Truly terrible news for Ullrich

by NE Observer on Nov 12, 2007 12:11 AM EST

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/nov07/nov12news

More from Jef D'Hont, the former Telekom soigneur whose book published earlier this year brought confessions from Aldag, Zabel, Riis and a couple of others.

D'Hont claims to have many CDs filled with taped telephone conversations with Rudy Pevenage, whom he wanted to confirm allegations in his book, especially against Ullrich. The quoted portions show an appalling dance of betrayal. Pevenage says that if he testifies that Ullrich used EPO he will be throwing Jan to the wolves: "They will hang him in Germany." D'Hont's counsel is that his choice is either to do it or be thrown to the wolves himself, because when Jan confesses everyone will blame him because they knew he "did everything" for Jan. In the end Pevenage refused to confirm the charges in writing -- not knowing that D'Hont had taped the conversations.

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Ja,

D'Hont is trouble for just about everyone who was involved in the TMobile hijinx. At this point, though, I don't think it makes things that much worse for the Jan-ster. If these nasty tidbits had come out last year - gah, was Puerto only last year? - the mob would have been after Jan, for sure.

But by now, it's clear that the corruption was pervasive at TMobile, and while that reality means that Ullrich lied and that he was arguably not the great champion he appeared, it also means that he acted within a context where others did much the same thing. Last year, he appeared to be the only one to break the faith. Now, it's clear he was not, so much so that I believe they've dropped the fraud case against him, since he could not commit fraud against a team management who participated actively in institutionalized doping practices.

None of this is to excuse the choices Ullrich or anyone else made, but rather to say, that I'm not sure there are any illusions left to be shattered where Ullrich is concerned. His is a sad story of misguided choices and misplaced trust.

I just wish we could have seen him - and Pantani, for that matter - race clean. The talent was real, too bad we only ever saw a distorted image of it.

by gavia on Nov 12, 2007 7:36 PM EST 0 recs

I think what really threw me

about the article was Pevenage's wanton disregard for Ullrich. He was aware that D'Hont's intention was to get him to confirm what he (D'H) had written in his first book about Jan taking EPO. And yet he talked on and on, deciding only at the last minute (apparently) not to put it in writing. Yet how could he not have suspected that D'Hont might be taping? Pevenage weighing the cost/benefits of telling on Jan first vs. waiting for Jan to confess was truly disgusting.

I agree that it probably doesn't actually make things any worse for Jan except for the betrayal factor -- and the force of that probably depends on the state of his current relationship with Pevenage. Paradoxically, the fact that the context of his doping looks so different now from the way it appeared in 2006 is in large part the result of D'Hont's book, for it was those accusations that dislodged the tumbling confessions of the ex-Telekommers.

by NE Observer on Nov 13, 2007 12:33 AM EST 0 recs