Jan Ullrich, Tyler Hamilton, various europeons - Their teams suck in the mountains

[Geoff Willingst]

The reality with which to lay waste the trolls seeking to ruin the 2003 TDF for the rest of us by
continously dwelling upon the TTT and the supposed cheatery undertaken due to the 'Team' involvement
in the "'Team' time trial" (damn, imagine that) is this: The teams of Ullrich, Hamilton, etc have
not and do not matter at all in the important mountain stages.

For example so far, Hincampie does not lead out Lance only, Heras does not lead out Lance only.

The pretenders are also being pulled along , like limpets as Ligget said and I agree with him there.
They (Ullrich, Hamilton, and various Europeans wannabees) do not even need teams of their own in
these stages - they merely need to cling onto Lance's wheel and benefit from Lance's team.

At least that is what they have done so far. Funny how, although the other GC contendedrs get the
same benefit Lance has, Lance does good enough to attain the Yellow Jersey, while these others are
demolished, except for the few methampetamine crack smoking crazed breakaway europeon artistes we've
seen on a couple of stages.

So, I'd like to see an end to the talk that Ullrich, or any other non USPS cyclist, is at a
disadvantage due to his team. Ullrich doesn't give a flying sausage about his team, as long as he
has Lance's wheel, and by extension, benefits from Lance's team at least as much - or moreso - than
Lance himself.

[Nick Burns]

"Geoff Willingston" <gfw@panzertyro.org> wrote in message news:6v6Sa.95957$Ph3.11573@sccrnsc04...
> The reality with which to lay waste the trolls seeking to ruin the 2003
TDF
> for the rest of us by continously dwelling upon the TTT and the supposed cheatery undertaken due
> to the 'Team' involvement in the "'Team' time trial" (damn, imagine that) is this: The teams of
> Ullrich, Hamilton, etc have not and do not matter at all in the important mountain stages.
>
> For example so far, Hincampie does not lead out Lance only, Heras does
not
> lead out Lance only.
>
> The pretenders are also being pulled along , like limpets as Ligget said
and
> I agree with him there. They (Ullrich, Hamilton, and various Europeans wannabees) do not even need
> teams of their own in these stages - they merely need to cling onto Lance's wheel and benefit from
> Lance's team.
>
> At least that is what they have done so far. Funny how, although the
other
> GC contendedrs get the same benefit Lance has, Lance does good enough to attain the Yellow Jersey,
> while these others are demolished, except for
the
> few methampetamine crack smoking crazed breakaway europeon artistes we've seen on a couple
> of stages.
>
> So, I'd like to see an end to the talk that Ullrich, or any other non USPS cyclist, is at a
> disadvantage due to his team. Ullrich doesn't give a flying sausage about his team, as long as he
> has Lance's wheel, and by extension, benefits from Lance's team at least as much - or moreso -
than
> Lance himself.

So you don't think it is an advantage to have control of the team and to be able to tell them to
ease up, or pull harder as you wish them to? I am not one of the people complaining about the TTT
but I think what you say makes no sense.

[Arthur Ogus]

In article <DObSa.4934$q6.4132@news.randori.com>, Nick Burns <chrismcreynolds@hotmail.com> wrote:

> So, I'd like to see an end to the talk that Ullrich, or any other non USPS
> > cyclist, is at a disadvantage due to his team. Ullrich doesn't give a flying sausage about his
> > team, as long as he has Lance's wheel, and by extension, benefits from Lance's team at least as
> > much - or moreso -
> than
> > Lance himself.

didn't Ulrich have to go back himself to get a bottle on a climb today, since he lacked a teammate?

[Nick Burns]

"Arthur Ogus" <ogus@math.berkeley.edu> wrote in message
news:190720031809045067%ogus@math.berkeley.edu...
> In article <DObSa.4934$q6.4132@news.randori.com>, Nick Burns <chrismcreynolds@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > So, I'd like to see an end to the talk that Ullrich, or any other non
USPS
> > > cyclist, is at a disadvantage due to his team. Ullrich doesn't give
a
> > > flying sausage about his team, as long as he has Lance's wheel, and by extension, benefits
> > > from Lance's team at least as much - or moreso -
> > than
> > > Lance himself.
>
> didn't Ulrich have to go back himself to get a bottle on a climb today, since he lacked a
> teammate?

You are quoting the wrong person. I did not write that.