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  Julich develops into America's best hope
Posted: Saturday July 25, 1998 11:29 AM
Special from L'Equipe, the French sports daily PARIS (L'Equipe) -- The man is quiet, relaxed. His small eyes never look at his interviewer, and when he speaks, he gives people the impression that he's dreaming. But is it really an impression? After the Pyrénées, Bobby Julich is second overall, a minute and 11 seconds behind Jan Ullrich. And everybody wonders whether he can win the Tour de France or not. "I've dreamt of this day ever since I watched the 1985 Tour on television," Julich said. For the Glenwood Springs, Colorado kid who made up a world peopled by yellow jerseys, and the Cofidis leader, only 13 years have passed. 13 years and a whole life. The grandson of a German immigrant, Julich, who was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, is a survivor of cycling. Many a time, he nearly quit. Every time, he held on. Five years ago, he was unemployed. Today, he's on top of things in the biggest cycling race of the world's climbs. He confessed to having "learned to believe in myself and to know my limits. It's a question a mental and physical maturity." Fifth in the 1991 Tour DuPont, Julich, who was a skier, turned to cycling after following his father on triathlons and quickly became one of American cycling's hopefuls. Julich made one of his dreams come true when he turned professional, with the new Rossin team. But in February of 1993, the team was dismantled. As an independent racer, he spent more than $25,000 of his own money to compete in American races. Without any technical assistance, he cracked and went back to California. His athlete's body quickly got bigger, and only his girlfriend Angela was able to rescue him. In 1994, he signed with Chevrolet L.A. Sheriff, a small American team, and learned to win and fight again. The following year, he competed for Motorola, but the firm withdrew from cycling in 1996. For Bobby, that season was decisive. "I realized I could shine in stage races when I placed ninth overall in the 1996 Vuelta," he said Thursday. He also kept the best climber's jersey for 12 days in that Vuelta, and placed 11th in the World Championships, in Lugano, attracting scouts' attention in the process. Even before Lance Armstrong said he'd race for Cofidis, he signed for Cyrille Giumard. His victory in the Tour de l'Ain, and his two stage wins in the Route du Sud earned him the right to compete in his first Tour de France. That was in 1997, a year after he thought his career was over. "Since I was 13, I have a irregular heartbeat. In 1996, I had a warning and I though my career was over. The doctors performed some laser treatment which alleviated the problem," he said. Julich placed 17th in his first Tour. The first week, he'd spent most of his time avoiding falls, and in the first stage in the Pyrénées, he lost 22 seconds. But he came back strong in the last week, placing sixth in Morzine, seventh in Colmar, third Montbéliard and fourth in the Disneyland Paris time trial.
These performances didn't go unnoticed, and Team Deutsche Telekom made him a proposition. "I was with them at 99 percent," Julich confessed. "Then one day, I was training and I remembered the great moments I'd had in the 1997 Tour. I realized Ullrich and I shared the same ambitions, and that I wouldn't pull mine through if I raced with him." Today the two former future teammates are fighting it out. Just like last year with Tony Rominger, Julich finds himself at the head of a Cofidis team that has lost its leader, Francesco Casagrande, early on due to an injury. That's a sort of beneficial curse for the American, who shows every day what a complete rider he is, a good climber but also a formidable flat racer. Second in the Critérium International, 17th in Paris-Nice, Julich now is considered as a time trial specialist. "The prologue (fourth) and the time trial in Corrèze (third) made me more confident than I was in Dublin," he said. "I felt relaxed, as if I deserved to be there more than I did last year. I have a lot of respect for Ullrich, but he doesn't scare me off. And I would lie if I said that winning the Tour de France never crossed my mind." Three days before the big battle in the Alps, for which he's prepared well by reconnoitering all three stages, the Cofidis team is waging a war. "We could pull something off," coach Bernard Quilfen concluded. "Bobby is going to have to animate the race, to attack. It's the only way not to have any regrets." In Greg LeMond's footsteps Since Greg LeMond and his 1986, 1989 and 1990 Tour de France victories, no American rider has ever been placed as well as Bobby Julich, currently a minute and 11 seconds behind Jan Ullrich. Ninth in the 1996 Tour of Spain, Julich confirmed last year his abilities for stage races by finishing 17th overall in his first Tour de France. This year, the Cofidis rider placed second in the Critérium International. Born Nov. 18 1971 in Corpus Christi, Colorado 6 foot tall, 150 pounds Amateur: Second at the 1988 Youth US national championships Turned professional in August of 1992. Teams: 1992 Spago; 1993 Spago, then independent; 1994 Chevrolet L.A. Sheriff; 1995 and 1996 Motorola; 1997 and 1998 Cofidis. . Seven wins: 1997 Tour de l'Ain; two stages of the 1997 Route du Sud (Saint-Gaudens and time trial); 1994 Tour of Holy Hill; two stages of the 1994 Cascade Cycling Classic; 1992 Everett Cycling Classic. Other results: second at the 1998 Critérium International; fourth at the 1997 Circuit de la Sarthe, seventh at the 1994 Tour DuPont, ninth at the 1996 Tour of Spain, 11th at the 1996 World Championships, 17th at the 1997 Tour de France. UCI standings: 134th as of July 7.
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