Originally Posted by GuitarWizard
Because the 1989 TdF was essentially neck-and-neck with Fignon and Lemond. Most times, by the end of a long stage race, the winner is usually several minutes up on the next closest guy, and it would be extremely hard/impossible to make up, unless something went very wrong for the guy in 1st place.
I'm sure if Ulrich was say, 20 seconds down on Lance coming into the final stage of a TdF, he would be trying to win.
I believe that Ullrich said he would do exactly that, before the final Time Trial in the 2003 Tour de France. Unfortunately for him he crashed in the Time Trial, and lost his chance to gain time on Armstrong.