Berlin, Germany - Jan Ullrich was feted on the front page of almost every German newspaper on Saturday for his spectacular win in the Tour de France time trial on Friday that brought him to within half a minute of leader Lance Armstrong.
"Jan Ullrich runs them all off the road - a sensational triumph!" cheered Bild, the country's top-selling daily. Pictures of the German Bianchi rider in his turquoise and white team colours dominated the front and back pages.
"Ullrich humbles Armstrong," wrote the Berliner Kurier. "An incredible 96 seconds faster than Armstrong. Jan is back!"
Since 1998, the 1997 Tour winner had not won a Tour stage and had made headlines more for his partying and traffic offences rather than for his sporting feats.
A year ago his career hit rock bottom after a doping ban for Ecstasy and a knee injury that sidelined him for months. He also put on weight and looked doomed to play second fiddle forever to Armstrong.
But his victory in Friday's 47km time trial at Cap Decouverte signalled a renaissance for the 29-year-old, who has never finished lower than second in five Tours.
"He was a crashed hero a year ago," wrote Bild columnist Matthias Bruegelmann. "He had disappeared, was a nobody. He swallowed two pills in a disco out of stupidity and got a ban. He could have quit, relaxed with his millions.
"But Ullirch has the heart of a champion. He showed the whole world: you can come back if you believe in yourself."
Berlin's Der Tagesspiegel newspaper said Ullrich's win had made an interesting race this year even more scintillating.
"He proved he is someone who is capable of beating Armstrong, who is not popular with the fans," wrote Der Tagesspiegel. "He totally outclassed Armstrong... and made the Tour truly exciting again."
Berliner Zeitung called Ullrich simply "The Fastest" in a headline above its page one picture.
"Ullrich's hunt for the yellow jersey," wrote the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. "Ullrich was the only cyclist in a field of 167 to finish in under an hour."
Ullrich finished in 58.32 minutes - one minute 36 seconds ahead of Armstrong in second.
"Ullrich outclasses Armstrong and is now in second place overall - the showdown is coming in the Pyrenees now," wrote Die Welt. "It's going to be a sensational battle to the finish between the two giants of the sport."
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=4&art_id=qw1058610240889S163&set_id=6
"Jan Ullrich runs them all off the road - a sensational triumph!" cheered Bild, the country's top-selling daily. Pictures of the German Bianchi rider in his turquoise and white team colours dominated the front and back pages.
"Ullrich humbles Armstrong," wrote the Berliner Kurier. "An incredible 96 seconds faster than Armstrong. Jan is back!"
Since 1998, the 1997 Tour winner had not won a Tour stage and had made headlines more for his partying and traffic offences rather than for his sporting feats.
A year ago his career hit rock bottom after a doping ban for Ecstasy and a knee injury that sidelined him for months. He also put on weight and looked doomed to play second fiddle forever to Armstrong.
But his victory in Friday's 47km time trial at Cap Decouverte signalled a renaissance for the 29-year-old, who has never finished lower than second in five Tours.
"He was a crashed hero a year ago," wrote Bild columnist Matthias Bruegelmann. "He had disappeared, was a nobody. He swallowed two pills in a disco out of stupidity and got a ban. He could have quit, relaxed with his millions.
"But Ullirch has the heart of a champion. He showed the whole world: you can come back if you believe in yourself."
Berlin's Der Tagesspiegel newspaper said Ullrich's win had made an interesting race this year even more scintillating.
"He proved he is someone who is capable of beating Armstrong, who is not popular with the fans," wrote Der Tagesspiegel. "He totally outclassed Armstrong... and made the Tour truly exciting again."
Berliner Zeitung called Ullrich simply "The Fastest" in a headline above its page one picture.
"Ullrich's hunt for the yellow jersey," wrote the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. "Ullrich was the only cyclist in a field of 167 to finish in under an hour."
Ullrich finished in 58.32 minutes - one minute 36 seconds ahead of Armstrong in second.
"Ullrich outclasses Armstrong and is now in second place overall - the showdown is coming in the Pyrenees now," wrote Die Welt. "It's going to be a sensational battle to the finish between the two giants of the sport."
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=4&art_id=qw1058610240889S163&set_id=6
