Ullrich: "I must convert strength into speed"

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Satisfied with his performances last weekend, where he finished fifth at the GP Schwarzwald and...

Satisfied with his performances last weekend, where he finished fifth at the GP Schwarzwald and second the following day at the GP Kanton Aargau/Gippingen, Jan Ullrich says all he needs now is a bit of fine-tuning.

"After both races on the weekend, I know the direction [I'm heading] is correct," he wrote on his personal website, janullrich.de. "Sure, I would gladly have won in Gippingen, but after the heavy GP Schwarzwald, my turbo was missing; perhaps I need to watch Erik [Zabel] more often, how he does his sprint."

Continued Ullrich: "Now I must sit in the saddle again in order to achieve a fine cross section. That means, I must convert the strength, which I have, into speed. I feel completely sure that I am a bit further ahead compared to the same time in previous years. I still have about three pounds too much on the ribs. That is intended - I still have the Tour de Suisse [to lose the weight].

Speaking about the Tour de Suisse, which begins this Saturday, June 11, Ullrich says he looks forward to the start, because, to be completely honest, he says he's over training: "I want to race now; in competition, it is easier to go to the limit."