Ullrichs new team better than USPS? - Page 2

yea, I already thought I was talking to a Lance fan
I'm not really a fan of Ullrich (VINO RULES!!!!) but I do think he's the best person to win. And if Lance does, I'll probably go crazy whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
So .... may the best man win.
Ow btw.. what time is it now in the USA?

ow haha thanx
well you know, Lance is a good cycler but I just want to see an other person winning the Tour next year. I do beleve he can make the 6, but I don't like the way he does it..... it's kind a diffucould for me to say this in Englisch but it's just his whole attitude that I don't like...... I know you probably think very different about this. But if you look at both teams I would say that Ullrich has a bigger chance to win. Allthough USPS has some strong riders aswell.

I hope lance wins, Next year I am planning hang a big banner outside my house saying "go lance" or somthing like that. My dad always would go for Ullrich. The first time I really got into the Tour was about 5 years ago. I can't remember who I wanted to win (lance wasn't racing) but dad wanted Ullrich to win

uhm ok how can I explain.... It's not really his attitude towards winning the Tour, but more his attitude and arrogance towards the fans and the media. He's a verry good rider, but he allways thinks he's mister wonderfull.
I mean the only reason he's never in Holland (accept for the Amstel Gold Race) is that he's asking such an amount of money, that it's not real anymore to let him participate. Cause why would they have to pay him 10 times more then Vino and Pettachi...
And about T-mobile.... I've bin following them for 3 years now and I must say that they are verry strong: Ullrich, Vino, Botero, Evans, Savoldelli, Aerts, Kessler, Aldag, Schmitz and so on...
But I think you're allso ritght about USPS. They have some super great riders in theire team. So I guess the only thing is to wait for the next season and find it out.

aaah I like your dad allready
Yea it's a nice idea to hang your Lance banner outside your house...
I'm planning to go to the TDF next year. For me it's not so far away (they start in Belgium) so hopefully I can take a closer look at both teams. But I think it's gonna be excited till the last stage.
If I go, I'm going to wear my yellow Vinokourov shirt..... DAVAI VINOOOOOOO!!!!!

At 30 Ullrich is not really young, but it is true, he has probably reached his best years as a cyclist now.

This year, he was in very good shape, whether he will be next year remains to be seen.

Another important question is how he will deal with the pressure of generally being considered as the prime contender again. Up to now, he has never been able to handle this pressure well. Some say he rode so well this year because nobody expected him to make it to the podium. This will be different next year.

Well with young I didn't mean 20 or so, but he has still time to win the Tour a couple of times and this must probably be the last Tour Lance is able win.....
And about the pressure... I think think that's a great point. When everybody's watching you and expects you to win, I can understand that the pressure can have a big influence on the performances. But I think Jan will get through that cause in the past it's allways been like this for him. I mean it's not new. And if he really wants to win I think that feeling will be stronger than the pressure of the media. And like I said before, he has a verry strong team who can help him winning. Ofcourse there are the timetrials and the last km of the mountainstages which he has to do on his own. But I think he's got a big chance of winning the Tour.........
And if I may ask: who's your favourite of next year?

He sure has a chance to win. But I think Lance Armstrong will get that No. 6 after all. He sounds really motivated, trains harder than anybody else, has a lot of experience and a very experienced team, and he is the better tactician.

In the past, Ullrich never really liked the role of a captain, he always said he was happiest riding as a lieutenant for Bjarne Riis. During all the trouble he was in in 2002 there was a big discussion here in Germany whether Ullrich, highly talented, no doubt, simply did not have the guts to win (I know, he won in 1997 but he was in deep trouble there as well, nearly blew it). The general public here, not the least the sponsor, expects him to win, and in the past he never dealt with all these expectations well. He might have changed of course.

As for the team, I agree he will have a very strong team, but keep in mind that both Savoldelli and Evans do not have any Tour experience. And the likely line-up for the Tour has never ridden a Tour together, as a team. Quite in contrast to US Postal.

Well, the Germans have team with 4 contenders for the title and USPS has a team with one contender. But there are two important issues here: 1) How well the other 3 will do to support Ullrich, a role they are not so familiar with or may not like, and which might even make them less useful than if they were riding for the title, and 2) How the other team members compare, once you get past the first four.

The loss of Heras is devistating to USPS, because of the loss of support in the mountains, while the Germans have an abundance of excellent mountain riders in the top 4.

This year the mountains and both TTs are close to the end. Don't be surprised to see or Botero and Vinokourov attacking Armstrong in the mountains, even if it cuts into their TT performance. That is almost sure to be their strategy to give Ullrich the victory. Remember Ullrich is meant to win, so these two can't afford to be so agressive that they challenge Ullrich. I mean what if Vinko wins a late mounatin stage that puts him in the lead?

This can work two ways. Armstrong knows that Ullrich is meant to win, no matter what, and so he won't take the bait, at least not on their terms. The only hitch is if the Germans decide near the end decide to open up the competition and use Ullrich as decoy for their other stars to win. It could happen. But that is not the way Germans think.

Anyway, this race will tax Lance much more mentally and tactically than last year, and he almost blew it last year in this department.

I want him to win. But I am a CSC fan.

It's not Vinokourov's decision. If the team manager says he will work for Ullrich, then that's what he has to do. If they allow him to ride for himself, that won't help T·Mobile's chances of winning. Remember that Ullrich's win in 1997 was the result of the team manager's mid-race decision to let Ullrich go for the win and have Riis work for Ullrich. That's a rarity and until that point, Ullrich was working for Riis.

To start, I don't think Vino is able to win the Tour and he knows this as well....
And about Ullrich... he wants ánd can win the Tour this year, and that's why he came back to T-Mobile. Cause the team can give him this opporunity and they want to give him the opportunity. And Vino knows this. Vino and Jan are great friends, so I'm sure that Vino will never stand in Jans way of winning the Tour. And of course, if there is a chance Vino can win a stage or end in the top 3 I'm sure that they will let him.