Discount Jan Ullrich for next year's tour. Let's stop kidding ourselves. Without the Team Time Trial this year, Lance doesn't win #5. It's as simple as that. The team time trial put Euskatel at a huge disadvantage in the mountains, and allowed Lance to focus only on Jan. Especially after the Beloki crash. The TTT also gave Lance the time he needed to keep Jan at bay. And Jan's team wasn't exactly built for the TTT, nor were they as cohesive as US Postal. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Lance fan, and don't want to start a flame war. However, has anyone seen Jan's team for 2004? The roster reads like a who's who of cycling. Not to mention that small swiss team that is buying up all the talent they can get their hands on (Phonak) to support my favorite american rider. Throw Heras into the mix, who, with Tyler, knows exactly how Lance operates. Not to mention Euskatel can build their team around climbers and all but forget about the TTT, and only lose 2:30 to the winner. If it is possible to top the excitement of the 2003 tour, 2004 has the makings of an Epic tour. It will be an interesting July. Interesting, indeed...
-"Bottom line, it's the Hunter, not the arrow. Ride what you want."
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