Road Bike Racing - Jan

I hear OLNTV is reporting one of their camera crews spotted Jan Ulrich riding L'Alpe
d'Huez training in secret...

Damnit! I just can't get that channel where I live. If that is true, it would be interesting indeed.

Very interesting. When was this mentioned on OLN? I follow all of their cycling coverage.

It was mentioned during today's (May 24th) coverage of the Giro.

Hopefully this means that Jan is getting serious about getting in good form for the Tour this year. I'm rooting for him. For some reason, I have a soft spot in my heart for him...maybe because I always get fat in the winter too! :D

I hear OLNTV is reporting one of their camera crews spotted Jan Ulrich riding L'Alpe
d'Huez training in secret...
Ahh. In secret. That's some crackerjack reporting from OLN. :rolleyes:

Why would anyone be surprised to see Ullrich on Alpe d'Huez? Was anyone surprised to see Armstrong there, two weeks ago? The TT up Alpe d'Huez may be the pivotal stage of the TdF this summer. Ullrich's dropped races from his calendar, and I assumed that meant he'd be out training, and doing some recon.

What? Did OLN think he'd be hanging out on the sofa, watching their Giro coverage?

Yes, I just finished watching the coverage (missed live coverage due to work) and they mentioned it with around 10km to go. Interesting. I wonder why it's secret, though.

Yes, I just finished watching the coverage (missed live coverage due to work) and they mentioned it with around 10km to go. Interesting. I wonder why it's secret, though.

It probably wasn't regarded as "secret" by OLN until their camera crew got (reportedly) chased away...

hey you guys why are you discussing this here in an open forum? its a SECRET, you're not
supposed to tell.

I'm guessing it really isn't "secret" just that T-Mobile don't want Jan distracted by
lots of reporters and cameramen.

Marty

Could be. I'd like to think it's a bit more glamorous though, like Pevenege didn't want Lance and company to see Jan's ultra effective training techniques in which he is assisted by an alien from outer space. Or that he's absolutely struggling to make it up The Alp.

But you're probably right.

Part of me wants Lance to win a sixth, but at the same time I would really like to see Jan win this year.

Jan?? Jan who?? :D
I want LA to win #6. He he loses :crash: :crash: :crash: :crash: :crash: :crash: I hope Tyler takes it.

How neat it would be if Jan and Lance happened to find each other climbing l'Alpe.

good for jan...he finally get it....your supposed to get in form for a race like this, lance has been "secretly" training in france on the tdf route every year.....

How neat it would be if Jan and Lance happened to find each other climbing l'Alpe.

Couldn't happen....since it was a "secret", Ullrich and T-Mobile had reserved the entire Alpe for the day. That's why OLN was chased off...and of course the few people who live there were sworn to secrecy, lest they be "never seen again"...

Lance, on the other hand just won yet another race and a LOT of people knew and showed up to watch him train..as he LIKES to let Jan know the pain and suffering he has in store for him in about six weeks...

:D

Or maybe Jan will just lie in bed and look at the Alpe on a video like he did the time trial last year... ;)

I'm thinking that this could be the biggest buttkickin' yet. Cuz Jan's coming into this Tour with, I believe, his lowest racing mileage yet...unless they have been "secret races"...

Maybe he was the big guy I saw at the last crit.... :eek:

I guess the Blitzkrieg has already started

USpostal needs to send in the reserves and at least capture the Pyrennes

The German army also tried to take Moscow. Got stuck in the mud and ran out of gas.

Couldn't happen....since it was a "secret", Ullrich and T-Mobile had reserved the entire Alpe for the day. That's why OLN was chased off...and of course the few people who live there were sworn to secrecy, lest they be "never seen again"...


How does one reserve a mountain? Is it private land and a private road?

It was a joke.

Lance is in great shape. Lance has raced races, Lance has won stages. Lance has won races. Lance is ready.

As for Jan? I doubt he'll be ready, no races, no race wins. These things matter over this important time.
I wouldnt be suprised to see someone else in 2nd if Lance wins. Maybe Tyler or Simoni.

At the moment, Simoni isn't looking as strong as in past years.

1. Armstrong
2. Mayo
3. Moreau

You honestly think Moreau will finish ahead of Hamilton and Ullrich?

You honestly think Moreau will finish ahead of Hamilton and Ullrich?

No way...Tyler's in good from right now, although Moreau won last week...but I can't see Moreau on the podium in a three week race.

Neither can I, that's why I asked. I think it will probably be

1. Lance
2. Jan
3. Tyler

Or perhaps Mayo instead of Jan or Tyler - I wouldn't be surprised at all. He had good form in last year's Tour, and he's on fire this year.

Those are my picks and I'll stand be them. I might swap out Tyler for Moreau though.

I'm not even convinced that Lance will win. He's due for an injury. It takes a certain amount of luck as well as talent to win.

Well, he had all of the bad luck he could handle last year to make up for his four previous years of more or less perfect luck.

No, I mean he's due for a Tyler like crash. Broken bone type stuff, ya know?

I hope not. I do like the guy.

You honestly think Moreau will finish ahead of Hamilton and Ullrich?

He is on great form now, but my money is on Tyler.

No, I mean he's due for a Tyler like crash. Broken bone type stuff, ya know?

I hope not. I do like the guy.

He broke his neck a few years ago... on a training ride, of course.

We've all broken our neck at some point, now haven't we?

We've all broken our neck at some point, now haven't we?

I think you are just trying to convince yourself that Armstrong will have an injury this year.

Ahh. In secret. That's some crackerjack reporting from OLN. :rolleyes:

Why would anyone be surprised to see Ullrich on Alpe d'Huez? Was anyone surprised to see Armstrong there, two weeks ago? The TT up Alpe d'Huez may be the pivotal stage of the TdF this summer. Ullrich's dropped races from his calendar, and I assumed that meant he'd be out training, and doing some recon.

What? Did OLN think he'd be hanging out on the sofa, watching their Giro coverage?


The reason its surprising is that Jan has jabbed at Lance in the past for looking so closely at the stages of the Tour before the Tour. Jan has said that he will not preview a stage.

jeremyb

We've all broken our neck at some point, now haven't we?

uh...yes!

I don't believe it is possible to be race fit without racing. No-one has ever been competitive at the tour with the negligible race miles Ullrich has put in this spring- and with such poor results. If he was thinking of riding himself back into form in France, getting ready for the Vuelta and Olympics, I'd say the regime might work.........

I was one of those who said, in previous years, that a fit Ullrich validates Armstrong's victories- just as, say Bartali did for Coppi, or Poulidor for Anquetil. No-one else in the likely field has proved themselves as a potential winner- yet. I hope Hamilton or Simoni- or someone as yet unknown, maybe?- shows up and makes a contest out of it. Weak competition does nothing for Armstrong's legacy.

Flaneur - correct me if I'm wrong, but in 2003 and (especially) 2001 Ullrich came in as fit as he's ever been, and last year especially he had not done much racing prior to the Tour.

I don't think Ullrich was at his best either in 2001 or 2003. Changing teams during the season can't have helped, mind.

He was pretty fit the year he won;-)


-burns me up to see a guy with his natural gifts unable to prepare properly...........