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Danish move Former Tour winner Ullrich set to ride for CSCPosted: Tuesday October 22, 2002 10:44 AMBERLIN (AP) -- Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich will switch to the Danish team CSC, the German cyclist's manager said Tuesday. Ullrich, regarded as one of the few riders capable of challenging Lance Armstrong, will be joining his good friend and former Team Telekom teammate Bjarne Riis, who now heads CSC. "We've talked everything out and everything is clear so far -- I'm expecting the papers to be signed shortly," Ullrich manager Wolfgang Strohband told the German sports agency SID. Details of the contract haven't been released. The 28-year-old German rider will make his comeback from a right knee operation in 2003 after his six-month suspension for testing positive for amphetamines runs out March 23. Ullrich's ban for the amphetamines, which the rider claimed he took during a disco visit while in rehab for his knee, led to a break with Telekom and the German's decision not to renegotiate his contract. Telekom officials had publicly criticized their star rider for his lazy training habits and failure to make the most of his talent. The deal apparently took shape over the weekend, when CSC finished the World Cup season in the top 10, insuring the Danish team is qualified for all major cycling events including the Tour de France. There are also reports that Riis is close to landing a major sponsor for CSC, with some indicating it involves a big Germany company. Strohband said Ullrich, four times Tour de France runner-up, plans to focus on other races as well next season. "Jan won't be concentrating any longer just on the Tour de France next season," Strohband said. "As soon as the contract is signed, we'll release details of our plans." Strohband said that Tobias Steinhauser, who rides for Gerolsteiner, will also join CSC to help Ullrich on the team. The two have often trained together. "I appreciate his quiet good-natured ways, we fit well together," Ullrich said on his Web site. Strohband said there were no immediate plans to add riders to a team that now could rival some of cycling's giants like Telekom and Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service, considering CSC has snared one of the best riders and possibly a major sponsor. "We're taking this one step at a time," Strohband said. Ullrich, also the Olympic champion, hasn't been on a bicycle since his second operation in August and hasn't competed in a race since January. He will undergo a routine examination on the knee Friday. Strohband didn't say when Ullrich would jump on a bicycle again. "Jan doesn't want to take the slightest risk and start with training too early again," the manager said. "But he doesn't have any pain, it all looks good."
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