Gregario Profile: Matteo Tossato, 33, Quick Step

Matteo Tossato started his pro career 10 seasons ago in 1997 with the MG Maglificio-Technogym team. Always a gregario, with the MG team he rode with a young promising rookie named Paolo Bettini. Classics strongman Michele Bartoli was on the MG team that year, as was future two-time Giro d'Italia winner Gilberto Simoni. This first team, packed with talent, would be the standard against which he would measure future teams he rode for.

Tossato leads the 2007 "Blue Train" with team leader Boonen on his wheel

In 2001, Tossato found a long term home when he signed for Fassa Bortolo, the blue and silver team out of Italy. There, Tossato honed his skills as a true rouler, leading out many great riders over the years, including Michele Bartoli (again), super-sprinter Alessandro Petacchi, Luxembourger Kim Kirchin, Italian Grand Tour hopes Dario Frigo, Francesco "Frankie Bighouse" Casagrande and Ivan Basso, one day stylist Juan Antonio Flecha, time trialist Fabian Cancellera and even a very young Filippo Pozzato. Petacchi had his best years at Fassa, and the team was almost always in the GC mix at the Giro each year, whether with Frigo, Casagrande or Basso. But he was never a part of a winning Grand Tour team in the five years he was there, and in 2006, when Fassa folded, he signed a new contract with the Belgian Quick Step team

Before riding for the "Blue Train" and Boonen, Tossato was a integral part of the "Silver Train" of Fass Bortolo. Riders from right to left are unidentified with head down, Fabian Cancellera, Tossato, Kim Kirchin and another unidentified rider, possibly Michele Bartali

Coming to Quick Step reunited Tossato with his old teammate and fellow countryman Paolo Bettini. Now a legend in the sport, Bettini had won several Classics, multiple stages in the Tour de France and Giro, an Olympic road title and an Italian National Championship. Starting in 2006 and continuing through 2007, Tossato helped Bettini's win the 2006 Italian Championships, a stage in the 2006 Giro and the points classification victory that year, two stages of the Vuelta, one in 2006, one in 2007, one stage at Tirreno-Adriatico, one stage at the 2007 Tour of California and the 2006 Giro di Lombardia trophy. And it wasn't just Bettini who benefited from Tossato's hard work. "Tornado" Tom Boonen took the green jersey in the Tour in 2007 as well as two stages, the 2006 Tour of Flanders, and a stage win in the 2006 Tour de Swiss.

He's not the best time trialist, but Tossato gives his all in every race he enters

For himself, Tossato hasn't had a large number of wins, but he has tasted the sweetness of victory in the greatest of all races, the Tour de France. He took stage 18 of the 2006 edition, a hot, flat stage, after escaping in a 14 man breakaway. He charged first over the line that day ahead of Cofidis's Christophe Moreni. Winning a stage in the Tour cements a rider in the history books of cycling's heroes. He'll forever be remembered as one of the few domestiques who have won a stage in the Tour.

As good as it gets: Tossato's Tour victory was no doubt the sweetest victory of his career

Coming in a close second for Tossato was his stage victory in the 2001 Giro d'Italia. That day's race featured a short, punchy climb leading up to the finish line. Tossato burst free of the pack, winning ahead of such mountain goats as Gilberto Simoni and Davide "Tin Tin" Rebellin. Teammate Dario Frigo held onto the "Maglia Rosa" of race leader that day by a scant one second, but lost it eventually to an on-fire Gilberto Simoni, who won the Giro by a whopping 7:31 ahead of his closest challenger that year, Abraham Olano.

Winning a stage of the Giro in 2001 for Fassa Bortolo

Matteo Tossato has seen many beautiful victories in his time, and has even earned a few for himself. He can in all liklihood expect to ride for several more years, before he retires as a legend in his home country of Italy. With the thousands of kilometers he's ridden in the services of others, he deserves to ranked among today's most solid domestiques. Look for him at the front of the bunch in California, leading out both Bettini and Boonen, in 10 days time.