To be honest I do think he is clean. I think the time he was given off for his little indiscretions a few years back was a wake up call for him. He genuinely loves the sport I believe and think he is very genetically gifted. If he could maintain intensity year round (similar to the focus another top cyclist has) he would be unbeatable. That and learning to pedal faster and not harder might do him some good too (but then I ride the same way..gear masher..so what do I know)

I think if anyone fits the picture of the clean athlete it is Ulrich. The primary advantage to PEDs is the ability to train at a higher intensity for a longer period of time. Ulrich is famous for letting himself fall out of shape (relative to himself, not relative to most mortals) and struggles with his weight. This, to me, says he is not using drugs to allow himself to maintain a super high intensity.

The recreational stuff, frankly I could care less what he does in his spare time. Excessive recreational drugs will only hurt his performances on the bike.

I actually feel that, if Lance did not have the overcoming cancer thing, I would respect Ulrich more than Armstrong.

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"which is like watching one of your buddies announce that he's quitting booze and cigarettes, switching to a Vegan diet and training for triathalons ... but he's going to keep snorting heroin." Bill Simmons, ESPN

Do you think he has started experimenting with higher cadence? On his attack yesterday it looked like he was spinning at a good clip.

hey Adam...have you ever done the Peterborough triathlon? Took place two weeks ago in very good weather. Had it taken place this past weekend a fish like yourself would have appreciated it even more as rains were so heavy the water levels rose so high that almost the entire course was covered....it would be one big tri swim...you'd have died and gone to heaven..lol

aaarrrrggghhhh I haven't seen the tape yet...damn you spoiler kids anyway...well..there goes my day (man night shifts suck)

Hey Kent, FYI, we are just this second leaving on a 2 hour ride out to the Island for coffee and crumpets. If I get your e-mail while I am gone, it may take a couple hours to respond-

Tom.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

you not see my PM?

I gotta say that using the same logic people sue to accuse armstrong you would have to start being suspicious of everyone...

Hey millar surprised me...

As the often mentioned saying goes... If doping is so rampant in cycling whoever is at the top must also be doping too.

Going back to millr for a minute though reading part of his interview it was refreshing to see someone come out and admit to doping and apologize for it unlike someone like virenque

Kentiger

Don't fret too much, it was only a little spoiler slip-up, believe me your day isn't ruined, it's a great stage, I only saw text updates unfortunately and that was still riveting, this little tidbit should just make the anticipation for you greater!!

I have done the sprint there a few times.

Yeah, I saw the footage on TV - pretty crazy, my yard was under water for an hour or so on Saturday after the rains but it drained pretty quick.

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"which is like watching one of your buddies announce that he's quitting booze and cigarettes, switching to a Vegan diet and training for triathalons ... but he's going to keep snorting heroin." Bill Simmons, ESPN

None of the athletes are clean, probably. Having said that, everyone is innocent until proven guilty.

But, I don't know how any athlete can compete at the highest levels without cheating.

-Robert

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

I would have thought that Ullrich would have been too young to be heavily involved in the doping programs, The Wall fell in 1989, Ullrich was only 16 or so. I thought the chemical enhancement programs predominately related to the track guys anyway (in cycling). In 1989, EPO was non-existent, so any performance enhancing drugs would have been stimulants or possibly steroids. Blood boosting techniques were also used at that time.

Even if Ullrich was involved with those programs, that is so long ago that it has zero relevance to what Ullrich has done as a professional cyclist.

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

I was wondering the same thing while watching yesterday. Certainly looked like he was spinning faster than his normal mash. Any mention of that elsewhere?

If I was not clear, I have no idea, or even much of an opinion, regarding whether Jan Ullrich is currently doping or has ever done so as a professional.

I have always believed that the entire peloton is taking gear; whether it be GH, Deca, EPO... These teams hire the best drug doctors in the world. These guys have the ability to create gear that cannot be detected, and also, make gear that the doping controls don't even know exist. As working as a massage therapist on athletes, I always wonder about many cysts that exist in their glutes/upper legs...cyst that do not occur from taking "vitamins". I have seen many things that show me drug use is present.

I still believe that these riders are incredible athletes and still have to work very very hard to achieve this level of fitness.

My opinion is that drugs are virtually in the elite level of most sports, and will always be there. But, there still has to be an incredible amount of natural talent.

I love Jan because he seems like a hell of a guy and anyone who enjoys the off season as much as he does is aces in my book. I would kill to be as fat and out of shape as the off season him during my race season.

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customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

there has been some doping rumors in the past during his first 3 TDF as he tended to have a puffed face, and so some journalists said he was probably on corticoids and was having fluid retention problems because he was taking way too much...

of course, this was as proven as anything said on Lance...

Lance is doped for sure...He is doped with hard work and doped with self produced brain hormons that make him want it so badly...(maybe other stuff, but we can't prove it)...that's why he wins...If/When Jan puts his sh.t together, we will have a FANTASTIC fight in the Tour...

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If you bother to read you will see that he answered your question in his initial post.

"I'm looking just for your gut feeling on this..."

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"your horse is too high" - tigerchik

http://news.bbc.co.uk/.../cycling/2091182.stm

Germany's 1997 Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich has failed a drugs test.

The director of Team Telekom, Walter Godefroot, said the team's cyclist had tested positive for an amphetamine while training after a knee operation.

"I can confirm the (positive) test," Godefroot said. He declined further comment.

A week ago Ullrich vowed to start training this week less than a month after undergoing surgery on his troublesome knee.

The injury forced him out of this year's Tour de France, due to start on Saturday.

The 28-year-old Olympic road race champion was aiming to return to action in the Tour of Spain in September.

Ullrich's rehabilitation was marred by a drink-driving incident which cost him two-and-a-half months' wages two weeks ago.

Ullrich began his career in the then East Germany and has long been a major force in the sport.

High profile victories, apart from the Tour de France, include the Tour of Spain in 1999 and the Olympic road race in Sydney in 2000.


I'm surprised and very disappointed
Jean-Marie Leblanc
Tour de France director

The German has also come second every year in the Tour de France since his victory,

Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc said the positive test was the mark of "a disturbed man".

He said: "I'm surprised and very disappointed. You have to ask why an athlete who is not competing needs to take drugs.

"I'm disappointed because if it's confirmed that it was a substance close to amphetamines that's probably connected to a moral crisis which relates to what we were told by Ullrich when he had his drink driving accident."

But Leblanc refused to close the Tour de France door on Ullrich once this situation has been resolved.

"If he's done something wrong obviously he'll be punished.

"Once his punishment is over the Tour de France will deal with Ullrich like it dealt with the others, I'm thinking in particular here of Richard Virenque."

That was the nightclub incident. Not related to PED's, since he wasn't racing at that time.

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Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

I think/hope he is clean.

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