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27 April 2006

28 April News ...

Ulle at Romandie and Giro for Tour

Jan Ullrich (32) is a proven champion: Winner of the Tour de France, Vuelta a España, two Crono World Championships and the Olympic road race. The German T-Mobile rider, back this year with a fresh perspective after the recent retirement of Sig Tour de France, Armstrong, is two days into the start of his 2006 season. Tuesday's commencement of the 60th Tour de Romandie marked Ulle's season debut, where he is riding into race-form, building for le Tour de France.

"I still have a lot to demonstrate. I am very motivated with lots of self belief," said Ulle after yesterday's stage 2 de Romandie. The German is loved by the tifosi, especially the Swiss because of his home base in Scherzingen on Lake Constance, where he lives with his partner Sara. "This is a good start. I felt good in the saddle and I am content with the first two stages. Now we will do a test in mountains. ... Here Savoldelli and Valverde are going very strong and it is better for me, because they will not be able to continue like this in the Tour."

After Romandie, Ullrich will head the Pink T-Mobile Posse to il Giro d'Italia, where he will continue to add kilometers into his legs and build his race-form. "I know that I will suffer at the Giro, but it is better to suffer while racing than the pain I was feeling with my previous knee problems," said Ulle, who is now free of the knee pains that he suffered only last month.

"It won't be possible to compete with the Italians [in the Giro], they are full of form. I want to do a good Giro, but I have to be realistic. I am searching for a base for my objective: a victory at the Tour."

Read:
Romandie with Ulle and il Falco, 25 April
Ulle Delayed, 30 March
Ulle to Sarthe and Giro, 22 March

Pevenage Plans Tour Trajectory for Ulle

"We will be at the Giro with Ullrich, with an objective to prepare for the Tour de France," confirmed T-Mobile Director Sportif, Rudy Pevenage, of Jan Ullrich. "This is our project. We [Jan Ullrich] are racing the Tour de Romandie, taking from here another level of form for the Giro d'Italia. Jan knows that Saturday's stage to Sion, with three categorized climbs, will not be easy. It is an important exam that he must take."

Stage 4, starting and finishing in Sion, should be a day for an opportunist escape to battle over the three Cat. 1 passes. The 'GC men', like Ulle, will watch each other with their minds on the following day's finale, a 20.4K time trial test in Lausanne.

Pevenage is rumored to have a second option for his charge if Ulle's mountain legs are not functioning, using the Tour de Suisse (10 - 18 June) to arrive at the Tour de France. This option would skip the long and demanding Giro, in favor of more training in Toscana. Tifosi need not worry, now it seems that the path to the Tour de France is via la Corsa Rosa, which will provide Ulle with the needed racing kilometers.

Il Falco on Ulle

Tour de Romandie race leader, Paolo Savoldelli (Discovery Channel), has been up and close with his former teammate, Jan Ullrich, during the Swiss race. Il Falco had had a close inspection of the 1997 Tour de France champion and had this to say, "He is not in a bad state like they write in the papers. He is a little overweight. But not more that six or seven kilograms."

Il Falco Bergamasco spent a tough two years (2003 and 2004) with T-Mobile, which included many crashes and missed races.

La Squadra T-Mobile for La Corsa Rosa

The T-Mobile will race the Corsa Rosa with a solid line-up that includes 1997 Tour Champion, Jan Ullrich. Ulle will be aiming for racing kilometers and form for July's Tour, while the rest of the Pink Posse will hunt for stages. The team packs 3X TT World Champion, Michael Rogers, who could destroy the Pontedera 50K crono parcours.

T-Mobile for Giro: Ulle, Aussie Scott Davis, 'Il Varesino' Rogers, Ukrainian Serhiy Honchar, Dutchman Bram Schmitz, Germans Matthias Kessler, Olaf Pollack, André Korff and Jörg Ludewig.

McEwen on Giro Form

Yesterday Robbie McEwen (Davitamon-Lotto) destroyed some Italian youngsters in the wet sprint finish of the Tour de Romandie. The Aussie (33 years-old) won stage 1 to Payerne ahead of Mirco Lorenzetto (24), Daniele Bennati (25) and Italian Champion, Enrico Gasparotto (24).

The stage win provides McEwen with his 123rd victory and confidence for the Giro d'Italia. "Romandie is serving as good preparation for the Giro. I know that Petacchi is going super strong, but I am ready to do battle with him in the Giro," confirmed the Aussie fast-man.

Backstedt is Back

After crashing in the Trofeo Mallorca on the opening day of his 2006 season, fighting his way through Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-Sanremo, Magnus Backstedt (Liquigas) was finally forced off his bike with a split in the tendon behind his left knee.

The big Swede was ordered to rest for up to six weeks to allow the tendon to heal. But he has started this week with short trainer workouts that will gradually increase over the coming month, which soon should see him back and preparing for the Tour de France.

"I can't express the frustration I have felt with this injury. When you crash and break something or lose large amounts of skin, that you normally get when you crash, it's easier to deal with because you can physically see the injury," said Backstedt. "With this it's tougher mentally to deal with, but I have had incredible support from my family, and would like to thank fans all over the world for their messages of support."

The next goal is for Backstedt to start in the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré on 4 June. The Swede will then look to build for stage wins at the Tour de France... Backstedt, known in the gruppo as the "Terminator", concluded "as corny as it sounds... I'll be BACK!"

Read:
Backstedt Out of Classics, 27 March
Sanremo Problems for Backstedt, 21 March
Backstedt Continues to Build, 20 March
BiciRace.com Interviews the Swedish Force, 27 February

Di Luca's ProTour Jersey to Ghisallo

Danilo Di Luca's 2005 ProTour Champion jersey was donated to the Santuario della Madonna del Ghisallo. The first ever ProTour jersey will now hang on the walls of the sanctuary, along with many other sacred jerseys and memorabilia.

If you are ever in the Bellagio area, then the Santuario della Madonna del Ghisallo is well worth a visit thanks to its views of Lake Como and plethora of cycling treasures. A good time to pass would be for the start of stage 21 the 2006 Giro d'Italia. The final Giro stage starts from the Museo del Ghisallo and finishes in Milano 140K later.

Read:
Santuario della Madonna del Ghisallo Reopened, 12 April
Santuario della Madonna del Ghisallo Closed, 19 January
Marco Pinotti Donates Italian TT Jersey to Ghisallo, 9 December
ProTour and Renewal for Danilo Di Luca, 18 October

26 April News ...