1997 saw Yan Ullrich at the top of his game as he won the Tour de France with the absence of Lance Armstrong, at the time Lance was in the fight of his life as he battled cancer. However since 1999 Ullrich has played “second fiddle” to Armstrong as he has dominated the sport (and specifically the TDF) like no other rider before him. This years addition to the tour will mark a turning point, an end of an era if you will … the Lance Armstrong Era!
What this means for Ullrich of course is one last shot, one last chance to beat the man, one last Tour to challenge himself and beat to true champion on so many levels. Any Tour de France win for any rider is an accomplishment of a life time and many pro cyclists couldn’t even imagine winning one tour. However for Yan Ullich, winning the tour “against Lance” carriers much more weight. During the Tour de Suisse Yan claimed that he is ready and on track. ”All that interests us is the yellow jersey,”Ullrich said. ”I’ve always said winning the Tour against Lance Armstrong carries greater weight. That’s why I plan to do it in his last year.”
Not wanting to take any unnecessary risks before the tour Ullrich has decided to skip this years German National Championships (road race) which was held on the 26th of June. Yan has won his national race twice in the past, but felt continued training and staying out of the fray was a smart move. Ullrich will be backed by an incredibly strong T-Mobile team this year that should be more focused on yellow with the absence of six time green jersey winner Erik Zabel. Many have speculated that with Zabel in contention for the green jersey title in previous years the focus was not where it should have been (protecting Yan Ullrich).
2005 Tour de France T-Mobile Squad
- Jan Ullrich
- Alexandre Vinokourov
- Andreas Klöden
- Stephan Schreck
- Daniele Nardello
- Oscar Sevilla
- Matthias Kessler
- Tobias Steinhauser
- Giuseppe Guerini
Ullrich four time runner up to Armstrong say’s “I am at between 90-95% of my best form and improving every day,” time will tell. Personally, I don’t think Yan has what is needed when the tour enters into the mountains. While the man is incredibly strong in time trials he does not have the acceleration that is needed while climbing. Mountain stages have been his weak point in other tours against Lance and I think they will continue to plague the power-house German rider.
Related:
