Originally Posted by jkoman
He is one of my favorite riders...makes me remember the way that the french loved Poulidor even though he got beat by Anquetil and Merckx.
It's funny you make this comparison, I have always been fascinated by "Poupou's" popularity, that remains intact to this day (in France I must say
) despite the fact he never wan a tour nor wore the yellow jersey once. Poulidor was very strong at climbing and indurance, but not much of a strategist, reported even as selfish and a maverick by his peloton's fellows, while Anquetil and Merckx successfully combined "head and legs".
Harsh comparison for Ulrich I find, but IMO he has somehow also been doomed for having to face exceptional champions. Makes you think that appreciation should be more spread throughout the peloton, and... what about the "red lantern" ?