with Lance saying the number one question he is asked by others is: How is Jan?
We don't know, because the subsequent conversation is centred around Lance. We get Lance and Johan yukking it up about "The Look" and what it really meant, as well as insinuations that both team directors had access to radio communications throughout the race. I heard otherwise, but that does not matter.
What matters here is that Lance and Johan dominate the conversation. And aside from Hincapie getting "The Look" from Lance when he interrupted one of Lance's soliloquy's to ask Jan a serious question, there is nothing to see other than Jan looking on while the bros relive the glory days.
Jan seemed to be a bit tipsy and uncomfortable speaking English, which just made the spectacle even sadder.

This was my exact take when I watched the vid a week ago shortly after upload.
Or rather, the starting point knowing what's coming from Lance's voice already after a few secs:
"I'll save the best for last".
And then immediately just skates the most casually over the presentation of Jan, as if he didn't care about him.

The first time at The Move was more interesting
Now with Lance seeming more patronizing than ever.
And Johan's chain that now falls off completely more and more often. And this even a cozy presentation without post race analysis.
It's a real shame with so much potential for great presentation and content.
But Lance has driven himself further into a corner where he seems cramped/locked. It shines so much through.

 

[sevenall]

Jan seemed to be a bit tipsy and uncomfortable speaking English, which just made the spectacle even sadder.

Wishing Jan Ullrich all possible health, happiness and success.

 

[the delgados]

This was my exact take when I watched the vid a week ago shortly after upload.
Or rather, the starting point knowing what's coming from Lance's voice already after a few secs:
"I'll save the best for last".
And then immediately just skates the most casually over the presentation of Jan, as if he didn't care about him.

The first time at The Move was more interesting
Now with Lance seeming more patronizing than ever.
And Johan's chain that now falls off completely more and more often. And this even a cozy presentation without post race analysis.
It's a real shame with so much potential for great presentation and content.
But Lance has driven himself further into a corner where he seems cramped/locked. It shines so much through.

Lance doesn't know how to talk about anything other than himself. It's a shame that he used Jan as a prop when, as you say, so much more could have been said.
You know Lance is bullschitting when he says everyone always asks about Jan, but that's how he rolls.
I like Hincapie. He seems like a smart and thoughtful person, which makes me wonder what's really going on in his head. Surely he knows Lance is a pretentious ***, yet he remains forever loyal.

 

[webvan]

So is that Amazon Germany official documentary out ?

 

[scribers]

Lance doesn't know how to talk about anything other than himself. It's a shame that he used Jan as a prop when, as you say, so much more could have been said.
You know Lance is bullschitting when he says everyone always asks about Jan, but that's how he rolls.
I like Hincapie. He seems like a smart and thoughtful person, which makes me wonder what's really going on in his head. Surely he knows Lance is a pretentious ***, yet he remains forever loyal.

Different personalities work with different people. George has a genuine friendship with Lance that stretches back to the early 90's. And they frequently laugh off Lance's shitty personality traits. Lately, they seem to be doing a lot of business together around the podcast which are very entertaining. They all are well aware of how and why they did things and they expressly regret a lot of it. Even Lance frequently dips into his personality flaws.

I listen to a lot of different podcasts and lance's stuff with Bruyneel in particular is newsworthy itself. Many other podcasts just repeat things we read in here with the same level of expertise.

 

[the delgados]

Different personalities work with different people. George has a genuine friendship with Lance that stretches back to the early 90's. And they frequently laugh off Lance's shitty personality traits. Lately, they seem to be doing a lot of business together around the podcast which are very entertaining. They all are well aware of how and why they did things and they expressly regret a lot of it. Even Lance frequently dips into his personality flaws.

I listen to a lot of different podcasts and lance's stuff with Bruyneel in particular is newsworthy itself. Many other podcasts just repeat things we read in here with the same level of expertise.

I can only speak for myself when saying I'm not looking for "regrets" or apologies or whatever. I don't need Lance to confirm that he's a douchebag; that has been well documented.
My only issue here is you suggesting that what they're doing is interesting.
Seems like a circle jerk to me.

 

[scribers]

You might have some unresolved issues that might require some healthy attention. They are banned from the sport, except for Hincapie. And they are easy enough to not watch/listen to.

 

[the delgados]

You might have some unresolved issues that might require some healthy attention. They are banned from the sport, except for Hincapie. And they are easy enough to not watch/listen to.

Sorry to offend your sensitivities.

 

[Rob5091]

So is that Amazon Germany official documentary out ?

November 28 was the release date.

He's done an interview with Stern ahead of the documentary at
https://www.stern.de/sport/intervie...t-er-jetzt-ueber-seinen-absturz-34214604.html
(NB! In German!)

I see an English resume is at
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...-it-was-like-going-to-a-gunfight-with-a-knife
The German rider confesses in declarations collected by AS that from the beginning he realized that in order to be able to compete he had to be part of doping: "I learned very early on that doping was rampant. I was taught that I was good, with great talent, that I trained with great dedication and that I had all the necessary skills. But I was told that if I wanted to stay there, I had to participate."

 

[Fantastico]

He's done an interview with Stern ahead of the documentary at
https://www.stern.de/sport/intervie...t-er-jetzt-ueber-seinen-absturz-34214604.html
(NB! In German!)

There's also a joint interview with him and Lance Armstrong in Zeit Magazin (it's German and requires a Zeit subscription, though):

Jan Ullrich und Lance Armstrong: "Wir haben unsere Existenzen in die Luft gejagt"

Die ewigen Rivalen sind längst beste Freunde. In ihrem ersten gemeinsamen Interview sprechen Jan Ullrich und Lance Armstrong über ihr Leben nach den Dopingskandalen.

www.zeit.de

 

[search]

There's also a joint interview with him and Lance Armstrong in Zeit Magazin (it's German and requires a Zeit subscription, though):

Jan Ullrich und Lance Armstrong: "Wir haben unsere Existenzen in die Luft gejagt"

Die ewigen Rivalen sind längst beste Freunde. In ihrem ersten gemeinsamen Interview sprechen Jan Ullrich und Lance Armstrong über ihr Leben nach den Dopingskandalen.

www.zeit.de

archive.ph does the trick for Zeit articles: https://archive.ph/XcYTX

 

[webvan]

Has anyone watched the documentary ?
There's a long interview with Seppelt o YT, it's in German but subbed, just started watching it

View: https://youtu.be/xTBp2X8Vpq8?si=6659WuhNbKQd4wjs

 

[Fantastico]

For those who speak German, there's also a very long interview for the German podcast "Hotel Matze". It's not subbed in English, unfortunately. It was much deeper and personal than the other interviews I've watched so far.

 

[Ulle97]

Hey guys,

Was just looking back at old vids of the 1998 TDF.
If anyone recalls the mountain stage to Plateau de Beille, Ullrich got a flat on the base of the climb and was lead back to the peloton by his teammates.
I was amazed at the effort Jan, Bolts and Aldag had to give just to get back up to the peloton. It looked like a monstrous effort and it appeared that having to produce such an energy spike would diminish your performance against the other favourites who continued riding a steady tempo.

I have never raced in a competition or even ridden a meaningful col. But I want to ask any of the experienced people here, would the energy that he 'wasted' to get back to the group impacted his time loss on the stage. He lost 1'40 to Pantani on the climb. Could he have reduced this loss or was a 1'40 gap going to happen anyway??

 

[Netserk]

No doubt that would affect his finish time.

Where/when exactly did he puncture? Depending on pacing and how it affected drafting, up to most of the initial time loss would translate to time lost at the finish.

 

[Ulle97]

Thanks for the reply Netserk.

Plateau de Beille is about a 16km climb. He punctured right at the base of the climb. They didn't give time gaps but he had to be paced for about 3/4mins going past the dropped riders like they were standing still.
The peloton didn't slow down or wait really from what I could see.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Plateau de Beille Top 4 Fastest times:
1. 1998: 43:20 Marco Pantani 21.88 km/h
2. 2007: 44:08 Alberto Contador 21.62 km/h
3. 2007: 44:08 Michael Rasmussen 21.62 km/h
4. 1998: 44:26 Jan Ullrich 21.34 km/h

He did the climb a minute slower while the gap was 1:40 in the end so the puncture definitely cost him. Additionally as you said, the extra effort at the beginning as well as trying to go with Pantani at first who attacked quite quickly after he got back definitely were not ideal spikes for a steady tempo rider like him. His bigger problem was also that everyone sat on him and refused to help after Pantani had been distanced.
I guess in an ideal scenario he only loses 40-50 seconds but who knows. Either way, he lost the Tour on Les Deux Alpes so it didn't really matter in the end.

 

[Ulle97]

Plateau de Beille Top 4 Fastest times:
1. 1998: 43:20 Marco Pantani 21.88 km/h
2. 2007: 44:08 Alberto Contador 21.62 km/h
3. 2007: 44:08 Michael Rasmussen 21.62 km/h
4. 1998: 44:26 Jan Ullrich 21.34 km/h

He did the climb a minute slower while the gap was 1:40 in the end so the puncture definitely cost him. Additionally as you said, the extra effort at the beginning as well as trying to go with Pantani at first who attacked quite quickly after he got back definitely were not ideal spikes for a steady tempo rider like him. His bigger problem was also that everyone sat on him and refused to help after Pantani had been distanced.
I guess in an ideal scenario he only loses 40-50 seconds but who knows. Either way, he lost the Tour on Les Deux Alpes so it didn't really matter in the end.

That's for sure!! The time loss on Les Deux Alpes was what cost him.
Although, when you look at the weather that day on the Galibier, there is a strong chance that the stage would have been cancelled in the 2024 era.