Ullrich's Persoan Website Message

limerickman

Jan Ullrich's personal webpage contains a statement about his argument with
Goodefroot.

I haven't got a direct translation but here goes :

Ullrich says that he is surprised that having been away from Germany for the
TDF, at the reaction to his performance in this years TDF.
He says that the media have widely reported Goodefroots comments about his
performance.

He says that he is anxious to speak with Goodefroot as soon as spossible to see if Goodefroot actually said the comments which were reported.
Until then he will not be making an public announcement about what he
(JU) intends to do.


Sounds pretty serious to me.

davidbod

Lim,

Here is the text from cyclingnews, and it doesn't look good. I'm a Lance fan, but I like Ullrich too. He is like a tragic figure in cycling. I can't believe what he has said about Godefroot that he only talks to him zero to twice on the phone each year. It's sad really, how can you be expected to be your best if your relationship with your boss is so superficial. Compare that to Lance and Bruyneel who have such a close working relationship.

He would do better to make a break and get with a team that is willing to give him absolute 100% support. It's also surprising (from a news point of view) that his illness seams to have affected him more than was let on during the tour. I recall now that Phill Ligget looking at Ullrich in the start house for the prologue said he looked like he had a cold sore. One can only imagine how different the tour would have been with a healthy Ullrich and Vino.

Jan not happy

Jan Ullrich has responded to criticism levelled at him by T-Mobile team manager Walter Godefroot, saying he will discuss the matter with Godefroot at the HEW Cyclassics round of the world cup in Hamburg this weekend.

After Ullrich failed to make the podium in the Tour de France, Godefroot questioned his commitment, saying that six-time winner Lance Armstrong "lives for cycling" while Ullrich merely "cycled to live". In an interview with Le Figaro, Godefroot said Ullrich lacked the necessary "killer instinct" and added, "we all focused on Jan. He wanted to win the Tour but did not even win a stage."

Speaking on a German TV talk show on Monday, Ullrich responded, "I cannot let that go. You should ask the people who I work with and not someone like Walter Godefroot who I speak to on the telephone twice a year -- if at all."

Ullrich said his Tour had been derailed by illness. "I couldn't attack the yellow jersey. I was ill, with a fever. Normally I should have spent a week in bed. To attack Lance Armstrong was impossible, but if I had been healthy, things would have been different." Ullrich said he had picked up an illness from his one-year-old daughter.

Ullrich added, "I will clear up what [Godefroot] said. If he says it to my face I will take the appropriate steps."

T-Mobile team spokesman Olaf Ludwig said he did not know what Ullrich meant by this. "I don't know whether he means that generally or personally," said Ludwig. "The situation is this: Godefroot gmbh has a contract with T-Mobile and Jan is under contract until 2006."

musette

The cyclingnews report is from a slightly different source. Here's my very rough translation (my German is mediocre) of the JU site:

"I'm surprised! I'd have to say that I am very surprised about what I've experienced in [he means "from" or "within"] Germany over the past three weeks. Especially the criticism of Walter Godefroot and the manner in which it was published -- that surprised me alot. I'm going to get together with Godefroot shortly, and hear what he has to say. After that talk, I'm going to decide what to do -- and not before! [Something I can't translate, probably meaning "it's better/significant/preferable"] that, one speaks with the applicable person first, to get the grounds and the full background, before one makes public one's criticisms"

gntlmn

I think he realizes, after many years dealing with the media, that what someone says and what is reported are two entirely different things. Therefore, it would be foolish to make any decisions based on what the media says someone else said about you. It's important to hear it from the horse's mouth.

gntlmn

Hmm. Ullrich caught a virus from his kid this year, and Armstrong caught one from his kids last year. I guess hanging around kids too much before the Tour is hazardous to Tour victory.

Armstrong hadn't seen his kids for months this year and opted out of the Olympics to see his kids after the Tour.