wykikitoon 20888 Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 Taken from BBC Webby - Here Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich has announced his retirement from cycling. The 33-year-old, who also claimed the Olympic road race title in Sydney in 2000, won the race in 1997 and finished runner-up on five occasions. But he was suspended from racing on the eve of the 2006 Tour after being linked to a doping scandal. "Today I'm ending my career as a professional cyclist," said Ullrich. "I never once cheated as a cyclist." Ullrich said on Monday that he would continue in the sport, working as a consultant for the Austrian-based Volksbank team. The rider, who was born in Rostock in the former East Germany, emerged as a top cyclist when finishing second in the 1996 Tour de France. After his victory in the race in 1997, some predicted Ullrich would dominate the sport but he had to live in the shadow of seven-time winner Lance Armstong. He competed in the Tour de France on eight occasions, never finishing out of the top four. As well as winning gold at the 2000 Olympics, Ullrich also took the silver medal in the time trial, a discipline in which he was twice world champion (1999 and 2001). He also won the Tour of Spain (1999) and the Tour of Switzerland (2004 and 2006). But he also battled weight problems in the off-season and was dropped by Team Telekom in 2002 after a positive test for amphetamines. Ullrich claimed the drug had been spiked into an ecstasy pill he had taken at a nightclub. His suspension in 2006 came after a Spanish doping investigation known as 'Operation Puerto', which led to a host of riders being banned. Despite always insisting on his innocence, Ullrich was fired by his T-Mobile team last July and has been without a team since then. He has been under investigation since last summer although he has not been charged with any doping offence. "I still don't understand why I was not allowed to compete in the Tour last year," he said. "My life as a cyclist collapsed that day. "I've been painted as a criminal while I've done nothing wrong." Ullrich said that he had had riding offers but will instead work for the Volksbank team in an advisory capacity. "I could have had a team immediately," said Ullrich. "I had offers, also from Pro Tour teams." Sad day IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetleftpeg 0 Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 All together now.....DRUG FIEND! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 46141 Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 I like the way that his excuse is that someone spiked his ecstacy with performance enhancing drugs. Assuming he's not talking out of his arse, surely anyone with a brain would think twice about taking any sort of recreational drug if they compete in professional cycling, given the level of drugs testing in the sport. Thick as mince. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 Even 'pure' Ecstasy, i.e. MDMA is from the ampetamine family of drugs anyway. That's what the A stands for iirc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 20888 Posted February 27, 2007 Author Share Posted February 27, 2007 Hehe I think he has been told to "retire" and we shall drop all drug allegations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooj 17 Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Can't wait for Rob to read this.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meenzer 15742 Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 I can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 20888 Posted February 27, 2007 Author Share Posted February 27, 2007 Isegrim, if you read this, whats the reaction in Jormany? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinofbeans 91 Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 fact, hes a thick drug cheat. why do we bother with these people.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombadil 0 Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Isegrim, if you read this, whats the reaction in Jormany? Dealers all over the continent are devastated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 20888 Posted February 27, 2007 Author Share Posted February 27, 2007 Isegrim, if you read this, whats the reaction in Jormany? Dealers all over the continent are devastated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isegrim 9909 Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 (edited) I like the way that his excuse is that someone spiked his ecstacy with performance enhancing drugs. Assuming he's not talking out of his arse, surely anyone with a brain would think twice about taking any sort of recreational drug if they compete in professional cycling, given the level of drugs testing in the sport. Thick as mince. The ecstacy incident was a bit different to be fair. When it happen Ullrich was out for the season anyway with a knee injury and had just withdrawn from the Tour de France. He took the pills on the suggestion of a "friend" that they would make him "happy". Regarding his retirement: He has more or less lost all support here in Jormany as hardly anybody does believe him. He has hardly done anything to disprove the drug fiend allegations. He turned up on TV yesterday night and more or less refused to answer any serious questions. When he was young, he was a fantastic cyclist. A shame that he wasted his talent. Edited February 27, 2007 by Isegrim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 20888 Posted February 28, 2007 Author Share Posted February 28, 2007 I like the way that his excuse is that someone spiked his ecstacy with performance enhancing drugs. Assuming he's not talking out of his arse, surely anyone with a brain would think twice about taking any sort of recreational drug if they compete in professional cycling, given the level of drugs testing in the sport. Thick as mince. The ecstacy incident was a bit different to be fair. When it happen Ullrich was out for the season anyway with a knee injury and had just withdrawn from the Tour de France. He took the pills on the suggestion of a "friend" that they would make him "happy". Regarding his retirement: He has more or less lost all support here in Jormany as hardly anybody does believe him. He has hardly done anything to disprove the drug fiend allegations. He turned up on TV yesterday night and more or less refused to answer any serious questions. When he was young, he was a fantastic cyclist. A shame that he wasted his talent./ Aye, although I think he could still go on for another year? He would have started training for the Tour in Jan time so its some time wasted that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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