Ullrich gives up Tour de Lance

JAN ULLRICH has all but given up on his challenge to Lance Armstrong on this year’s Tour de France and admitted he is fighting Michael Rasmussen for a place on the podium.

Germany's 1997 winner and five-time runner-up is nearly six minutes behind his Texan rival in the general classification ahead of next Sunday's race finale on the Champs Elysées in Tour terms a mammoth deficit which is all but insurmountable.

Ullrich, who has come runner-up to Armstrong three times during the American's six-year reign, admitted during yesterday's rest day on the Tour that he is now fighting to make sure he doesn't finish off the podium for only the second time in seven attempts.