US Pro Time Trial Championship 2008: Can David Zabriskie Get it Done?

David Zabriskie is, and has been for the past few years, the best time trialist in America. He has dominated the time trialing discipline dating back to his time with the CSC team, and has won the time trial event at the US Pro championships in Greenville, South Carolina, the past two years. Last year, he held off future teammates Danny Pate and Timothy Duggan by the smallest of margins: one second to Pate, and by eight seconds over Duggan.

Since that day last September, Duggan has had to deal with a life threatening crash at the Tour of Georgia and Zabriskie is recovering from a fractured vertabre in this past year's Giro d'Italia. Each will be returning to Greenville this year to try to duplicate their success from last year, or at least regain their confidence ahead of the Tour of Missouri and 2009.

Duggan is probably just happy to be riding again, and should not be considered as a serious threat for the win. Zabriskie on the other hand is dangerous in any time trial he enters, and the Garmin-Chipotle rider will be keen to become a three time consecutive time trial champion on the roads of Clemson University. Whether he'll have good enough form to do so is still up for debate.

Another problem for Zabriskie will be his fellow competitors. His teammate Christian Vande Velde is riding extremely well, and will be a favorite for the time trial, as well as Danny Pate. Pate finished an agonizing 1 second off the winning pace last year, and will want to climb the top step of the podium this year.

Others that could impress include Bissell's Tom Zirbel and Rock Racing's Tyler Hamilton. Zirbel, also known as "Thor," put in a scorching time trial ride at the recent Tour of Utah, and is on great form for the US Pros. Hamilton meanwhile, is a former Olympic Gold medalist in the time trial discipline, and has a full year of racing under his belt. Although his form is a bit questionable, if he has the legs he'll be a tough out. And with a new course profile for 2008, each rider will be contesting the event for the first time on an unfamiliar race course.