Jan Ullrich

[Cobblestoned]

Around his neck he now looks a little bit like Eddy Merckx now, and his **** looks like JLo's , but 10 racedays and then der Jan should be competitive again.

Looks like he has a contract with Katusha.

 

[mewmewmew13]

Those are good! Thanx for posting C.
love to hear updates from Ulle ...

wish he WAS still racing

 

[webvan]

Yes I'm sure he could still hold his own, heck look at what Horner is doing is 2+ years older. Natural talent doens't go away. He put on too much muscle after 2003, probably desperate to find a way to compete with the Uniballer. 2004 must have been such a disappointment after the 2003 near miss.

 

[Cobblestoned]

I really wonder when there finally will be decisions made by CAS or if his case will ever be closed, or opened or whatever.

Anyway, for a long long time now, the wargriders are sent out, as soon as der Jan moves.
You can count down every time he does or says something...3,2,1...the hunters come out to remind him and all the people about what a bad boy he is.

And Gollum is always hiding in the woods

 

[webvan]

I wonder what would happen if he DID decide to race again. It would be hard for anyone to argue that he didn't serve his time since it's been 5 years now. Although I guess some nutters would argue that it would have been a second failed test after the "ecstasy" incident from 2002...

 

[Neworld]

Yes I'm sure he could still hold his own, heck look at what Horner is doing is 2+ years older. Natural talent doens't go away. He put on too much muscle after 2003, probably desperate to find a way to compete with the Uniballer. 2004 must have been such a disappointment after the 2003 near miss.

I know what you mean as to a potential comeback today, or, the missed years between 2006 and now. Man, in 2006 he looked ready to kill. But, he looks too happy to return to a drug laden sport...they must feel like pin cushions of throw-away meat.

If you want to feel sorry for Ulle, rewatch the 1998 TdF. I cannot count the number of times, critical moments too, where he was all alone or punctured while having the yellow jersey and had to race back without anyone from the peloton slowing down.

Hopefully a book will come in the next decade, and I'm embarrassed to ask....an English version.

I've asked before... does anyone know of JU's VO2Max?

NW

 

[webvan]

I still remember that terrible day in 1998 when he lost 9 minutes to Pantani...To be fair when he punctured Pantani was already far away so he couldn't be expected to wait for him. I do remember reading that he'd try to go back full throttle on his own without waiting for his teammates to help him out and as a result burnt himself out completely.

 

[Neworld]

I still remember that terrible day in 1998 when he lost 9 minutes to Pantani...To be fair when he punctured Pantani was already far away so he couldn't be expected to wait for him. I do remember reading that he'd try to go back full throttle on his own without waiting for his teammates to help him out and as a result burnt himself out completely.

I cannot remember how far Pantani was up the road when he punctured, but I will take your word for it. I think he punctured on two climbs that tour.

I did like it when JU and MP broke away that last day in the mountains, MP stayed with Jan and then basically let him win in a pseudosprint...if you watch MP is looking sideways in the final 50m to make sure Jan wins. MP had some moments of Coke clarity with a dash of good sportsmanship.

NW

 

[rzombie1988]

I really think Jan retired too early. He certainly had a few good years left in him and had he not gotten taken out of the TdF 2006, I think it would have been his year. Then again, I think I could have won the 2006 TdF with how careless the peloton was. He could still come back now and probably get within the top 10.

 

[RdBiker]

I really think Jan retired too early. He certainly had a few good years left in him and had he not gotten taken out of the TdF 2006, I think it would have been his year. Then again, I think I could have won the 2006 TdF with how careless the peloton was. He could still come back now and probably get within the top 10.

If he wouldn't have retired the Germans would've dragged him through the mud, beat him up in the press and then dragged him through the mud again so I think he really had no choice.

I can't help but feel nostalgic every time I read about Ullrich. And I was really looking forward to 2006: Ullrich vs. Basso...what a pity.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Don't forget guys that Jan wanted to continue in 2007. He trained hard during winter and was in trainingcamps in Mallorca in 2007. Actually Jan looked better then ever did in January/ February before.
However, it was in the trainingscamp in Mallorca that Jan realised that little had changed in cycling and in order to be competitive you still had to juice quiet a bit. But Jan knew that with the German media on his abck , it would have been impossible to return for him. They would have observed him 24 hours a day. So Jan was frustarted about the situation and announced his retirement. Thw whole situationw as very frustrating for him and we know that Jan got even cery sick (Burn out). But now it seems that Jan has made his peace and has ahappy life again. But it certainly wasn't a easy time for him. And he most defenitly didn't want to end his career like this. But he didn't get the chance to redeem, himself.

 

[Cobblestoned]

I know what you mean as to a potential comeback today, or, the missed years between 2006 and now. Man, in 2006 he looked ready to kill. But, he looks too happy to return to a drug laden sport...they must feel like pin cushions of throw-away meat.

If you want to feel sorry for Ulle, rewatch the 1998 TdF. I cannot count the number of times, critical moments too, where he was all alone or punctured while having the yellow jersey and had to race back without anyone from the peloton slowing down.

Hopefully a book will come in the next decade, and I'm embarrassed to ask....an English version.

I've asked before... does anyone know of JU's VO2Max?

NW

I have some datasheets on my other computer at home.
Will post some later, but not really sure if there was VO2Max in it.

 

[Bavarianrider]

I have some datasheets on my other computer at home.
Will post some later, but not really sure if there was VO2Max in it.

By the when i had the blessing to meet Jan in 08 he said before the Tour in 06he had a resting heart beat of 28 The lowest he had ever measured in his career.
If i remember correctly VO2 max was 86 but i am not absolutely sure anymore.

 

[Bavarianrider]

In June/July a book about Ullrich will come out. It will discuss doping issues.

The title is " Jan Ullrich der eltzte Kaiser des Radsporst"?

Jan Ullrich the last emperror of cycling?

 

[Der_Gestreifte]

In June/July a book about Ullrich will come out. It will discuss doping issues.

The title is " Jan Ullrich der eltzte Kaiser des Radsporst"?

Jan Ullrich the last emperror of cycling?

That´s some funny typo.

 

[Bavarianrider]

That´s some funny typo.

oooops, :

 

[Cobblestoned]

This is all I found about der Jan that could be somehow interesting in that document, and like recalled, no VO2max data from der Jan in it.
Just general VO2max stuff and numbers, and other scientific babble about cycling and doping.

 

[Zigster]

did a rider of Ullrich's height and weight ever win a grand tour before Indurain in '91?

 

[mad black]

In a clean field Jan would have smoked anyone: Did he dope yes, but Jan is more of a victim of the doping era then anything else. When more or less equally juiced like the rest he was a freak of nature. Look what he did in 96-98 at such a young age. And even then he was one of the guys who weren't pushing the limits of doping and so on.
From 2000 on while guys like Lance were still jucing to the max Jan was riding the Tour at 42% hamatokrit. The Jan Ullrich of 2001 is maybe the best a rider has ever been without blood doping.
Jan was often cricised for his big gears from 200 onwards but the truth is, he was putting on muscles and pushing those big gears in order to compensate the lack of hämatokrit. In 2006 Jan would have smoke anyone again, as he was finally equally juiced to his competitors again. In his last year Jan wanted to win again, and i don't blame him. Jan didn't cheat on anyone.

C'mon man! Not saying I'm not a fan of Jan but doesn't this go a little too far? Where do you take these numbers from?

Honestly Jan was always as doped as Lance was. And he definitely was doing blood doping in 2001 like anyone else with ambitions of winning the Tour. Christ, he was at least doing EPO in '96 along with Bjarne and definitely in '97.

The two reasons why he came second to Lance were the lack of team comittment (or stupity of DS's) and his complete lack of cunningness. Both of those traits were mastered by LA. He came second because he was second best at the time.

 

[Frosty]

From the infamous instant messenger conversation

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/landis/instantmessage.html

Kevin Livingstone had changed teams from US Postal so i doubt they would tell him exactly what they were doing if there were doing anything - not sure it means much without some way of knowing how much Kevin knew.

 

[Neworld]

From the infamous instant messenger conversation

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/landis/instantmessage.html

Kevin Livingstone had changed teams from US Postal so i doubt they would tell him exactly what they were doing if there were doing anything - not sure it means much without some way of knowing how much Kevin knew.

True. It would be interesting to hear from KL, and A. Kloden...both having raced with LA and JU. In what context did KL 'hear' the JU's HCT was never higher than 43 ? Did all members of Telekom have access to all other riders maybe posted on one sheet for all to peruse? Did Jan just tell him one day on a ride. Its hard to imagine that the Telekom teammates, MDs and DSs never peppered KL for info on the doping practices of the Posties.

Not sure why Jan would like to KL. If I was KL and my team leader told me that his HCT was only 43 amoungst a peloton having a mean HCT of 48-50... I wouldn't have much confidence that my efforts to support him were worthwhile. More like a fixed determination of team failure.

And, KL is renting space in Mellow Johnny's right now? Wow, how bizarre. I'd love to hear his sworn testimony that will undoubtedly come to light in the next year.

NW

 

[Bavarianrider]

did a rider of Ullrich's height and weight ever win a grand tour before Indurain in '91?

In the early years of the Tour, cyclists were rather big and strong men. So certainly there were many winners bigger and taller then him. Actually the assumption that GT winners have to be as super light as they are today is rather new.

 

[Bavarianrider]

This is all I found about der Jan that could be somehow interesting in that document, and like recalled, no VO2max data from der Jan in it.
Just general VO2max stuff and numbers, and other scientific babble about cycling and doping.

Where did you get this from?
Do you know how long intervalls were on that second test? 500 watts baby

 

[Bavarianrider]

C'mon man! Not saying I'm not a fan of Jan but doesn't this go a little too far? Where do you take these numbers from?

Honestly Jan was always as doped as Lance was. And he definitely was doing blood doping in 2001 like anyone else with ambitions of winning the Tour. Christ, he was at least doing EPO in '96 along with Bjarne and definitely in '97.

The two reasons why he came second to Lance were the lack of team comittment (or stupity of DS's) and his complete lack of cunningness. Both of those traits were mastered by LA. He came second because he was second best at the time.

He most defentely rode the Tours in 2000/2001 without blood manipulation. Livingston confirmed it for example.
Come on equally juiced Lance would have had nothing on Ullrich. I think 99,9%of people in cycling would agree on that.

 

[Zigster]

In the early years of the Tour, cyclists were rather big and strong men. So certainly there were many winners bigger and taller then him. Actually the assumption that GT winners have to be as super light as they are today is rather new.

ahh yes you mean big men like very early TDF winners Maurice Garin (1.62m/60kg) or Charly Gaul(1.73m/64kg)? or maybe you mean massive pre-war TDF winners like Jean Robic(1.61m/60kg) or Gino Bartali (1.7m)?