PRO Tour Points Leader---What It Means And Who Will Win 2008 Crown

UCI Pro Tour Champion. A highly coveted title by many pro riders, but one that is misunderstood by most of the cycling public. The white jersey that the leader gets to wear is one perk of having the title, as well as being able to lay claim to being the most consistent, best all-around Pro Tour Rider. To most riders this is a title far out of their reach, but a select few are able to target the title each year.

How It Works

The Pro Tour is a collection of races contested by 20 pre-selected teams. Points are awarded to riders based on their placement in each race. At the end of the season, the rider with the most total accumulated points takes the title. This year, the Pro Tour loses much of its lustre as all Amaury Sports Organisation, RCS (Giro) and Unipublic (Vuelta) races are not a part of the calendar. This is due to the long-running fued the three copanies have with Pat McQuaid and the UCI.

While you do not have to be on a Pro Tour team to compete in most of the races on the Pro Tour calendar, you do have to be associated with one of these 20 teams to be eligible to win the overall Pro Tour title. So for instance, Stefano Garzelli, racing for Aqua & Sapone, is not eligible to win the Pro Tour title as he is not a member of a Pro Tour team.

Currently, the 20 Pro Tour Teams are: Ag2r-La Mondiale, Astana Team, Bouygues Télécom, Caisse d'Epargne, Cofidis, Le Crédit par Téléphone, Crédit Agricole, Team CSC, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Française des Jeux, Gerolsteiner, High Road (formerly T-Mobile Team (TMO)), Lampre-Fondital, Liquigas, Team Milram, Quick Step (formerly Quick Step-Innergetic (QSI)), Rabobank, Saunier Duval-Scott (formerly Saunier Duval-Prodir) and Silence-Lotto (formerly Predictor-Lotto (PRL).

The Pro Tour has been held three years now, and the past winners have been Danilo Di Luca (2005), Alejandro Valverde (2006) and Cadel Evans (2007). All of these riders have in common the fact that they are Grand Tour contenders, decent time trialists, and excellent climbers. So one can deduce that Robbie McEwin, while an excellent cyclist, will never contend for the Pro Tour crown.

So who has a good chance of becoming the 2008 Pro Tour champ? It would have to be a rider that places high in all races that he enters. Additionally, it would have to be someone who can contend in all types of races: One day races, Grand Tours and short stage races. With that in mind, here are four names that could be wearing the coveted white Pro Tour leader's jersey by the end of the year.

1. Alejandro Valverde---"The Green Bullet" had a quiet 2007. After dominating the scene in 2006, Valverde was MIA in 2007. Rumors have circulated that he may be involved in Operacion Puerto, so one must wonder if he'll make it through the year without being sanctioned. If he does, he's as dangerous as anyone on any given day. The Pro Tour classification was meant for a rider of his calibre. If he can net the title again, he'll be the first ever two-time champ.

2. Damiano Cunego---"il piccolo principe" has and continues to be a rider capable of dominating any race he enters. Although relatively quiet in recent years, Cunego has all of the tools required to put together a magical season. If he can show well in the early season classics, he should be primed to make a run at the overall Pro Tour title in the fall. If he can find the form that took him to the Giro title and saw him ranked #1 in the world at the end of the year, the rest of the peloton could be in big trouble.

3. Riccardo Ricco---"The Cobra" is a hot choice amongst many cycling pundits to jump to the next level in 2008. He has publicly stated that he plans on attempting to contend for the Giro d'Italia overall in May, so whats to day, with good form and a bit of luck, that he can't build up an early season points lead and sustain it through the end of the year? He was with the leaders last year in the Wallonnian classics and seems poised to join the elite stage race contenders this year. If he contines to progress as he has over the last few years, Ricco could make a big splash in 2008.

4. Cadel Evans---Quiet Cadel never seems to get the respect he deserves. An excellent time trialist and fierce battler in the mountains, Evan makes up for in effort what he lacks in panache. He doesn't possess the finishing kick of any of the other riders on this list, but his consistent time trialing keeps him in any stage race, Grand Tour or not, that he enters. The only factor that could keep Cadel from contending for the overall title deep into fall would be his preparations for the Olympic time trial in Beijing. If he's not the Pro Tour leader coming out of the Vuelta Espana, expect him to dissappear and train in anonymity ahead of the showdown in China.

Some other riders to watch as possible darkhorses in 2008 for the Pro Tour title: George Hincapie (why not, "Big George" doesn't have much time left after all), Levi Leipheimer (also an oldster. He's capable of contending for the overall, but will domineering boss Bruyneel let him play his hand?), Davide Rebellin ("Tin-Tin" won't contend in the Grand Tours, but a good early and late classic season could get him to the title).