Gert Steegmans: 2008 Classics Contender?

Winning stage two of last year's Tour de France

Gert Steegmans, the 27 year old rouler extraordinaire, has stormed this week's Paris-Nice stage race with two wins in as many stages. The big Belgian has taken advantage of some time away from team leaders Tom Boonen and Paolo Bettini, both racing in Tirreno-Adriatico, to ride for himself, and the results have been impressive.

On the podium at this year's Paris-Nice. Does he look happy enough?

During the Tour of Mallorca earlier this year, Steegmans took a win in the five stage race, signalling his excellent early season form. A big, powerful rider, Steegmans took a stage of last year's Tour de France ahead of "Tornado" Tom Boonen, when the latter couldn't come around his leadout man in time to win the 2nd stage into Ghent. Boonen was graceful after watching his teammate win and commended Steegmans on his excellent sprint. Meanwhile, media and fans alike sat up and took notice of the Quick Step domestique.

Like many Belgian cyclists, Steegmans is at home on the cobbled roads of the classics

Steegmans looks to be in good position to have his most successful season yet. He has three victories thus far in a young season, and should expect to bag a few more wins before the year is over. The classics are inherently a strange series of races to predict. Should Boonen go down in Flanders or Roubaix, Steegmans will be next in line to go for the victory for the Quick Step team. Sure, Paolo Bettini will be entered in Flanders, but does one really expect that he'll be in with any real chance to win the Flemish classic? If not Boonen, Steegmans is a much safer bet for success in a cobbled classic than Bettini, despite the Italian's resplendant rainbow kit.

Steegmans began his career at Lotto, working for the Aussie Robbie McEwin

Looking beyond the early season northern classics, Steegmans will likely be selected to ride again in the Grand Boucle in the summer. A ride at the world championships in Varesse isn't out of the question in the fall, and the same goes for the Olympics in Beijing. All in all, 2008 may be one to remember for Gert Steegmans fans as the one where he rose out of Tom Boonen's shadow and changed from a domestique into a team leader.