Bjarne Riis leads Jan Ullrich at the Tour de France(Image credit: AFP)
Thibaut Pinot climbs through the crowds during stage 14.(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Jan Ullrich (Team Telekom) started the 1997 Tour de France on Campagnolo aluminum wheels but later switched to carbon rims reportedly made by Lightweight.(Image credit: AFP)
Frank Hoj at the finish of Paris-Roubaix
Ullrich should return his yellow jersey, says LeMond
Jan Ullrich, winner of the 1997 Tour de France, “should think about giving back his yellow jersey,” Greg LeMond told the German BILD tabloid newspaper.
“For his entire life he will have to come to terms with what happened in his career,” LeMond said. “I said it this way about Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton: You have to live your whole life with a lie. That is damned hard.”
The American, who won the Tour three times, said there was a difference between Lance Armstrong and Ullrich. “Lance was the boss. The team belonged to him. He encouraged the doping. He was not judged simply because of doping, but also because he organized illegal acts.”
In contrast, “Ullrich was 21 years old when he came into an already-existing system. He didn’t have any idea what was happening to him.”
Hoj admits to limited doping
Frank Hoj has admitted to doping in his career. The Dane, who retired in 2010, said that he used a limited amount of EPO and stopped after hearing of the 1998 Tour de France Festina scandal.
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“As a neo-professional, I regret to say that I tried EPO. I tried to take it. I probably did not take it in the amounts that were expected to produce results,” he said on Danish TV 2 Sport television on Sunday.
That scandal was enough to make him stay away from doping, he claimed. “Very naively, I had a notion that the sport changed after the Festina scandal and doping simply disappeared quietly out of it.”
He again denied claims by fellow Dane Michael Rasmussen that he smuggled drugs into the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Hoj rode from 1995 to 2010 for a variety of teams.
Thibaut Pinot targeting polka dot jersey
Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr) told reporters at the finish Sunday, the polka dot jersey is now on the radar for the final week of the Tour de France. The Frenchman was forced to change tactics after a damaging first week that pushed a podium spot on GC out of reach. Last year he had finished third behind compatriot, Romain Bardet (Ag2r).
Pinot found himself in Sunday’s break with a renewed focus and energy. Monday’s route to Gap offers several opportunities for points before heading to the Alps. “The initial tactic was for Arnaud [Démare] to go but I found myself there, not by chance but because I had good legs,” he said.
The 25-year-old currently sits in 25th place with 11 points, far down from Chris Froome (Team Sky) in first with 61 points, and Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) in second with 52. “The polka dot jersey can become a target. We’ll see in the Alps.” L’Alpe d’Huez offers 50 points to its victor on the penultimate stage.
