Cycling highlights: Jan Ullrich won Olympic gold at the Sydney Games in 2000. In the road race, he dominated the events together with his teammates Andreas Klöden and Alexander Vinokourov - even though national teams and no sponsor teams are actually at the start at the Olympic Games.
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Ullrich is crowned Olympic champion
Jan Ulrich had a difficult time when he was at the start of the Olympic road race in the summer of 2000. At the Tour de France he finished second for the third time and in Lance Armstrong he has an almost invincible opponent in front of him - also in the coming years. But at the Olympic Games he should be in top form at the start. And with that, the role of captain was clear. A Jan Ullrich in top form is automatically one of the top favorites on such a demanding course. And the BDR presented itself just as confidently. After 239,4 kilometers and a total driving time of 5:29:08 hours, Jan Ullrich beamed from the top of the podium and Andreas Klöden won the bronze medal in third place. Alexander Vinokourov completed the perfect result for the German team Telekom. The Kazakh finished second.
Telkom against the rest of the world
What was special about the result of the Olympic road race in 2000 was not only the fact that two German drivers were on the podium, but above all that three drivers from one team were able to fight for the medals among themselves. After Jan Ullrich broke away from the peloton and his colleagues were able to join him, the competing nations realized too late that the two Germans and the Kazakh would work together. Although the Olympic Games are raced for the national cycling federation, the three pros from Team Telekom were of course in agreement. In the chasing group, on the other hand, you didn't treat yourself, so the medals were quickly awarded. Three kilometers before the end, Jan Ullrich attacked again. Andreas Klöden then ceded silver to Alexander Vinokourov. Jan Ullrich missed the perfect Olympic Games just a few days later in the individual time trial. He grabbed silver there behind the Russian Viatcheslav Ekimov.