- Title: FILE: INJURED JAN ULLRICH OUT OF THIS YEAR'S TOUR DE FRANCE.
- Date: 7th May 2002
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (FILE JANUARY 2002) 1. JAN ULLRICH (WHITE JERSEY) 2. (SOUNDBITE) (GERMAN) ULLRICH, ANSWERING QUESTION ON WHETHER HE CAN WIN THE TOUR DE FRANCE, SAYS: "I don't know, I hope that we will be competitive this year. It would be good to finally make it to the top after being in second place for several years." 3. WIDE SHOT 4. ULLRICH INTRODUCED TO GERMAN CHANCELLOR GERHARD SCHROEDER Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 22nd May 2002 13:00
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- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA1NN4XYQJZTOVVDQ3HFL5YSJUR
- Story Text: Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich shocked the
cycling world on Tuesday when he pulled out
of this year's race with a knee injury.
Ullrich was the biggest threat to three-times
champion Lance Armstrong winning a fourth title in July's
Tour. The two have fought a a series of thrilling battles in
the mountain stages from which the American usually emerged
victorious.
The shock announcement comes just two days after his Team
Telekom stable said Ullrich, who won the Tour in 1997, had
been under the influence of alcohol when he left the scene of
a road accident a week ago.
In an interview last week Armstrong said it was crucial
that Ullrich took part in cycling's biggest race to provide
him with competition.
Team Telekom doctor Lothar Heinrich said every effort had
been made to heal Ullrich's troublesome right knee but there
would not be enough time before the Tour de France, which
starts on July 6 and ends on July 28.
Ullrich had planned to make his official season debut on
May 22 in the Tour of Bavaria. As well as that race, Ullrich
will also miss the Tour of Germany, which starts on June 3.
Ullrich admitted on Sunday he had not stopped after
knocking over a rack and several bicycles with his Porsche
outside a Freiburg hotel on Tuesday night.
Godefroot described the behaviour of his stable leader as
"totally unacceptable" and hinted action could be taken.
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