Professional Cycling For the Fans - Ullrich is looking lean and mean this year

At the 2006 team presentation... http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/news/jan06/t-mobile_pres/IMG_0189.jpg


Story at velonews and/or cyclingnews

Yikes, where did he go? :eek:

God, he looks good... as usual. *sigh*

Koffee

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been praying for a lean mean "offseason" jan for years. This is his LAST chance...go you good thing.

That new doo makes him look a bit like a cross dresser. Alas Jan looks like he finally started the season with a seriousness that could bring him the tour performance we've all expected from him. Unfortunately for him Basso and CSC will be at the tour to keep him off the top step once again.

That new doo makes him look a bit like a cross dresser. Alas Jan looks like he finally started the season with a seriousness that could bring him the tour performance we've all expected from him. Unfortunately for him Basso and CSC will be at the tour to keep him off the top step once again.

You are probably right, but I will be rooting for Jan. Ivan has plenty of time to rack up 5 in a row... This year I just want to see Jan and Tmobile attack... its was so boring watching him just stay on lance's wheel (when he could) the past few years.

I think the guy to watch is going to be Vinokourov.

Wow.

I've been watching the 05 tour from Netflix.
He does look slim and trim compared to what I watched last night.

Wow.

I've been watching the 05 tour from Netflix.
He does look slim and trim compared to what I watched last night.


Hey me too...lol... The discs are taking like 4 days to get to me though.. (grrr)

Hey me too...lol... The discs are taking like 4 days to get to me though.. (grrr)

Yeah. They probably only have like 1 set or something. I actually don't have a TV - so my GF is getting them with her Netflix account.


I started on disc 3, as the first few had a "significant wait".
Stage 11 with the Vino solo climb and Botero chasing on the decent was excellent.

I need the next disc to watch the end of stage 14 (it asked to switch discs mid climb!).

wow, does jan even know how to train during the spring without focusing on loosing weight? this is the first time i can remeber him not having a gut in january, he's probobly within 5 kilos of his ideal tour weight.

go jan!

WOW he is looking terrific. I am really pulling for Jan this year, as I have the previous 2 years. I hope T-Mobile can be a bit more aggressive this year so they can get Jan the top podium step.

Yikes, where did he go? :eek:

To a blind barber? :eek:

Seriously though, I like Jan and I hope he wins another Tour before retiring. It's going to be great this year to watch Jan, Ivan, and Vino (plus Mancebo?) slugging it out!

looking good looking fast

At the 2006 team presentation... http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/news/jan06/t-mobile_pres/IMG_0189.jpg


Story at velonews and/or cyclingnews





looks like the squad will once again be sporting the shure uhf with a beta 87 capsule...




sweet... with a nice bump around 10k.

looks like the squad will once again be sporting the shure uhf with a beta 87 capsule...




sweet... with a nice bump around 10k.


I'm a Schoeps fan myself.

I'm a Schoeps fan myself.







if i were to record the team presentation (to two inch, of course) i'd definately go woth the schoeps...

but for the live gig... the uhf will do.




schoeps = campy record, full carbon.

shure uhf/beta 87 = shimano ultegra

To a blind barber? :eek:

Seriously though, I like Jan and I hope he wins another Tour before retiring. It's going to be great this year to watch Jan, Ivan, and Vino (plus Mancebo?) slugging it out!

By that comment, I meant bodyfat, not hairstyle, dear.

Koffee

all audio talk aside, jan does look quite fit... i hope he has a good year.

if i were to record the team presentation (to two inch, of course) i'd definately go woth the schoeps...

but for the live gig... the uhf will do.




schoeps = campy record, full carbon.

shure uhf/beta 87 = shimano ultegra

When I was into recording concerts I would run this as my setup.. Schoeps MK4s > Reutelhuber Schoeps preamp > SBM-1(44.1Khz) > TCD-D8

Now the guys are going directly onto laptops... It was fun for a few years though. Sold most of my stuff to some stoner for about 90% of what I paid....so its all good (back to the topic at hand...)

Ullrich rules.

Nine years between TDF would be sort of amazing! :eek:

Good for him...I hope he does it this year...

Anyone have comments on the course itself and what type of rider it suits best?

I think the guy to watch is going to be Vinokourov.


What team is Vinokourov riding for? I know he was negotiating with discovery but that didnt happen. Or has it changed?

Liberty seguros

Jan sure has "the look" this year. Ooops - no pun intended :)

Good for him...I hope he does it this year...

Anyone have comments on the course itself and what type of rider it suits best?

The course suits Jan. Two LONG TT's, no TTT, and while there are mountains...I think he will be able to hang with Ivan. It will be interesting though. You will have two guys with different specialties attacking eachother....though they may not ride together much. Ivan will go for it on the climbs, and Jan will do most of his damage in the TT's

The course suits Jan. Two LONG TT's, no TTT, and while there are mountains...I think he will be able to hang with Ivan. It will be interesting though. You will have two guys with different specialties attacking eachother....though they may not ride together much. Ivan will go for it on the climbs, and Jan will do most of his damage in the TT's
Jan is always a threat in the mountains. Especially with the shape he appears to be in. He may use the same strategy that Lance used the past 7 years. That combination would play to his strengths seems. Just thinking out of the box a bit.

Jan looks really good at this point.

Here's the definition of cruel irony..... Suppose the French continually piss off Lance through the winter/spring so he decides to train in secret for the next few months and Johan announces his team for the Criterium Internationale which includes Lance in preparation for the 06 tour. Can you imagine being a fly on the wall in Ullrichs hotel room/home/trailer when he hears the news...?

Jan looks really good at this point.

Here's the definition of cruel irony..... Suppose the French continually piss off Lance through the winter/spring so he decides to train in secret for the next few months and Johan announces his team for the Criterium Internationale which includes Lance in preparation for the 06 tour. Can you imagine being a fly on the wall in Ullrichs hotel room/home/trailer when he hears the news...?


Maybe that would make him mad enough to seriously challenge him? 2003 was my fav tour... It was so nice to see Jan on the offensive. These past two years he totally threw in the towel... I kinda hope he totally dominates this year.

Suppose the French continually piss off Lance through the winter/spring so he decides to train in secret for the next few months and Johan announces his team for the Criterium Internationale which includes Lance in preparation for the 06 tour. Can you imagine being a fly on the wall in Ullrichs hotel room/home/trailer when he hears the news...?
Pro Tour teams have to annouce members in January. You can't have a rider turn up who hasn't been annouced.

yah, Jan looks buff but know what, don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.
Basso's year.

marty

It's all about the team. Do they back him 100%? Or is it whoever looks better after they start? Do I recall the coach badmouthing him in the press at the last tour? I think T-Mobile needs to get it together or it doesn't matter how good Jan is looking.

It's all about the team. Do they back him 100%? Or is it whoever looks better after they start? Do I recall the coach badmouthing him in the press at the last tour? I think T-Mobile needs to get it together or it doesn't matter how good Jan is looking.

Agreed. The major advantage Basso has for July is a very coherent team CSC. T-mobile lost Vinokourov, which is a good thing, because he was disruptive and not a team rider.
While LA had the legs, I feel that the contribution of his team mates is constantly understated.

My big concern for Basso is a very fit Ullrich and the fact that Ullrich will not be at the Giro. This year's giro will be a leg breaker.

It's all about the team. Do they back him 100%? Or is it whoever looks better after they start? Do I recall the coach badmouthing him in the press at the last tour? I think T-Mobile needs to get it together or it doesn't matter how good Jan is looking.

You've hit the nail on the head. Ever since 1997, Jan has been plagued by many things which he has used over the years as an excuse. But one thing is clear, he hates change and under Walter Godefroot, he has lots of it.

Jan has since been able to pull enough strings with the sponsors to setup an environment around himself that is similar to his winning environment back during his tour win. Including having his old mentor Pevenage reinstated as Director Sportif. With Vino and Zabel gone, They now can build a team of 9 riders fully in support of Jan's efforts. Kloden and Michael Rogers have both stated publically that they are loyal lieutenants to Der Kaiser. That's something that was missing in previous tours.

Factor in that this year's route is TT intensive and less mountain finishes than previous years, and the horizon looks even more optimistic than previous years.

If Jan does not do it this year, he will have run out of excuses and patience with the public and his sponsors.

Yeah, and he's running out of time age-wise, too. What is he, like 32? As a rival for Armstrong, I have to say he's been a disappointment, but maybe with his teammates behind him he'll change my mind. But my first choice is Basso. :)

Never disregard discovery and Paulo Salvodelli.

Never disregard discovery and Paulo Salvodelli.


Quite right. However, Salvodelli will be aiming for a Giro repeat. He probably won't be up to form to compete for a podium spot in July.

Quite right. However, Salvodelli will be aiming for a Giro repeat. He probably won't be up to form to compete for a podium spot in July.

Discovery has already stated that is the case.

Agreed. The major advantage Basso has for July is a very coherent team CSC. T-mobile lost Vinokourov, which is a good thing, because he was disruptive and not a team rider.
While LA had the legs, I feel that the contribution of his team mates is constantly understated.

My big concern for Basso is a very fit Ullrich and the fact that Ullrich will not be at the Giro. This year's giro will be a leg breaker.

Hmmm. I would like to see Basso and Ullrich compete on equal footing, but I can see Jan's desire to give everything to the tour. Armstrong has done the same in the past, and I never felt that was wrong. It's going to be an interesting year. People who say the tour will be less interesting because Armstrong won't be there haven't been paying attention. I'm thinking this year will be more interesting because he won't be there. (That's not a dig to Armstrong, I have alot of respect for him and feel he earned every tour he won.)

Ditto. With Armstrong out of the way, it's like a 5 way race... and it could go any way, including a newbie out there bursting on the T de F scene and stealing everyone's thunder.

I gotta get my tivo set up so I can get it all burned onto dvd! I don't want to miss a minute of the action.

Koffee

At the 2006 team presentation... http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/news/jan06/t-mobile_pres/IMG_0189.jpg


Story at velonews and/or cyclingnews
Kloden looks ********.

Thank you for your thoughtful, mature, and meaningful contribution.

Thank you for your thoughtful, mature, and meaningful contribution.

Hey, Jared's got a point.

Hey, Jared's got a point.

Made me laugh.
I really do hope Jan can pull this out, I like Jan a lot and I would love to see him come back and win one, esp after having his ass handed to him in the TT last year. (I will never get sick of seeing that clip though, kind of along the same lines as Dr. J's freethorw line dunk, its just cool.)

I am perplexed as to the popularity of Basso. He can hold a high pace in the mountains.......but has never won a thing. With the course profile as it is, I don't think Ullrich is losing sleep over this guy.

They say the backup quarterback is the most popular player on the team- until he has to throw the ball.

yah, Jan looks buff but know what, don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.
Basso's year.

marty

don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing

What the hell is that supposed to mean. Lance himself said that Jan is the most talented guy in the peloton, which means if Ullrich ever shows up in shape, it's all over.

Jan is in shape, so barring a repeat of T-Mobile's idiotic tactics from last year's TDT and an absence of crashing into his team car the week before the race, Jan's a lock this year considering how the TT routes are laid out.

I'm goin' with Jan. It's going to be great race this year. I gotta chime in a say that this is my favorite mic. I'll never get rid of it.



http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/1648/e20027ol.jpg (http://www.cadmics.com/e200_2.htm)

i like anything that's shock-mounted.

In my opinion, one of the most amazing photos from 2005 Tour was Ullrich shaking hands with Armstrong after the first stage (or did they consider it a prologue?), when Armstrong passed Ullrich. You KNOW that if the tables had been turned, Armstrong wouldn't have been hanging around to be shaking hands. I hope that Der Kaiser has the Yellow Jersey at the end of the Tour this year.

I also hope that some network in America is broadcasting it! OLN doesn't seem to have any mention of cycling for 2006 on their web site. Perhaps that's related to the squabbles between the Grand Tour organizers and the UCI Pro Tour organizers? This should be one of the most exciting Tours since the turn of the century, and it would be a shame if we couldn't watch daily coverage due to a pissing match between the UCI and race organizers.

This should be one of the most exciting Tours since the turn of the century

SHOULD? Umm. I dunno about that.... It will be exciting, but the fact that you're already stating it SHOULD be the MOST exciting since the TURN OF THE CENTURY makes me a little skeptical of your sense of excitement / bike racing history.

SHOULD? Umm. I dunno about that.... It will be exciting, but the fact that you're already stating it SHOULD be the MOST exciting since the TURN OF THE CENTURY makes me a little skeptical of your sense of excitement / bike racing history.

Relax. I'm sure he meant the turn of the 21st century.

I also hope that some network in America is broadcasting it! OLN doesn't seem to have any mention of cycling for 2006 on their web site. Perhaps that's related to the squabbles between the Grand Tour organizers and the UCI Pro Tour organizers? This should be one of the most exciting Tours since the turn of the century, and it would be a shame if we couldn't watch daily coverage due to a pissing match between the UCI and race organizers.

You're kidding, right?

They won't show it because the ********* won't be in it.