Wandering around Mallorca in early February

All the main Tour contenders get together in Mallorca for a week.

- So then, was it just the photographer's idea?

- Indeed - answers Zülle -. He used a box so that we would both be at the same height.

The photo was almost convincing. Richard Virenque and Alex Zülle, all smiles, with the face at the same height, sharing the same jersey, Festina's. The idea is clear: two people, one leader, but something is missing. Virenque eats it all up. It's the hair! All eyes are on his head, on that gray bush, almost white, which crowns him. "Ah, that's his character", says Zulle. "It is fashionable to dye your hair platinum blond, but he says: 'damn, everybody is blond, so I will do something new' and he goes and dyes his hair gray. The truth is that he looks a lot older".

It is still February. The Tour seems far still, almost five months, but in Mallorca, where almost all the important riders have competed for a few days, the feeling is that the Tour is around the corner. With almost morbid anticipation people are already predicting what will happen or could happen. It's the time of the doubts, without answers, of the good intentions. Zülle is convinced that Virenque will not treason him and viceversa. His director, Bruno Roussel, is already planning the clamp with which they will both choke Ullrich. Ullrich already knows the errors that he made in the last Tour and will know how to prevent them on the second, just like he knows that he will shed 12 kilos that he accumulated in the Winter. Jalabert is not planning to miss Zulle at ONCE, the same way that Olano will no longer cry about infections, like the one that affected him last year. Blanco will develop strong at Vitalicio, with Mínguez.

A year ago, Jan Ullrich moved around Mallorca almost anonymously. Last week he looked like a nation's prime minister surrounded by bodyguards. Ullrich continues to be a young German, but the difference from last year is that he won the Tour. Various teams from German TV follow his in his hotel, on the road, in his training. A public relations that look like bodyguards takes care of protecting him.

- Can you please arrange for me an interview with Ullrich?

They look at me from head to toe.

- Ask him or talk to Pevenage (his director), who could answer on his behalf.

- But aren't you in charge of this?

- Yes, but Jan doesn't want to talk with the press. He is tired of always answering the same questions.

They say that Ullrich has said that the reason for his bad performance on the last week of the Tour is that he accepted too many interviews, had dinner late and badly and didn't sleep enough. That is part of the difficulties that one must surpass to win a Tour. To win a second one, one has to deal with them from almost a year before. Riis, his teammate, should have explained this to him.

Neither Zülle or Olano have ever won the Tour. Ullrich has time until July to get his rhythm going that allowed him to fly at Arcalís and Saint Etienne 97. Meanwhile he doesn't allow anybody to take photos of him with tight clothes. So that they can't see the extra meat on him.

Zülle is going a little bit slower than last year, but wants to be at 100% by May, at the Giro. "I have in my head to in the Giro, even if the Tour is always number one", he says. "But the Giro is something new, I have never raced it. It's like changing teams. It is very important for your head". It has also been important for Zulle to receive Virenque's final approval. "Richard checked him out during the days of our meetings", said Bruno Roussel, director of Festina. "He gave his OK. He said that he was a guy that could be trusted. A person who would not back stab him. Richard can't be against somebody that he knows won't be against him. This is the morale of the team: when somebody promises that he's going to do something, he won't do the opposite, no matter what the circumstances".

Zülle, meanwhile advances that "it is normal that we clash at the Tour. I'm certain that if I become leader after the time trial, he would work for me, but Virenque is very volcanic, although not a bad person and during July changes his chip. He told me that he's more French than all the other Frenchmen. That is his character. So in the end, it will be each of our strengths that will decide everything". Like the story of the frog and the scorpion crossing the river.

ONCE and Festina are looking to create a family environment. They are similar in that. Also in that neither of the teams which are amongst the best in the world have won the Tour. Also in the dominant character of their directors, Sáiz & Roussel, both graduated in physical education. But all similarities end there. "Now ONCE without me is a normal team, classic, like Banesto", says Zülle. "A leader and cyclists of lesser level working for him". "Manolo will do fine and will control everything well", says Jalabert.

Manolo is the figure.

- Alex, what are the differences between Manolo & Roussel?

- Manolo is a great boss, but often he seems to have too many things in his head. That is the difference.

Banesto had a plan, was working on a great lineup, but then Vitalicio showed up, it became a team by weakening the others. Santi Blanco left, the man for Banesto 2000. Santi Blanco now spends 24 hours next to Pruden Induráin. They share a room and socialize. That's how it will be all year long. Even at the Tour, if the team is invited. Blanco, who once in a while received advise over the phone from Miguel Induráin, jokes. "Today I finished at 1.006 on the stage", he likes to say. Or "I have barely been able to train this Winter because I spend my time in front of judges".

On February 12th, 1994, Javier Mínguez suffered the greatest shock, he knew that his time at Banesto was coming to an end, when Antonio Martín was killed. Another February 12th, 1998, Mínguez has taken a big weight off himself: Elio Aggiano achieved the first team victory in their history. Things are moving along.

Olano is also moving along. He is even going to be a father. "I like children", he says. It won't be the only thing to change his life. Also his preparation. "I won't look for wins in june, like last year. I will be happy with knowing that I'm fine, I don't want my rivals to know". In 1997 he already knew that things were not perfect at the Dauphiné and that crash cost him the victory. He would look at his vital signs and saw that he couldn't recuperate. He didn't know that he had an infection in his tonsils. Nobody knew. He knew at Envalira that he wouldn't win this Tour. He also thought about abandoning, in leaving it all, like he later did at la Vuelta. A year later, it seems like time has not passed. Once again he carries the weight of demonstrating that he hasn't reached his limit in the high mountain.

Olano's contact end this year. Will he renew? "I came here losing money and I'm very comfortable here. So if they want me, I don't think that there will be a problems", he says. The Guipuzcoan wants to wait and negotiate his contract after the Tour and face the risk of undervaluing himself.