The greatest cycling rivals are now buddies! Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich reunite in friendly atmosphere
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Jan Ullrich and Lance Armstrong wrote one of the greatest stories in the modern history of Tour de France, even if both their names have a bad sound in the current cycling world for obvious reasons.
At the brink of new millenium, Ullrich finished runner-up five times, winning only once in 1997 at the Tour. Meanwhile Armstrong won even more impressive seven back-to-back editions between 1999 and 2005. On three occasions, it was Ullrich who came closest to the American, but never really threatened his victory. Armstrong's "the Look" from 2001 has since become legendary, even if the American put the story in context recently.
But given the circumstances, it was common assumption among the public that the two stars of the "dark era of cycling" were enemies both on and off the bike. And maybe it was so those twenty years ago...
Since then a lot has happened in the lives of both riders, and eventually they found to have a lot in common. Last week, Ullrich even visited Armstrong in his home in Austin, Texas. The two now seem to get along quite well - something unimaginable in early 2000s.
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i totes agree that this article needed some real, historical PERSPECTIVE! so, among those who were CAUGHT doping or ADMITTED to it: EDDY MERCKX (caught THREE TIMES, lied about it all three, expelled from Giro), Charly Gaul (Tour winner), Jacques Anquetil (TDF winner), Bernard Thévenet (TDF winner), Erik de Vlaeminck, Joop Zoetmelk (TDF winner), Freddy Maertens, Tom Simpson, Francesco Moser, Pedro Delgado (TDF winner), Sean Kelly (cheated by using some other guy’s urine, but THAT GUY was dirty, too), Stephen Roche (TDF winner), Laurent Fignon (TDF winner), etc… But you’re RIGHT about Hinault, he never tested positive, but he DID get BANNED for a time after REFUSING TO SUBMIT A SAMPLE.
sometimes i think the editors include stories like this just to wind you guys up. it certainly never fails…
I think there's a typo in the headline. Greatest? These junkie clowns are the bottom of the barrel. Your scope of history is mind bogglingly shallow. Calling them the greatest is an insult to Bartali & Coppi, Merckx & de Vlaemick, Himault & LeMond, van Aert & van det Poel and to the sport of cycling , a sport these two were merely cheaters.
I'm glad to see reconciliation is still alive (if this is genuine, at least).
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