Jan the man eyes the double

In the last 14 years, only one man has managed to win a Tour de France victory in successive years. That was Miguel Indurain and he did it five times. Jan Ullrich, despite a series of problems already this year, still looks like the man most likely to put together back-to-back Tour victories when the 1998 version sets off in Dublin today.

Ullrich became Germany's first winner when he rode into Paris in yellow almost 12 months ago and although there were indications earlier this season that his form was not as strong this time around, there is no doubt that the 24-year-old is the man to beat. His victory margin last year - just over nine minutes - was greater than any of Indurain's and in almost every area of the race, he simply rode away from the opposition.

Few riders can make a Tour victory look easy but Ullrich did just that. His Telekom team-mate Bjarne Riis never looked like defending the title so Ullrich slipped into his shoes with remarkable ease. On one of the most demanding stages to the mountain resort of Arcalis in Andorra, Ullrich cruised away from the men more hopeful of winning the Tour to take the maillot jeune and hold it all the way to Paris.

It was a short apprenticeship in an event usually reserved for the hardwrought professionals of enduring status.

World amateur road champion in 1993, Ullrich rode his first Tour two years back in only his second term as a professional. Runner-up at the tender age of 22, he had revolutionised German interest in cycling. When he took the lead in last year's race, German television started showing hours of live coverage every day and by the end of the race Ullrich was known to 87 per cent of Germans. Already 49 German journalists have signed on to follow this year's race and ARD, the national television station, is flying its equipment to Dublin on a Russian Antonov, the largest cargo plane in the world. "His Tour win opened up doors we'd never have knocked on before," according to Rolf Blaeser of the Association of German Cyclists. "Since he took the lead in Andorra, the phone hasn't stopped ringing. We've been flooded by calls from potential sponsors." His popularity was demonstrated when he picked up the German Sports Personality of the Year award.

Since then, however, all has not gone well for the man from Rostock. Germany had found a successor to Boris Becker and the media and sponsors were lining up for a part of the Ullrich-mania. Making commercials, ranging from pasta to watches, left little time for the bike so when he first appeared this spring, it was an Ullrich bubble of another kind. With Ullrich at least 20 lbs overweight, it has been a huge battle to get the German in shape for today's start.

During his first race of the season in February, Ullrich finished comfortably in the Tour of Majorca. but the following month he lasted only 35 km in the opening stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. Then he finished almost 48 minutes back in the Catalan Week race before abandoning the Tour of the Basque Country on stage three after losing 22 minutes the previous day.

The critics had had enough and started to put extra pressure on Ullrich to get in shape. "If Ullrich arrives in Dublin ready for the Tour, I'll take my hat off to him," commented five-time Tour winner Bernard Hinault. Race director Jean Marie Leblanc was a little less demure. "Ullrich's attitude is not worthy of a Tour winner," he said. "I don't think it's the excitement of his success that's the problem - simply that he's a young man with a big appetite."

The Telekom management moved in. Peter Becker, his mentor and long-term coach, jumped to defend his young protege: "You get the impression that certain journalists have suddenly become great training experts," he said in May. "Jan was ill at the start of the year and that's what upset his training. I'd rather wait until the Tour of Switzerland before passing judgment." Things have got better and the last few races have seen Ullrich slimming down and speeding up. He returned to his home in the Black Forest region for three weeks' intensive training and came out in June to finish third overall at the Tour of Castille-Leon. An impressive ride in the one-day Classique des Alpes set him up for the Tour of Switzerland where he finally appeared to find some of his form. Finishing 10th overall, less than five minutes behind winner Stefano Gerzelli of Italy, Ullrich looked impressive as he rode near the front on each of the 10 stages. "I'm still 10 per cent short of my best form, but in some of the mountain stages here, I passed the tests I set myself," he said in a brief statement afterwards. "I felt really good in the stage around Lenzerheide, so I'm convinced that I'll be at my best in the Tour."

In the final warm-up before the Tour at the Route du Sud in the Pyrenees last week, Ullrich finally appeared more like the rider of last year, especially on some of the very climbs that this year's Tour will pass.

Telekom directeur sportif Walter Godefroot is convinced Ullrich is ready for a strong defence. "That's the best I've seen of Jan this season, and I know he was pleased with his own performance," he said. "He's actually down to 74 kilos now and, considering he started the Tour last year and in 1996 at 73 kilos, I think you can say we are on course again."

For the past two days the 1,200 journalists have been lining up for a word with the German favourite, who had said little before he arrived in Dublin.

Telekom have hired a new press chief, Matthias Schuman, to look after all the team's comments and in recent weeks it's been a very silent affair. Ullrich, like so many great riders before him, will let the pedals do the talking - hopefully all the way to the Champs Elysees.