Road Bike Racing - LA can sprint!

Wow, LA wins Tour of Georgia stage 3 in a field sprint as Jan cannot finish F-W and will not start LBL.
There is a way to go but right now it is not looking good for Jan.

I remember when Indurain sprinted for and got 2nd place at the '93 worlds. No one quite knew what type of sprint he was capable of.

I remember when Indurain sprinted for and got 2nd place at the '93 worlds. No one quite knew what type of sprint he was capable of.

Didn't Ullrich win the 2000 Olympic road race in a bunch sprint?

Maybe Millar will win on the Champs this year

I thought Ullrich won the 2000 Oly road race with a solo breakaway.

Wow, LA wins Tour of Georgia stage 3 in a field sprint as Jan cannot finish F-W and will not start LBL.
There is a way to go but right now it is not looking good for Jan.

I don't think it is as bad as you think for Jan. He likes to take his time. Remember how last year he just sat-in and observed for the first part of the Tour? Just went along for the ride watching Joseba, Lance, Mayo and Tyler spar? If you ask me, he came into that tour almost peaked and used that first week or so to top off his fitness. I know that sounds crazy. Why would someone enter the most grueling race in the world and not be in peak condition? (I know I'm going to hear it from a lot of you out there on this issue too but think about it) But, if you were naturally a world class athlete and able to keep up with almost anyone even when you're not in top condition, and your sole aim was to win the Tour and no other race at all that year, why not use the first week, a week where there where no serious mountain stages, mostly only sprint stages, to reach your peak? That way you come into the most grueling two weeks right there at the pinnacle of your power, right there at the appex of your form. We have all been there before. When your legs move just so perfect, fast and smooth, almost like the pedals are pushing them instead of the other way around. How long does that form last? Maybe two weeks? (Not all summer, I know that) I think that's what he did. And, since the mountain stages in this year's Tour don't start until stage 10, why not do it again? That makes 11 weeks until he has to totally peak. Well, "that's my story and I'm sticking to it", so... fire away.

Didn't Ullrich win the 2000 Olympic road race in a bunch sprint?

Ulrich won alone in the 2000 Olympics after escaping from the pack with two Telekom team members, Kloden and Vinokurov. He was then "allowed" to ride away for the victory.

Armstrong's photo finish victory over a Div. 3 rider says volumes about his sprint. ;)

Cipollini's comments about Dominguez are nice and very diplomatic and show Cipo to be a classy guy with the media, but I don't think they should be seen as more than that.

That said, congrats to Dominguez on his fine performance so far.

I don't think it is as bad as you think for Jan. He likes to take his time. Remember how last year he just sat-in and observed for the first part of the Tour? Just went along for the ride watching Joseba, Lance, Mayo and Tyler spar? If you ask me, he came into that tour almost peaked and used that first week or so to top off his fitness. I know that sounds crazy. Why would someone enter the most grueling race in the world and not be in peak condition? (I know I'm going to hear it from a lot of you out there on this issue too but think about it) But, if you were naturally a world class athlete and able to keep up with almost anyone even when you're not in top condition, and your sole aim was to win the Tour and no other race at all that year, why not use the first week, a week where there where no serious mountain stages, mostly only sprint stages, to reach your peak? That way you come into the most grueling two weeks right there at the pinnacle of your power, right there at the appex of your form. We have all been there before. When your legs move just so perfect, fast and smooth, almost like the pedals are pushing them instead of the other way around. How long does that form last? Maybe two weeks? (Not all summer, I know that) I think that's what he did. And, since the mountain stages in this year's Tour don't start until stage 10, why not do it again? That makes 11 weeks until he has to totally peak. Well, "that's my story and I'm sticking to it", so... fire away.

I'm sure you're right. I was thinking the same thing last year.

This year, I remember reading an article or a posting where someone was saying that Jan started racing back in January. "January??!!" I almost fell out of my chair. I know he's buckled down and got serious about a training program, but January is too freakin' early to start racing in the year when you're building up your peaks. In January, he should either be coming off the base training or still in base training if he's looking to expand his aerobic base. If it is true that he started racing in January, he may have peaked too soon, which would explain why he had to pull out of his race so early and sit out the next one. At this point, if he couldn't compete, it's time to go back to the drawing board and try to time the next peak so that he doesn't peak so early. I mean, I assume he's going to the Giro, which is starting up in a few weeks, so if he starts now, he can time his next peak for about the second week of the Giro (I assume he's at a certain fitness level, and of course, I'm just making generalizations too!) and still win. Coming off the Giro, he can still peak one or two more times depending on when he did his first peak- reasonably, if someone is racing as hard as the pros do, they only have 3 good peaks (4 if they're really lucky and smart and timed it really well), so you don't want to waste that first peak too early if you plan on racing all the way to September.

Good luck to him. Either way, he should be in prime condition for the Tour if he's timed his training program well enough.

Of course, I'm making a lot of assumptions and generalizations, and I'm speculating a whole bunch, but this is just reading up on what he's done so far...

Koffee

why not use the first week, a week where there where no serious mountain stages, mostly only sprint stages, to reach your peak?

That time he spent 'coming into form' last year cost him the race on l'alpe d'huez.


Ulrich won alone in the 2000 Olympics after escaping from the pack with two Telekom team members, Kloden and Vinokurov. He was then "allowed" to ride away for the victory.


ohh, oops
I think I wrongly judged that it was a sprint by what LA said about the race in his book

Armstrong's photo finish victory over a Div. 3 rider says volumes about his sprint. ;)



HMMM, the team roster classified Cipo's team div2 so does this make him a chump in your book also?

I'd like to hear more about Lance's comments on riding with the primarily American peloton. Apparently one of the reasons for staying near the front throughout the stage was just to stay ahead of the sketchy riders.

What's with Horner? The guy finishes 3rd, beating lots of other world-class riders, and complains that he could have ridden it 20-30 seconds faster, but his bike fit was dialed in as the sponsor had waited 'til the last minute to get him the bike. I thought rule 1 for any event is "no last minute changes." How much faster than his previous TT ride was the new bike supposed to be? Maybe he's just gotten too used to winning everything.

Horner's Horner, I know quite a few people that have met him and talked with him, but I'm not sure I know anyone who actually likes him. Very good rider but quite an *******

Interesting stuff about Ullrich going around.
I like these quotes from Jan and his mentor (nemisis?) Rudy Pevanage:


There's no reason to panic," said Pevenage. "We might have a problem if he gets injured and falls ill and has to stop training for a few weeks but otherwise, we should be all right."
Ullrich was not concerned either and is still convinced he can peak just at the right time.
"I've done it many times before and there's no reason I can't do it again," he said. what he has done many times before is come in 2nd. maybe he should do something
different?
Last night Bobke theorized that Jan has not recovered from the psychological defeat
from last year, when he did everything right (except fall in last TT), Lance did alot
wrong (lots of errors, illness etc) and he (Jan) still lost. Interesting.

Marty

Of course, he could be psyching everyone else out and come back in top racing form for the Tour too. Maybe to get everyone else to relax?

When he was at the Tour last year, I was pleasantly surprised to see him doing so well.

Koffee

Well, its still only April.
Ullrich does sound like a 'new' Ullrich... I do not think he will lose focus in the coming months.
I thought that Bobke's comment was among the dumbest things that he has ever said...

Ullrich even has Merckx critisizing him.

I thought this was an excellent post by someone on rec.bicycles.racing:

"Merckx is critical of Jan Ullrich. Merckx was critical of Armstrong at Liege last year. Merckx was critical of Van Looy and Maertens.

I love Eddy Merckx and marvel at everything he has done, including ballooning-up to well over 250 pounds, but I fear for Axel at family get-togethers. He must receive a lashing for his palmares as he has done nothing compared to these riders."

I wondered about Bobke's comment too- if anything, it looks like Jan has been more focussed than ever- he even started his training way back at the end of last year. Doesn't he usually wait until early in the year to start his training (I thought that's what I remembered).

I think it's wise for Jan to realize that he may need to take more time to train- again, he doesn't want to peak too early if he expects to do well at the Giro, the Tour, Vuelte, Worlds, and the Olympics. That's a whole lotta peakin' he's got to figure out. Why waste your energy on the little races if you've got a bigger plan in mind?

Koffee

Ullrich is riding the Giro?

I assume he is. I haven't seen the team lineup either, just thought that since it's an important race, his team would be there, that's all.

Koffee

T-Mobile wasn't even selected.
I really doubt Ullrich could handle the Giro anyway, judging by the form he has right now.
How many times has he rode the Giro?

I thought this was an excellent post by someone on rec.bicycles.racing:

"Merckx is critical of Jan Ullrich. Merckx was critical of Armstrong at Liege last year. Merckx was critical of Van Looy and Maertens.

I love Eddy Merckx and marvel at everything he has done, including ballooning-up to well over 250 pounds, but I fear for Axel at family get-togethers. He must receive a lashing for his palmares as he has done nothing compared to these riders."

Thanks for the kind words Brent, the quote is mine (de Wolf). I don't find myself at that site very often anymore. It can be funny and visceral at times, but the background knowledge and interest in the whole racing calendar is prevalent here, at bikeforums.

It is nice to hear comments about Lance's abilities that don't receive attention during the Tour. I like to think of him as a former World champion, winner at San Sebastian and Fleche Wallonne and twice runner-up at Amstel and Liege.

Maybe we will be lucky enough to see more of him in these races after he's decided his domination of the Tour is complete. Maybe, just maybe, another rider will help decide for him.

Too bad he has children.
I'd love to see him keep riding for years, racing in the Giro, the classics (as I would have liked to see all of the greats ride for longer than they did :) )...
I can't see that happening though.

I thought this was an excellent post by someone on rec.bicycles.racing:

"Merckx is critical of Jan Ullrich. Merckx was critical of Armstrong at Liege last year. Merckx was critical of Van Looy and Maertens.
Something noone seems to mention is that Merckx is probably the most interviewed man in cycling. When he is asked questions about these riders, he is going to answer them honestly. Armstrong himself, when asked about Merckx's comments about L-B-L, said that one had to take into consideration that it was Eddy's son that was involved.




...I fear for Axel at family get-togethers. He must receive a lashing for his palmares as he has done nothing compared to these riders."
I find this to be completely incongruous with the facts. Axel is probably the happiest looking rider in the peloton. He is always smiling and seems the most emotionally balanced human possible. He always looks like a kid in a candy shop. I think this a testament to his father and mother's parenting. There is just no smoke(that I have seen) to signal fire here and give credence to these kinds of statements. Axel and Eddy have both stated publicly that Axel's decision to give up soccer and take up cycling was Axel's alone. That does not suggest brow beating. And Eddy has never made any public statement critical of his son's accomplishments. I must believe the above statement was somehow meant to be humor.

I know this is way off topic and I apologize to the thread starter.