posted Feb 27, 2007

I don't think he let anyone down simply because he didn't win the Tour 7 times against the new school Armstrong? He had five second place finishes, along with a fourth place (2004), a third in 2005 and a silver & gold medal in Sydney 2000. He also won the Vuelta in 1999. If Ullrich let us all down because he ate too many pies in the off season, then what were the other 190-odd talented riders also doing wrong each year to not be able to challenge Armstrong come the Tour? The facts just don't add up, nor the cake stories, nor his attitude or training. He was the best of the rest when it came to the tour and he did it for nearly 10 years – consistently. Armstrong was simply better for whatever reason I think?

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posted Feb 28, 2007

Under achiever?

He was better than everyone except Armstrong.

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posted Feb 28, 2007

Based on his talent and early demonstrations of power in time trials and the mountains, he clearly should have won at least 2 or 3 more tours.

There's a reason he couldn't hang with Armstrong in the mountains...it had everything to do with his lack of a winter training regimen...

Ullrich squandered his talent!

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posted Feb 28, 2007

Nobody else could keep up with Ullrich though smarauder68, so did they all waste their talent even more?

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posted Feb 28, 2007

I agree with that. If only Jan had tried a bit more in the off season.

Armstrong was a guy who took it all so much more seriously. ALL YEAR ROUND. He surrounded himself with similar types. He also commanded a team far better. The US Postal, and later Discovery was a fine team they had it sorted.
I'd love to hear what Armstrong has to say about it all.

Good luck Jan you will be missed.

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posted Feb 28, 2007

I think Armstrong is on record as saying Jan should have tried a bit more in the off season.

Even so, I don't think it explains all his near misses. In 2005 things were looking good for a showdown and then he crashes through the team-car window the day before stage 1, a 19 km ITT. A week later he crashes on stage 9, two days before the critical Courchevel stage. Was he unlucky or unfocussed? Both?

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posted Mar 4, 2007

Yeah yeah yeah, coulda, shoulda, woulda...

We all know about Ullrich's problems, but those are part of the man he is. In my opinion, he realised his potential.

Can't see how you can criticise anyone for coming second to Armstrong. Unless of course, you're some kind of loudmouth critic who gets off on finding fault with other people's achievements?

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posted Mar 8, 2007

smarauder68

Get yourself over to http://justcycling.blogspot.com/

We have been wondering when you would rise from the ashes. Naspa really misses you.

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posted Mar 24, 2007

Can't really agree with that - more likely armstrong was a one-off, ullrich was a great rider. Also ullrich was more of an all-rounder whereas armstrong focused solely on the tdf. It was a pleasure to have him around and surely like pantani was a character that will be missed.

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