Overrated: Three Pro Cyclists Who Don't Deserve to Be Team Leaders in 2010

Over the course of the 2009 cycling season, names like Menchov, Contador, Gilbert and Cavendish were synonymous with big time performance. These riders, and others came to the fore for their respective teams and delivered as trusted team leaders at some of the biggest bike races in the world. But other high profile riders fell short as team leaders. EP examines three riders who should be sent back to the domestique ranks for 2010.

Filippo Pozzato, Katuysha
"Pippo" Pozzato was a red-hot cycling commodity back in 2006 after he took the win at the season's first one day monument, Milan-San Remo. This huge win saw the brash Italian join the Liquigas squad for two year, where he spent him time trying to add big wins to his palmares. But with exception to a solid victory at the Het Volk semi-classic and a stage at the Tour de France, Pozzato fell short throughout his two years with the lime green and blue team. This prompted another transfer to the Katuysha team, where Pozzato was the team leader for the early classics.

Again Pozzato was able to take top honors in a semi-classic, this time the E3, but he once again fell short in the monuments of the early spring. A victory on home soil in the Italian championships saved his summer, before riding a good race as a domestique in the world championships for Damiano Cunego. Pozzato is still clearly a talent on the world cycling scene, but at 28 years old he is already getting a bit long in the tooth to be a team leader at the bigger races for much longer.

When he rode for Quick Step he was a lesser known rider amongst legends (Bettini, Boonen), but he was able to take his only monument win to date in a surprise move. Is he were designated as a back up at Katuysha, perhaps he could harness that underdog role to surprise the field once again at one of the 2010 monuments. As a team leader, he has not proven that he can provide the breakthrough results required when one has an entire team riding in their support.

Daniele Bennati, Liquigas
Daniele Bennati won the points jersey in the 2008 Giro d'Italia along with a slew of other wins that year, and seemed poised to battle Cavendish and other top sprinters throughout 2009. But a combination of injuries and poor form saw the Italian notch only two wins in 2009, and none of them on the level of a grand tour or classic. Benatti will be a sprinter on a stage racing team in 2010, and will likely not enjoy significant team support in many of the bigger races.

As dominant as Bennati was from 2006 through 2008, it seems dubious that 2009 saw such a precipitous decline in performance for the sprinter. He never failed a doping control, but his sudden lack of acceleration in 2009 makes one wonder if he was operating off only bread and water in previous years. Regardless though, if he has another poor season in 2010, he'll find himself likely leading Jacopo Guarnieri out in 2011.

Juan Antonio Flecha, Team Sky
Juan Antonio Flecha has beat his head against the wall over the past several seasons trying to find a winning combination at one of the early season classics. Always in the mix but rarely on the podium, Flecha's time has passed him by.

Flecha transferred to team Sky for 2010, where he'll be joined by a slew of young talent. The time is now for Flecha to impart his knowledge as an elder statesman of the upstart British team. The Argentinian strongman will likely be a key component of the Sky team in the classics, but his time as a protected rider has come and gone.

The three riders above are great examples of just how competitive the professional cycling landscape really is. Each are amazing riders in their own right, but as the years tick by they find themselves falling behind younger, faster, hungrier riders. Each of the above three could still very well surprise with a huge victory in 2010, but each would be best served to focus on playing the team role next year.