Keep your eye’s on cycling newsspots as today Ullrich TT’s against Armstrong early season at the Tour of Murcia…
It’s too early but it should be interesting nonetheless…
Absolutely!
Although its just an early-season unimportant meeting of them its still interesting to see them timetrialing against each other.
regards,
Frank
And how Lance will fare using Jans TT technique
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I think this will be more like Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier doinig a lot of verbal sparring prior to the main event which for Jan and Lance will be on Alpe d’Huez this July :-). It should be fun, and I can just see the ensuing threads about tech-gear details, relative positions and Hed3’s installed backwards :-). I think the post event reading will be more fun than the actual event. Will Eurosport be covering it “live” ?
Is Millar there by any chance? He’d be my bet.
From www.cyclingnews.com
With the first meeting on the road behind them, Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich will continue to focus on their individual preparations for the Tour de France, getting in plenty of racing kilometres at the Vuelta a Murcia this week. While Armstrong made the first split in the peloton in Wednesday’s stage 1, Ullrich was caught out, eventually losing seven minutes. Both riders are quick to downplay the importance of the final results in Murcia, even if today’s time trial in Lorca will hold greater importance as a gauge of fitness.
“The final kilometres were more intense,” Ullrich said of the end of stage 1, won by Armstrong’s US Postal Service teammate Max van Heeswijk. "I did try to get back into the first peloton, but I didn’t force it. I still lack a bit of rhythm.
“I’m here to find my place in the peloton, not to challenge Lance,” he added. “I want to take advantage of good weather and the good roads in Murcia to prepare for the Tour de France. If I want to win this year this is what I have to do. Take these stages one by one without overdoing it.”
Ullrich has not commented on the individual time trial in Murcia, however Armstrong makes it clear that the general classification is not important, but doing every time trial at maximum effort is.
According to Velonews, Ullrich is about 5 kg (11 lbs) over his TDF body weight.
Is Millar there by any chance? He’d be my bet. <<
No, his team isn’t there.
According to Velonews, Ullrich is about 5 kg (11 lbs) over his TDF body weight.
Finallly, Ullrich and I have something in common . . . well, I guess we did a few years ago as well (weight wise at least).
According to Cyclingnews.com Lance is 5th and Jan is not even in top 10. They are provisional so he may not have ridden yet?
“I did try to get back into the first peloton, but I didn’t force it. I still lack a bit of rhythm.”
Oh how I’d love to have his rhythm.
I’ll settle for Jan’s lack of rythm…and his new contract with T-Mobile :-).
That is typical of Jan. to start seaosn out overweight. All that good beer and homemade danish’s.
Lance 5th at 29 seconds, Ullrich 31st at 1:35
Still early though, there’s lots of good riders way down the standings (eg Uwe Peschel, Zubeldia)
Mayo was 11th at 49 seconds. Is this a sign of things to come from him?
Other notables:
Cadel Evans - 17th, and 3 Kelme guys in the top 10.
Now the question becomes: Will Postal ride in support of Michael Barry (12th today, 9th on GC at 50 sec) the way they rode in support of Floyd, or does Lance really want to win this race?
mp
Stage 2, Lorca time trial
1 José Ivan Gutierrez (Spa) Illes Balears-Banesto 21.3km in 25.39 (49.83kph)
2 Michael Rich (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.03
3 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Lampre 0.27
4 Torsten Schmidt (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.28
5 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal 0.29
6 Ruben Plaza (Spa) Comunitat Valenciana 0.35
7 Hector Guerra (Spa) Relax-Bodysol 0.37
8 David Blanco (Spa) Comunitat Valenciana 0.38
9 José Alberto Martinez (Spa) Relax-Bodysol 0.42
10 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Comunitat Valenciana 0.47
11 Iban Mayo (Spa) Euskaltel 0.48
12 Michael Barry (Can) US Postal 0.50
17 Cadel Evans (Aus) T-Mobile 0.56
31 Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile 1.35
86 Jeremy Hunt (GB) MrBookmaker.com 2.49
99 Dermot Nally (Ire) Costa de Almeria 3.15.
I don’t think lance wants to win the race so I would wager that they would ride for Barry, yet I wouldn’t doubt that Barry might lead out (if the race is together) for Van Heewijk in a closing sprint.
Chunky
Look at that belly!
I just think it’s kinda funny to look at the aerobars he’s using. Well, since everyone’s been making such a fuss and all…
Maybe he’s “belly-breathing”…
yeah lance ain’t too strict about them cupcakes either
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