Ytown Tribe fan
07-26-2003, 08:03 PM
As Lance (barring disaster) wraps up his fifth straight Tour title, I have to wonder what Jan Ullrich must be thinking.
Ullrich could easily be wearing the yellow jersey. Just a few stages ago, Armstrong fell avoiding another fallen rider with only 6 miles to go in the stage and the leading pack, led by Ullrich, slowed and waited for Armstrong to remount and start to catch up before resuming the final attack. It was a sort of self-imposed "yellow flag", Ullrich in a way repaying Armstrong for his hold up after Ullrich wrecked in the Tour a few years ago.
Ullrich could have gained precious minutes in the last 6 miles of that pivotal stage and, again, he will have to settle for second-best, since Lance has one stage remaining (and a good lead) before entering Paris.
To me, it doesn't reduce Armstrong's heroics one bit. Aside from defeating cancer, Lance is well known for being clean -- perhaps the cleanest rider ever. He was a pivotal player in the way riders are tested for banned substances and practises after the sport got a black eye years ago (thanks, in no small part, to Ullrich).
When I think about what cyclists endure, I laugh when I hear today's spoiled ballplayers whining and crying about testing for banned substances and lock outs and strikes and basic agreements and so on. Then to hear about a great sporting gesture such as Ullrich's -- something which could only occur in golf or cycling, and damned few other sports ...
Ullrich could easily be wearing the yellow jersey. Just a few stages ago, Armstrong fell avoiding another fallen rider with only 6 miles to go in the stage and the leading pack, led by Ullrich, slowed and waited for Armstrong to remount and start to catch up before resuming the final attack. It was a sort of self-imposed "yellow flag", Ullrich in a way repaying Armstrong for his hold up after Ullrich wrecked in the Tour a few years ago.
Ullrich could have gained precious minutes in the last 6 miles of that pivotal stage and, again, he will have to settle for second-best, since Lance has one stage remaining (and a good lead) before entering Paris.
To me, it doesn't reduce Armstrong's heroics one bit. Aside from defeating cancer, Lance is well known for being clean -- perhaps the cleanest rider ever. He was a pivotal player in the way riders are tested for banned substances and practises after the sport got a black eye years ago (thanks, in no small part, to Ullrich).
When I think about what cyclists endure, I laugh when I hear today's spoiled ballplayers whining and crying about testing for banned substances and lock outs and strikes and basic agreements and so on. Then to hear about a great sporting gesture such as Ullrich's -- something which could only occur in golf or cycling, and damned few other sports ...