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Ullrich: The New Terminator On Tour...

Oh yeah, we have a real race! Lance Armstrong was well aware of the significance of the 47 kilometer time trial from Gaillac to Cap’Decouverte before a single time check had been given. His appraisal on the eve of this crucial stage was an accurate one. “It’s the most important time trial of my career.” The four-time champion wasn’t wrong. Jan Ullrich became the second rider to rob Lance of victory in a long Tour time trial since the Texan’s comeback from cancer in 1999. Unlike Santiago Botero who won the stage nine last year, however, the German is a serious challenger for the overall title. He has, after all, won this race before. And while Arnold Schwarzenegger presented the yellow jersey to Lance after yesterday's stage, Ullrich's effort today proved that he has the ability to be the real terminator on this Tour.
Jan won the stage by one minute and 36 seconds. It’s one second less than the gain he got en route to Morzine in stage 16 of the 2000 Tour. That was the only other time since 1999 that Lance lost time to a serious overall rival. And Ullrich has clearly changed his approach since those distant days.
The victory today was a stunning display of powerful riding in overwhelming heat. The course offered no relief; the bright sun bore down on the riders for entire trip to Cap’Decouverte and the undulating roads hindered any hope riders would have had to settle into a comfortable rhythm. But Ullrich’s technique was flawless. His cadence seems faster than it was when he won five time trial stages with the Telekom team (in 1996, 1997 and 1998). More importantly, he is more composed in his approach.
Lance had to reinvent himself when he made his comeback to the Tour five years ago and Jan has done likewise. He no longer pushes the enormous gears which caused his knees to crumble in pain during the lead-up to the Tour in 2002. His demeanor is now far more relaxed and it even seems that he is genuinely enjoying the pain that riding at over 48 kilometers an hour can conjure. He grins and waves to the crowd from the winner’s podium. Indeed, the robotic approach of his days with Telekom seem to have been surgically removed. Life, it seems, is fun when you realize you’ve got the form required to return to the top of the Tour.
Although you can never under estimate Armstrong, Ullrich was the hero of the day. The Team Bianchi rider was the only one to finish the stage in less than an hour. His performance was such that he will start the Pyrenean stages with a deficit of just 34 seconds to Armstrong. It’s the first time since 1999 that the Texan will start the second mountain range of the race without a significant lead on his main rivals. Sure, he is still in yellow. Yes, he’s confessed to the reality of a need to attack on the climbs which still await the Tour’s arrival. And it’s quite possible that Lance will be able to crack his challenger when the roads rise towards the heavens.
The results of the stages in the Alps indicate that his advantage will only grow. What the time checks from the stage to Alpe d’Huez don’t tell you, however, is that Ullrich was suffering a fever of 41 degrees on that day. And he was so focused on hiding this fact that he sent team-mates back to the race doctor instead of making the trip himself.
The underlying factors of this tale tells us that Jan is as committed to winning this race as he’s ever been. It also proves that he can play the mind games required when chasing victory in a race like the Tour. In the time trial, however, there’s no room to toy with your opposition. The ‘Race of Truth’ reveals the reality of who is capable of gaining time on the dominant American.
Lance claims there are now two riders capable of winning the Tour, Ullrich and himself. He was complimentary of Jan’s efforts and insisted on a smile throughout the post-stage presentations. His appraisal is likely to be an accurate one. Ullrich is clearly more confident and competitive than ever. But, even with Beloki gone, there are still two Basque riders who are both four minutes and 29 seconds behind on the overall scorecard. No, Iban Mayo and Haimar Zubeldia might not be able to time trial quite like the two riders at the top of the general classification sheet, but they will surely add even more spice to what has become the closest Tour in years. Then there's the brave man who is now the obvious leader of Jan's old formation. Alexandre Vinokourov was third today and can never be ignored. That might be the end of the list of hopefuls, but the anticipation these candidates have given to the stages which are yet to follow make the centenary Tour one of the better ones to watch in recent years. Oh yeah, we have a real race!