I really like the Kaiser, but I think it's fair to say this was his worst Tour (the lack of a podium finish just being final confirmation). Do you think that this will be good or bad for Jan? I'd like to think that he's become complacent over the years and always kind of figured he'd at least make the podium. Will this make him mad and push him to a new level of training? Or will he kind of tail spin and just fade away? The former I hope. I'd LOVE to see him in Yellow in Paris next year...

I was wondering and thinking the same thing;
what's next for Jan?
I would really like to see him do better, I felt for him giving the good smile while standing there with the winning team next to the second place finisher. whew.

I hope, that he will do a lance like training schedule...and blow the doors of the tour next year... If for nothing else, for him to prove to the doubters that he can do it..

Ullrich seems to be the type that doesn't mind coming in second (or fourth). I don't think this performance will damage his morale much. He still gets all this talk, money, press coverage, results, while not preparing %100...

If he actually cared much, he would have changed his training years ago.
I can't imagine him suddenly caring enough to prepare like an Armstrong.

He will probably get a few good results in August and call it a great season.

I figure I should add that I read he said that if he won the TDF this year, he would have retired.

I still think he should've stayed with Team Bianchi! :D

I hope that maybe... if he wants it bad enough, he'll be shocked into a wake up call with his own coach and fine tune his training so he can come back stronger. I also hope Lance comes back next year so we can see them both slug it out again next year. It would feel like a hollow victory if Jan came back next year, Lance didn't, and Jan won. He'd always wonder if he won because Lance wasn't there, or was he really that great of a rider for the 2005 T d F.

Koffee

I hope Jan will stay with the same team long enough where they can work on a plan, and I hope he dedicates himself, focuses on the the job he needs to do. Jan will be back. (But then again Lance will be back also) :)
He didnt quit, you have to give him credit for accepting 4th overall.

He should just join team discovery or whatever and be their man for whichever grand tour Lance isn't riding.. :) Gotta give him credit though..he showed how classy he is today...drinking wine with the postal boys and all...

Maybe that dumbazz will act like a professional and actually train to win. He doesn't deserve a podium spot, he deserves to be Kloden's biatch.

I really like the Kaiser, but I think it's fair to say this was his worst Tour (the lack of a podium finish just being final confirmation). Do you think that this will be good or bad for Jan? I'd like to think that he's become complacent over the years and always kind of figured he'd at least make the podium. Will this make him mad and push him to a new level of training? Or will he kind of tail spin and just fade away? The former I hope. I'd LOVE to see him in Yellow in Paris next year...
His history with doping propelled him to prove himself while clean, and I think he'll be back ready to fight next July, at least I hope he will.

Maybe that dumbazz will act like a professional and actually train to win. He doesn't deserve a podium spot, he deserves to be Kloden's biatch.
that is a little harsh,don't you think so, he tried his best, but there was Lance always knocking at his door, what can you do....

He didn't try his best, that's the whole point. Trying your best, you respect the competition and the race. Being a fat porker 8 months out of the year isn't respecting the competion or even acting like a professional.

10 other guys deserve that 4th spot more than Ullrich. Maybe he will realize that now.

He didn't try his best, that's the whole point. Trying your best, you respect the competition and the race. Being a fat porker 8 months out of the year isn't respecting the competion or even acting like a professional.

10 other guys deserve that 4th spot more than Ullrich. Maybe he will realize that now.

why do they deserve that spot? they didn't ride as fast as he did. If he's such a waste and so disrespectful of the sport they must really be pathetic to have come in behind him.

Yup you're right crack'n'fail, Ullrich got exactly what he deserved. 4th spot. I agree.

Ullrich can thank a team with no real focus on the GC because they waste a team spot on a sprinter named Eric Zabel.

I thiunk Jan had the chance to best Lance in previous tours if he had a team focused entirely on GC.

Jan is a victim of his own fickled team sponsors as much as his problems keeping form during off season.

Ullrich can thank a team with no real focus on the GC because they waste a team spot on a sprinter named Eric Zabel.

I thiunk Jan had the chance to best Lance in previous tours if he had a team focused entirely on GC.

Jan is a victim of his own fickled team sponsors as much as his problems keeping form during off season.

I agree with you too. That means Ullrich is dumb as well as being lazy. As a GC contender, he CAN and has the power to find/build a team around him. Instead he chose comfort and familiarity with T-Mobile, gee what a surprise :rolleyes:

I'm quoting myself from another thread but it's appropriate here too.

LA is lionised by most around here as the best TdF rider ever with the strongest team ever. Some even claim LA to be a "better" rider than Merckx. Then when Ullrich can't beat this rider of mythic proportions he's ridiculed for it.

Guy's in a hard spot isn't he?

I don't agree that Jan is "the most naturally talented rider in the peloton." I think that's a mind game being played by LA. Reading some posts you get the feeling LA is a fairly average guy who just works so much harder than his opponents.

LA's singular focus on the TdF and his training intensity are well documented but he's far from average. He gives nothing to anyone when it comes to natural talent either. LA is better than Jan in a GT and there's no changing that.

:beer:

From velonews.com:

And his first ever finish further down than second place has raised questions about his future. T-Mobile team manger Walter Godefroot, who admits to being at loggerheads with Ullrich's personal coach Rudy Pevenage, was pessimistic.

"I'd be lying to you if I said I was happy with Jan's performance on the Tour," Godefroot said. "He came into the race as Armstrong's number one rival. We've failed, and we haven't even won a stage."

Godefroot said he was especially impressed by Armstrong's motivation this year.

"You can make a good living as a professional cyclist, as Jan does. But you can also go out and do the job with a determination to be the best, with an almost undeniable need to perform," Godefroot remarked. "That's the main difference between Ullrich and Armstrong. Lance is a killer. It's like he needs to feed on prey. And Jan is not like that. He's just too nice, and too easily influenced."

http://www.velonews.com/tour2004/details/articles/6675.0.html

I'm sure Jan will do fine. After all, he's the most talented cyclist in professional cycling...just look at his accomplishments over the last 6 years :rolleyes:.