Interesting Lance comment

[Charles Hizark]

Lance made a comment about Jan and T-Mobile recently:

"PH: Jan Ullrich says he is moving back to Team Telekom (Team T-Mobile for 2004) because he wants to
beat you next year. He joins Alexandre Vinokourev, who took third in this year's Tour de France.
Does that even matter to you? Is there going to be a fight for leadership on that team?
LA: It's tough to say. Part of me says that it's good for us that he goes back there because that
system never worked for Jan before. They let him get away with some things that probably weren't
great for his career. But on the other hand, he'll be riding with some really good guys like
Vinokourev, Cadel Evans, Danielle Nardello and Santiago Botero. Let me put it this way: I
wouldn't want to be on that team. BB: Really?
LB: You have to go to the Tour de France with one leader and eight workers. That's the way it works.
In order to win the Tour, you need every guy riding for you. On a team like that, say Botero
comes back and he's in great form or Vinokourev is in great form. Do you think those guys are
going to go to the front during the first week of the Tour de France? PH: No
LC: Maybe this is wishful thinking on my part, but the system doesn't always work like that. The way
things appear on paper don't always work the best. You have to have people who can do it all.
We've been lucky enough to have that. Jan is good. He's the best one out there. Will the other
guys work for him? That's the question."

So it's obvious here that Lance is determined to be the undisputed leader at US Postal. So the
question is what to they do for a encore when Lance leaves. When Miguel Indurain left Banesto the
team drifted into obsecurity........

As for Jan so long as he is in good form he will lead the team in this years tdf...

 

[Tom I]

American sports organizations, even in Europe, typically go over the top. I
would expect that 1) If USPS is still interested in the cycling game in
Europe, and 2) If Lance retires, that USPS would find another marque rider
and keep on pedaling.
"Charles Hizark" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Lance made a comment about Jan and T-Mobile recently:
>
> "PH: Jan Ullrich says he is moving back to Team Telekom (Team T-Mobile for 2004) because he wants
> to beat you next year. He joins Alexandre Vinokourev, who took third in this year's Tour de
> France. Does that even matter to you? Is there going to be a fight for leadership on that team?
> LA: It's tough to say. Part of me says that it's good for us that he goes back there because that
> system never worked for Jan before. They let him get away with some things that probably
> weren't great for his career. But on the other hand, he'll be riding with some really good
> guys like Vinokourev, Cadel Evans, Danielle Nardello and Santiago Botero. Let me put it this
> way: I wouldn't want to be on that team. BB: Really?
> LA: You have to go to the Tour de France with one leader and eight workers. That's the way it
> works. In order to win the Tour, you need every guy riding for you. On a team like that, say
> Botero comes back and he's in great form or Vinokourev is in great form. Do you think those
> guys are going to go to the front during the first week of the Tour de France? PH: No
> LA: Maybe this is wishful thinking on my part, but the system doesn't always work like that. The
> way things appear on paper don't always work the best. You have to have people who can do it
> all. We've been lucky enough to have that. Jan is good. He's the best one out there. Will the
> other guys work for him? That's the question."
>
> So it's obvious here that Lance is determined to be the undisputed leader at US Postal. So the
> question is what to they do for a encore when Lance leaves. When Miguel Indurain left Banesto the
> team drifted into obsecurity........
>
> As for Jan so long as he is in good form he will lead the team in this years tdf...

 

[Tom Kunich]

No problems there. Postal could put another winner on the team in the blink of an eye. In fact there
are two there right now.

"Tom I" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> American sports organizations, even in Europe, typically go over the top.
I
> would expect that 1) If USPS is still interested in the cycling game in Europe, and 2) If Lance
> retires, that USPS would find another marque rider and keep on pedaling. "Charles Hizark"
> <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > Lance made a comment about Jan and T-Mobile recently:
> >
> > "PH: Jan Ullrich says he is moving back to Team Telekom (Team T-Mobile for 2004) because he
> > wants to beat you next year. He joins Alexandre Vinokourev, who took third in this year's
> > Tour de France. Does that even matter to you? Is there going to be a fight for leadership on
> > that team?
> > LA: It's tough to say. Part of me says that it's good for us that he goes back there because
> > that system never worked for Jan before. They let him get away with some things that
> > probably weren't great for his career. But on the other hand, he'll be riding with some
> > really good guys like Vinokourev, Cadel Evans, Danielle Nardello and Santiago Botero. Let me
> > put it this way: I wouldn't want to be on that team. BB: Really?
> > LA: You have to go to the Tour de France with one leader and eight workers. That's the way it
> > works. In order to win the Tour, you need every guy riding for you. On a team like that, say
> > Botero comes back and he's in great form or Vinokourev is in great form. Do you think those
> > guys are going to go to the front during the first week of the Tour de France? PH: No
> > LA: Maybe this is wishful thinking on my part, but the system doesn't always work like that. The
> > way things appear on paper don't always work the best. You have to have people who can do it
> > all. We've been lucky enough to have that. Jan is good. He's the best one out there. Will
> > the other guys work for him? That's the question."
> >
> > So it's obvious here that Lance is determined to be the undisputed leader at US Postal. So the
> > question is what to they do for a encore when Lance leaves. When Miguel Indurain left Banesto
> > the team drifted into obsecurity........
> >
> > As for Jan so long as he is in good form he will lead the team in this years tdf...

 

[Roland2k]

"Tom I" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> American sports organizations, even in Europe, typically go over the top. I would expect that 1)
> If USPS is still interested in the cycling game in Europe, and 2) If Lance retires, that USPS
> would find another marque rider and keep on pedaling.

Maybe Tom Danielson if he's as good as all the experts say. He's racing on the Continent this year,
so I guess we'll find out.