Ullrich confessed

[hfer07]

I'm quite displeased with his so called "confession"-not because it was breaking news of course-but since its context is so plain and vague in details-perhaps the sole idea to claim it publicly/openly at last was what he "personally" desired, without making things worse for German Cycling"-which is why I quite understand him not calling out or compromising names.....

Still to me very likable & classy

 

[thehog]

I'm quite displeased with his so called "confession"-not because it was breaking news of course-but since its context is so plain and vague in details-perhaps the sole idea to claim it publicly/openly at last was what he "personally" desired, without making things worse for German Cycling"-which is why I quite understand him not calling out or compromising names.....

Still to me very likable & classy

He doesn't actually confess until tomorrow.

What you've read thus far is a teaser.

Bis morgan.

 

[Neworld]

Frankie never transfused. Either did VDV, or Dave Z. The list of riders who took EPO is long, very long. Transfusions? Not so much.

Frankie did lie to his wife though. As much as I like FA he doped and if he was given the green light to use EPO, cort and BBs no one knows that he would have taken the pseudo-high ground and say, "Nah, I'm only doing EPO."

Jan doped and paid the price. He'll always be a doper. Now, we have reports of parts of what he might say in full tomorrow, maybe we should wait and see what he says or doesn't say.

Since some posters are further carving up Jan for not doing enough to stop the Omerta and doping (which I agree with ) all I can say is he is not alone. As for well decorated GT performers in Jan's day that could have since openly admitted guilt here is a short list, off the top of my head, of potential soul cleansers (some are still actively racing):
C. Boardman A. Kloden
A. Olano I. Basso (still never admitted)
L. Jalabert C. Evans
S. OGrady M. Rogers
R. McEwen A. Schleck
B. Julich D. Cunego
A. Merckx F. Cancellera
E. Zabel T. Hushovd
C. Moreux S. Roche
P. Bettini M. Indurain...
E. Dekker
C. Sastre

 

[Berzin]

Wasn't there something about Armstrong warning the UCI about the goings-on in Spain at around the time Ullrich and the other cats got busted for Puerto?

I would think Ullrich would hold quite a grudge, seeing as this incident pretty much put paid to his professional career at a time when he had a few years at the top to try to win another Tour.

I would be a bit flustered too if this were the case.

 

[Race Radio]

Correct you are. Now see, that's why I never win the lottery. To clarify my statement though, when I use the word "doping" I include every method, whether it is EPO, transfusions, or other, since the intent of any method is to either gain advantage on another or reduce another's advantage.

Transfusions changed the "Everyone was doing it" narrative substantially. Super easy to take a shot, or if you are Riis two shots, but blood bags are a logistically, financially and mentally a much larger hurdle. Most said no.

The "Everyone" Jan and lance refer to is a comparatively small group

 

[Athame]

Wasn't there something about Armstrong warning the UCI about the goings-on in Spain at around the time Ullrich and the other cats got busted for Puerto?

iirc TH said he was warned by FL that Armstrong narc'ed him out to the UCI for
being on some "new $H!T" he was getting out of Spain.

 

[Race Radio]

iirc TH said he was warned by FL that Armstrong narc'ed him out to the UCI for
being on some "new $H!T" he was getting out of Spain.

Synthetic hemoglobin. Lance called the UCI and also sent a letter to some media after Mayo smoked him on the Ventoux in 2004

 

[Gregga]

Synthetic hemoglobin. Lance called the UCI and also sent a letter to some media after Mayo smoked him on the Ventoux in 2004

I thought that warning email was before the Tour in 2003 ?
2004 was when Hamilton had to meet Verbruggen in Aigle after the Dauphiné.

 

[RobbieCanuck]

Have you watched any tennis lately?

Your point?

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Someone asked earlier about EPO. In the interview, he very definiely refuses to address that question, when asked directly. Also says he never took any doping before he turned pro, but the Fuentes thing is the only thing he actually admits to in this interview.

Susan

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Someone asked earlier about EPO. In the interview, he very definiely refuses to address that question, when asked directly. Also says he never took any doping before he turned pro, but the Fuentes thing is the only thing he actually admits to in this interview.

Susan

Good to see he was the only DDR junior in history that didnt get a syringe in his behind, always knew that.

 

[hrotha]

So it's a standard "yes I doped a little at certain points of my career but I was the real deal so you shouldn't question my talent" kind of confession.

Seriously, Jan, if this is all you got, why bother?

 

[Frosty]

If any of them really cared they could arrange to be blood tested every day by an independent authority (s) while training heavily and then do some kind of big series of rides to show how talented they were, alpe d'huez time trial for instance. Be interested to see the results of this but i think the chance of it happening is 0%

 

[zastomito]

Agreed. But you can't expect them to do that either. By the time they are deep in cycling they are still just kids. It's up to teams to apply that kind of transparency. Chances of that happening also 0%. I recently asked promising 16 year old MTB rider if he ever doped and his answer was along the lines that he never tested positive. Go figure...

 

[arjanh]

Transfusions changed the "Everyone was doing it" narrative substantially. Super easy to take a shot, or if you are Riis two shots, but blood bags are a logistically, financially and mentally a much larger hurdle. Most said no.

The "Everyone" Jan and lance refer to is a comparatively small group

That's how we perceive it today. I guess the top riders at the time saw taking BBs as the logical next step. In that sense, it was business as usual.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Someone asked earlier about EPO. In the interview, he very definiely refuses to address that question, when asked directly. Also says he never took any doping before he turned pro, but the Fuentes thing is the only thing he actually admits to in this interview.

Susan

If Jan wants people to believe he never did EPO, or says he never did EPO, I don't believe him. One reason why is because EPO was tried by members of the old Telekom team. Evidence of that is Zabel's confession to having tried EPO. In the same confession, Zabel said he stopped using EPO because of what he called undesired side effects. That's no proof Jan used it, but with or without Rudy's involvement I have a hard time believing otherwise.

Possibly related to what Jan and Telekom did, I would be interested to hear what Kevin Livingstone has to say. Kevin quit pro cycling a bit early compared to many. I have always wondered, did he have some morals and leave USPS to escape the USPS EPO program? Only to find the same going on within his new Telekom team? Did he quit over his refusal to use EPO?

 

[webbie146]

Synthetic hemoglobin. Lance called the UCI and also sent a letter to some media after Mayo smoked him on the Ventoux in 2004

Armstrong didn't have access to Synthetic hemoglobin?

 

[GJB123]

It is pretty obvious that admitting to taking EPO would mean admitting he wons his one TdF on EPO. We all know that is 99.9% certain, but leave the guy some wiggle room to make it acceptable for himself. I can't imagine Ullrich coming in second in '96 when the entire peloton was charged to the gills. In '97 they turned it won a bit due to the new 50% rules but I would be highly surprised i Jan was totally clean for that Tour.

I am willing to believe he was cleanish for a few years after that in fear of being busted and that he only got back on the gear big time after having been smoked by a certain Texan who didn't give a fcuk.

 

[thehog]

I thought that warning email was before the Tour in 2003 ?
2004 was when Hamilton had to meet Verbruggen in Aigle after the Dauphiné.

Yes it was 2003. 2004 was Hamilton as Tyler was 2nd on Ventoux that day.

On the eve of the second stage of the Dauphiné Libéré in France, US Postal Service spokesman Jörg Muller confirmed that Lance Armstrong did send an e-mail to the Tour de France, UCI, and WADA warning of a specific doping method, as described in former Tour adjunct director Daniel Baal's new book, released Tuesday.

Despite insinuations by the French newspaper Le Monde that Armstrong's concern over the possible use of synthetic haemoglobin (derived from bovine blood) in the peloton was directed at his Spanish rivals in particular, Baal and the team both insist that the message was one of general interest and not an attack by the American.

"I saw the e-mail with my own eyes and there was nothing mean-spirited in Armstrong's message," Baal said, quoted in Tuesday's l'Equipe. "He said it in his usual fashion: Do what you can to look into this product..."

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2004/jun04/jun08news2

 

[thehog]

That's how we perceive it today. I guess the top riders at the time saw taking BBs as the logical next step. In that sense, it was business as usual.

200 bags of blood at Fuentes.

A good portion (bar the French) were doing it.

Doesn't make it right. But it wasn't an elitist thing.

15k got you a seat at the table.

 

[roundabout]

I keep forgetting. How many blood bags did Ullrich have in Fuentes' fridge? 6 or was it 7?

And how much did he pay? 70 000?

But no, not elitist. No way. Wasn't cheating anyone.

 

[thehog]

Yes it was 2003. 2004 was Hamilton as Tyler was 2nd on Ventoux that day.



http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2004/jun04/jun08news2

In saying that. No doubt Armstrong informed Hein of Mayo as well.

Considering that Mayo mechanic had to insert screws into his crankset out of fear of Mayo ripping them out of the bottom bracket.

 

[thehog]

I keep forgetting. How many blood bags did Ullrich have in Fuentes' fridge? 6 or was it 7?

And how much did he pay? 70 000?

But no, not elitist. No way. Wasn't cheating anyone.

6k was entry into the world of Fuentes.

15k got you a program including transfusions.

30k Siberia.

It was a menu.

But yes the more wealthy could afford more.

But Armstrong had the one thing everyone wanted. Protection.

 

[roundabout]

Armstrong being protected must be the reason for all the money Ullrich spent preparing for the 2006 Tour.

The guy was a hardcore doper full stop. I am amazed that people are still looking to rationalize his doping.

 

[thehog]

Armstrong being protected must be the reason for all the money Ullrich spent preparing for the 2006 Tour.

The guy was a hardcore doper full stop. I am amazed that people are still looking to rationalize his doping.

Sure. Ullrich is a doper. But cycling was junkieville during this period.

It only got worse after Festina. It went to the next level and went underground.

The Giro raids of 2001 they found some of the most ridiculous drug imaginable.

The sport was a mess.

Ullrich was always under immense pressure from the German press. They were insane. They'd follow him to McDonalds!