The End of an Era

Okay, so that's a bit dramatic, considering that Jan Ullrich wasn't really able to fully show what he's got. Yes, he won the Tour de France once, and gold and silver medals during the 2000 Olympics. But unfortunately for him, his peak came at a time when Lance Armstrong overshadowed everybody else. I never liked Ullrich, I'd always shrug when I hear commentators saying "the most talented cyclist on the planet". If so, then he wasted his talent. I feel that he didn't prepare as much as he should have for the Tour, partying, not watching his weight, not training enough. I've never been impressed by him in the mountains, he looked as if he was always struggling, and I'm talking about the 1999 to the 2005 tours. He seems like a nice guy, just not as determined and disciplined. As Phil Liggett would say, if only Ullrich had Zabel's discipline, with his talent, he would kick everyone's butt.

The Tour isn't just about talent. It's about having a good cycling team in which each member is dedicated to the leader, a good team director who knows how to react to any situation, and a support team dedicated to delivering and providing the best gear. The team should be disciplined, and each member should be a professional. Lance Armstrong did not win the Tour 7 times because he's the greatest cyclist ever. I don't think he won 7 times because of drugs. He won because he has the discipline - he studied and took to heart the science behind the sport, watching his weight, studying each component that can increase his speed even by milliseconds, pushing his support team to come up with the best bikes. He won because he studied each and every important turn of the course. He won because he rode up the mountains alone before the actual Tour. Sadly, Ullrich wasn't like this. It seems that he relied on his talent alone.

Why the title? Jan Ullrich just announced that he is retiring. I guess the search is on for the next 'most talented cyclist on the planet'.