Lance Chickens out of first Contador Clash

calvjones

afx237vi wrote:

dulldave wrote:

It's in both their interests to stay clear of each other until the tour. I wouldn't be surprised if it was co-ordinated that way.

It's not exactly unusual, either. Did LA and Ullrich EVER race against each other outside the Tour?

Good question! Did Lance go to the Olympics in 2000 or ever try a World's TT?

Certainly Ulle used to favour Suisse as a build up.

Did LA ride the '99 Vuelta or was that '98?

calvjones

LA
2000 (5)
Grand Prix Eddy Merckx
Grand Prix des Nations
Tour de France
Une étape du Dauphiné-Libéré
Une étape du Tour de France
3ème des Jeux Olympiques clm

JU
2000 (4)
Jeux Olympiques
Coppa Agostini
Hannovre
Freiburger Nacht
2ème des Jeux Olympiques clm

So Lance soundly beaten by Jan on their only non-TdF outing by my reckoning!

Who the fk won the 2000 Olympic TT :shock: ?

iainf72

calvjones wrote:

Who the fk won the 2000 Olympic TT :shock: ?

Eki

afx237vi

calvjones wrote:

Who the fk won the 2000 Olympic TT :shock: ?

Ekimov.

So 1 race between LA and Ulle in 7 years? That's it?

iainf72

afx237vi wrote:

So 1 race between LA and Ulle in 7 years? That's it?

I'd not be surprised - I think there were some early season races they both rode.

But Ullrich raced very very little usually.

calvjones

afx237vi wrote:

calvjones wrote:

Who the fk won the 2000 Olympic TT :shock: ?

Ekimov.

So 1 race between LA and Ulle in 7 years? That's it?

Unless you know better. Maybe they both went to Sarthe one year? Did Ulle ever rock up at any spring Classics, bursting out of his Telekom XXL?

FJS

Check the road race in Sydney

greeny12

Don't want to light another fire here, but when you look at the main opposition Lance was putting away during his Tour hegemony (Zulle, Ullrich, etc) I wonder if in years to come it will be looked back on as an extraordinarily fortunate time to be a Tour-obsessed GC specialist.

It's easy to confuse present hype with reality in sports (look at the English football Premiership) but it really does seem that the field for the Tour overall is much stronger today than that which LA used to cream each July...

Dunno, just my feeling - they're all better cyclists than I'll ever be at the end of the day!

calvjones

+1 ... I think!

Where would Beloki or Virenque finish in the 2009 TdF I wonder?

blazing_saddles

Could have been an interesting debate. Armstrong having a "flexible" schedule, while Contador sticks to the 2009 programme.
Unfortunately, too much chum in the water, with FF's opening post.
He seems to have attracted more "haters" towards himself, than his intended victim.

avoidingmyphd

iainf72 wrote:

I think there were some early season races they both rode.

But Ullrich raced very very little usually.

indeed, sometimes the prologue and flat stages of le tour were his early season.
i certainly wouldn't be surprised if their only non-tour meetings were post tour, if that makes sense.

zammmmo

Why WOULD LA want to avoid Contador and Wiggins then? Its not like its the TDF which they are all going to build up to is it? In a way it would give him the chance to guage himself and the fact that its (presumably) not a race he'd expect to win, takes the pressure off anyway. Ok, so there might be an "atmosphere" if him and AC found themselves next to each other, but Jeez, you'd think they'd all be beyond this...........I'm sure there is a very legitimate reason.

RichN95.

afx237vi wrote:

It's not exactly unusual, either. Did LA and Ullrich EVER race against each other outside the Tour?

I was bored (and interested) so here's the full Armstrong v Ullrich head-to-heads (with positions. Not much post cancer/pies. Highlights in bold

1995
Fleche Wallonne (LA 22 JU 44)
Vuelta a Burgos (LA 10 JU 12)
Tour de Suisse (LA DNF JU 21 - St. 5 (ITT) LA 5 JU 3)
San Sebastian (LA 1 JU 21)
Championnat de Zurich (LA 10 JU 38 )

1996
GP Eddy Merckx (LA 2 JU 4)
GP Telekom (2 up TT) (LA 9 JU 3 - with Yates and Riis)
Tour du Haut-Var (LA 58 JU 10)
Tour de Suisse (LA DNF JU 19 - St. 8 (ITT) LA 3 JU 2)
Vuelta a Valenciana (LA DNF JU 13)
San Sebastian (LA 14 JU 15)
Milan-San Remo (LA 11 JU 48 )

1998
Ronde van Nederland (LA 4 JU 5)

1999
Vuelta a Aragon (LA 7 JU 41)

2000
Olympic RR (LA 13 JU 1)
Olympic ITT (LA 3 JU 2)
Championnat de Zurich (LA 5 JU 2)

2004
Vuelta a Murcia (LA 23 JU 71)

timoid.

Interesting that Armstrong didn't even finish the Tour de Suisse back in the day. I suppose that was before he became a climbing great.

jerry3571

I think it was in the "Tour de Force" book on Armstrong where it said LA and Ullrich met. Ullrich, after a winter of Beer and Bratwurst, was in slightly heavier form and decided to enter the season starter of the Tour of Portugal. On the main hilly stage, Armstrong's Team pulled on the front of the main group to break up the race. Armstrong didn't get too near the front but his Team caused enough damage to leave Ullrich trailing off the back, making the Wunderkind look a little slow.
I guess it was another one of Lance's Jedi mind tricks but I don't think Mr Pisterolo will be giving Lance any such joys as Mr C's a skinny Lad; hence LA avoiding him at all cost.
I can see why Frenchfighter brought this up as Lance does deal in the old pyscho head f*ck games. Very strange man. He likes Basso, doesn't like Ullrich, he likes Valverde, doesn't like Contador, he likes Shreks, doesn't like Cunego....just ride the bike Lance;
I forgot though; It's not about the bike! Ta Da! (Couldn't resist that one)

The major question is that is FF Alberto Contador's Mum??

No one loves her boy like his Mamma!!

-Jerry