Professional Cycling For the Fans - Lance predicts Ullrich will win big -

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=sportsNews&storyID=2006-01-19T104542Z_01_L19467688_RTRUKOC_0_UK-CYCLING-ARMSTRONG.xml

He may have a chance if he trains properly. With all those second place finishes, you have to wonder how motivated he will be to win this one - now that Lance is gone.

It doesn't look like Jan will have to use the early season to work on getting the excess weight off. He looks pretty trim right now.

I could see it. The guy is definitely capable. If he actually gets a team that will focus and work for him this year, he could be very tough to beat, especially without Postal/Discovery there to target him. I still can't figure out what the heck T-Mobile was doing last year. That was insane. Kloden has already come out and said publically that he is pledging to support Ullrich without exception. Maybe they learned enough from last year to get their act together this time.

CSC and Riis learned a lot last year, and have improved as a team since then. They enter this season as the number one team in the world. They will be even tougher to beat.

Jan had a clause in his contract that stated if he started the season above a certain weight, I believe the numeber was 79kg, he would recieve a huge fine from the team. Somehow I feel his slim new look may have beed motivated by something other than the TdF.

What he really means is:

Now that I (the king) am gone, you, Ullrich, will be the best loser of them all. You will be #1.. of all the losers behind me.

I think its either going to be Jan. Basso and Valverde will be the other two on the podium.


Basso has gotten better at TT's....but Ullrich is a decent climber, and can TT faster than Basso.. Remember last year Ullrich ran into a car one day, and crashed another...

Last year in the final 55km TT Jan beat Basso by 1:30, and I think this year they have a couple LONG tt's. All he has to do is dominate the time trials, and stay close in the mountains.


No problem!

I think its either going to be Jan. Basso and Valverde will be the other two on the podium.


Basso has gotten better at TT's....but Ullrich is a decent climber, and can TT faster than Basso.. Remember last year Ullrich ran into a car one day, and crashed another...

Last year in the final 55km TT Jan beat Basso by 1:30, and I think this year they have a couple LONG tt's. All he has to do is dominate the time trials, and stay close in the mountains.


No problem!

Of course, it could work in Basso's favor that Jan has a tendency to run into things. :)

yeah, i think ullrich has a very good chance. especially with the TT's. my feeling is that basso and CSC aren't quite dominating enough to drive the pace high enough in the mountains to contain ullrich. the 30 or 40 seconds that someone may get on ullrich in the mountains will easily be made up in the TT. i hope he wins this year - even if the naysayers will say it was a victory only because armstrong wasn't there (which is true, but....)

What he really means is:

Now that I (the king) am gone, you, Ullrich, will be the best loser of them all. You will be #1.. of all the losers behind me.

I'm kind of in this camp, too. If Jan wins, I would ask myself, "Now why couldn't he have done that before?"

Having said that, I'll be rooting for him.

He has a chance but Basso has a great team behind him. It will be a good race.