<DIV><img src=\"http://www.t-mobile-team.com/cms/tmoteam/en/archive/news/templateId=getHeadlineAsImage/mode=1/id=44676.png\"></DIV><DIV><DIV class=FlowTextImageLEFT><img src=\"http://www.t-mobile-team.com/cms/tmoteam/en/property=blobBinary/id=44548.jpg\"> <DIV class=Bildlegende style=\"WIDTH: 160px\"><DIV class=comment>Jan Ullrich gets ready for his first training ride on Majorca</DIV></DIV></DIV>12.01.2005/ A good-humoured and relaxed Jan Ullrich sat down to field questions from the numerous international journalists during \'media day\' at the T-Mobile Team training camp on Majorca.
<b>
Mr Ullrich, what is your current performance level?</b>
<b>Jan Ullrich:</b> \"In December, you always try to ride as many kilometres as possible. Initially, I was plagued by pneumonia, that\'s why my trip to South Africa was delayed by ten days. But once there, I trained hard - and you can\'t do more than that. However, if I was riding to my limits now, then that wouldn\'t help me later on in the season.\"
<b>But you haven\'t reached your performance weight yet, have you?</b>
<b>Ullrich:</b> \"Thats normal. In January, the weight is never right, the muscles are not working the way they should. However, I intend to be at the top of my game in summer, not in spring.\"
<b>There have been speculation now for months about Lance Armstrong\'s participation. What do you think? </b>
<b>Ullrich:</b> \"I\'m assuming that he will start. However, it doesn\'t affect my preparations. I want him to be there. Lance is simply part of the Tour. It adds to the excitement, too. He is the man everybody wants to beat , including myself, of course.
<b>To what extent does Armstrong\'s participation in the Tour influence your preparations?</b>
<b>Ullrich:</b> \"I want to prepare myself in such a way that I can win the Tour, with or without Lance. As far as my preparations are concerned, nothing changes.
<b>And in the race?</b>
<b>Ullrich:</b> \"Then everybody would have to alter their tactics. Up until now, US Postal have always grabbed the bull by the horns and controlled the race.
<b>Would a Tour win without Lance Armstrong mean less?</b>
<b>Ullrich:</b> \"Even without Lance competing a Tour win is the ultimate achievement - but it would be nicer with him.\"
<b>If Armstrong only races the classices, wouldn\'t it be tempting to beat him there? </b>
<b>Ullrich:</b> \"I don\'t race for him, but for me. The focus of my season is the Tour de France and, in general, the summer. To be in the right shape for the the spring classics, I would have had to make my mind up in October already. But I\'ve taken a different path.\"
<b>What does your race schedule this season look like?</b>
<b>Ullrich: </b>\"I can\'t change my schedule significantly. I will enter the season later again, starting with the Tour of Murcia. Then I will try to get into full swing during the five-day-tours. If I stay healthy, then come May, it should be possible to race for the win at the Henninger Turm.\"
<b>Talking about your health, how much does it affect your race planning?</b>
<b>Ullrich:</b> \"I already factor in one or two sicknesses per year into my planning, so I don\'t let the form slip too much. Unfortunately I am a somebody who is prone to getting sick quite a bit. Everytime my daughter gets sick, then I have to move out of the home, and that\'s always a diffult thing to do.\"
<b>In 2003 you cwere a match for Armstrong, in 2004 you weren\'t. What were the differences in your preparations?</b>
<b>Ullrich:</b> \"In 2003 I couldn\'t ride any races up to April. That gave me four months to prepare and control my own training programme. When I was too fast, I would ease off a bit. When I was feeling good, then I would up the ante in training. Last year it was a mistake to ride those races in spring. My form wasn\'t good enough by that time. I was practically running on empty and that set me back rather than bringing me forward.\"
<b>Is 2005 your last chance to win the Tour?</b>
<b>Ullrich:</b> \"I have a two-year-contract and there\'s a logic behind that. I think I\'m capable of racing at the top level for two more years and challenge for the Tour de France. However, the chances are getting fewer.\"
<b>Three was a lot of talk in the past about you lacking motivation. Was that unfair?</b>
<b>Ullrich: </b>\"I am captain of the world\'s best team. That\'s the way I approach things. I am 31 years old now. From now on I will be going flat out, every year. I want to take another shot at the top. If I had trained eight years ago the way I do now, then I could have won another Tour with a comfortable winning margin. Before I could get into in shape in the space of just three weeks - now I need three months. The age starts to show.\"
<b>What do you think about the T-Mobile Team this year?</b>
<b>Ullrich:</b> \"I see a huge potential in the team. We have aces in every department.\" </DIV> |