2009 Tour de France Breakthrough Bets: Who's Most Likely to Shine?

For this year's Tour de France there are several top riders that are on everyone's minds as contenders for the overall. Likewise, the sprinters too boast a handful of riders that everyone agrees will be men to watch when the race kicks off in Monaco this coming Saturday. But behind these big names there are others that could end the three week stage race as the new heroes, riders that will be mentioned in the same breath as the favorites in future editions of the event. EuroPeloton examines several riders that may vault into superstar status by the end of this year's Tour.

Kim Kirchen has been in the top ten at the Tour de France, won a big time one day classic and even held the yellow jersey at the Tour. Yet the Luxembourgian still is looked over in favor of his countrymen Frank and Andy Schleck, among others. This year Kirchen has been very quiet through the spring owing to his crash at the Amgen Tour of California, so once again he has flown in way under the radar for this year's edition of the Tour. Kirchen is an amazing talent coming into the prime of his career, and 2009 could be his year to ascend toward the top of the sport as a stage race threat. A stage win would be great, but a top five overall would be even better. Expect Kirchen to achieve both by the time the biggest bike race in the world rolls into Paris after a tough three week journey.

Tyler Farrar heads to his first Tour de France as the undisputed sprint leader of the Garmin-Slipstream team. He has beaten Mark Cavendish head to head and his confidence is growing in each race he enters. With Christian Vande Velde's condition a question mark, Garmin management will want to do all they can to support Farrar as he battles against the best sprinters in the world. With even just one stage win, Farrar would legitimize himself as one of the world's top sprinters. And while experience is key at the Tour, so is calmness, and Farrar seems poised and collected ahead of his biggest challenge as a pro cyclist to date.

Luis Leon Sanchez, though only 25 years old, possesses experience far beyond his years. An overall winner at Paris-Nice, the Vuelta a Mallorca, and a stage winner at the Tour de France, Sanchez had planned to support his teammate Alejandro Valverde for the overall classification. But Valverde won't start this year's Tour, so Sanchez has been designated the GC leader for the Caisse d'Epargne team. Sometimes opportunity is all an athlete needs to become a big time star, and Sanchez will have just that in this year's Tour. A capable all-arounder with the tactical prowess to rival the other big guns at the Tour, Sanchez may be on the fast track to stardom providing his form and luck hold out.

Garmin's young stage race hope Dan Martin is prepping for his first Tour in a few days time. Only 21, with little experience and seemingly way out of his league, Martin nevertheless could have a similar performance to Andy Schleck at the 2005 Giro. The Irishman will have very little pressure to perform at the Tour, and with GC leader Vande Velde questionable, Martin may find himself with a chance to go for a stage win at some point in the Tour. Up to this point in the season few have focused on Martin as heavy hitter, but with a stage win in France he won't be ignored going forward.

Silence-Lotto's Matthew Lloyd hasn't notched a true breakthrough win yet in his career, but he has been close and it seems like a matter of time until the Australian breaks through. He'll be at this year's Tour strictly to support Cadel Evans as an overall contender, but should he falter Lloyd may have a chance to fight for a stage win of his own. Too, he may be sent up the road in a break as a tactical move for Lotto. If he manages a stage win, expect his confidence to soar for the future, giving him more chances at victories in the future.

The contenders of the Tour de France will be the first athletes mentioned in the daily headlines, but the above riders, and others, will also make their presence felt. There is no better race than the Tour de France to make a name for one's self, and each and every rider entered will turn themselves inside out to make an impression. It's hard to predict who will emerge as the "new" revelation, but the riders above all are pretty safe bets. Now, all that is left is the racing.

Martin Reimer Wins German Title, a Diamond in the Rough for Cervelo TestTeam?

In a shocking upset of some of the biggest names in German cycling, young 21 year old Martin Reimer of the Cervelo TestTeam took top honors in last weekend's German road championship, foreshadowing great things to come for the young all arounder.

Reimer bested some of the top guns of German cycling, including Fabian Wegmann, and the Columbia duo of Marcel Sieberg and Marcus Burghardt. Remier was one of three survivors out of a 20 man break, and he was able to outsprint Dominic Klemme of Saxo Bank and Roger Kluge of the LKT-Brandenburg squad. Reimer, still very young and inexperienced, nevertheless will be a rider to watch for the future of German cycling.

Reimer's win will be reminiscent of his country man Gerald Ciolek, who was able to win his nation's road title at only 18 years old back in 2005. By now most already know that Ciolek has blossomed into a team leader at Milram, and despite a lackluster 2009 is still considered one the the bright young stars of German cycling. Remier, with his impressive win, will now be mentioned in the same breath as some of the best German riders in the world.

Riding for the Cervelo TestTeam in his first professional season will only help Reimer develop into a top-ranked rider, as the first year team already has had amazing results in the International peloton. Riding alongside legends like Carlos Sastre, Thor Hushovd and others will only help hone Reimer's tactics and overall condition.

Whether Reimer will eventually develop into one of Germany's best cyclists remains to be seen, but his win against a quality field in the German championships suggests that he has the talent to achieve remarkable results. Now that he's clad in the all white kit of German champion however, it will be hard for him to stay under the radar. Being a national champion comes with responsibility and pressure, and how Martin Reimer manages that pressure over the next year will go a long way to determining his overall success as a professional cyclist.

Keeping Time: Behind Contador, a Slew of Tour de France Contenders Lining Up

Alberto Contador is without a doubt the number one favorite for the upcoming Tour de France. The recent winner of the Spanish time trial championships seems poised to take his second Tour de France overall, but there are a host of others that could contend for the overall. In recent years it seems as though there have been more "favorites" heading into the Tour than there were in the 80's and 90's. So let's get on with it, the other big contenders for the 2009 Tour.

Lance Armstrong, although Contador's teammate, seems like a top contender for the Tour despite being away from the professional side of the sport for more than three years. He finally notched a win at the recent Nevada City Classic (despite racing against a very weak field) and many in the know say he is ready to shock the world in a few days time. He'll likely have more than half the Astana team to support him should things get dicey between he and Contador, and an 8th title, for now at least, still seems within his grasp.

Denis Menchov ripped through the Giro d'Italia like he owned it. After taking the jersey from Danilo Di Luca in stage 12 during the 60+ kilometer time trial, Menchov never looked back and wore pink to the line in Rome. To do the double is nearly unheard of in the modern era, but Menchov has as good a chance as any of the other double winners from the past. A solid team will support the Russian as he tries to do the impossible for his Rabobank team.

Cadel Evans returns to the Tour to once again try for the top step of the podium, but to all eyes it looks as though his time may have passed him by. He brings a competent Silence-Lotto team to the start line in Monaco, but if he takes yellow early he'll find it hard to control the peloton with his Lotto team. Like in past editions of the Tour, Evans will follow wheels, hope for amazing results in the time trials, and a bit of luck in between. As has been the case in years past, he'll likely come close but fall a bit short of victory by the time the three week tour is over.

Carlos Sastre, despite being the defending Tour de France champ, has received very little respect from the cycling public for the 2009 edition of the Tour de France. He'll head a tough yet new Cervelo TestTeam squad looking to make waves with the small, quiet Spaniard. Thor Hushovd will be contending for the green jersey while Sastre goes for yellow, and the dual attack could see the team stretched a bit thin. Still, Sastre is great in the high mountinas and is the defending champion after all. He shouldn't be counted out.

Andy Schleck took his beggest win a few months ago at Liege-Bastogne-Liege and he'll be a protected rider along with his brother frank for the Tour, but he has yet to prove he can carry his weight in a grand tour. His 2nd place overall finish in the 2006 Giro seems like it was a very long time ago, and without a solid time trial he'll likely be left behind in the GC hunt. Still, as an explosive climber on a strong team, Andy may be able to surprise everyone and contend for the overall prize.

Andy's brother Frank Schleck also is not an excellent time trialist, and he may end up taking a back seat to his brother for leadership of the Saxo Bank team. He has been injured throughout the 2009 season, and he comes into the Tour as an unknown quantity. In 2008, Carlos Sastre came in under the radar and won for Bjarne Riis' team. Could 2009 be Frank's turn?

Christian Vande Velde will arrive at the Tour with few racing kilometers in his legs after a tough crash at the Giro d'Italia. The American is surely Garmin's best hope, but how well he'll go after such an up and down early season is anyone's guess. He'll get decent team support from his Garmin mates, but winning this year's event likely won't happen. More realistic is a top ten and a stage win, which would be a massive result considering his tough luck thus far in 2009.

Roman Kreuziger and Vincenzo Nibali will co-captain the Liquigas squad at the Tour, but both seem to realize that they are at least one year away from trying for the overall win. Both riders will look to gain more experience in the biggest bike rac ein the world, while hoping for a top ten placing and a stage win. If each could win a stage the 2009 Tour will have been considered a smashing success for the Liquigas team.

The list of favorites for this year's Tour de France reads as a virtual who's who of big time cycling. With the return of Lance Armstrong to the professional peloton, the attention that this year's race will receive from the International press should be astronomical. For the firs time since Armstrong's last participation in the Tour in 2005, the way each rider handles the intense media pressure will factor largely into who emerges as the eventual 2009 champion. Some of the riders above have handles that pressure with aplomb, while others are still learning how to navigate the murky waters of the hungry media swarm. In less than a week time we'll all begin to understand who the real front runners for the Tour are, and who would have been better off staying at home.

Chris Horner Disrespected Again as Astana Leaves American Stalwart Off Tour de France Team

Chris Horner must be wondering what he has to do in order to make the final selection for a Tour de France team. Throughout his career he has been snubbed by various teams in various ways, but his exclusion from the 2009 Tour de France borderlines on ridiculous. Not only did he perform very well recently at the Nevada City Cycling Classic, but he did so on behalf of his teammate and Tour leader Lance Armstrong. That Horner won't be riding in France in a few days time is an injustice he and his fans did not deserve.

So far Chris Horner has had a great season on the bike. He rode a solid Tour of California in support of teammate Levi Leipheimer and was absolutely flying at the Giro d'Italia before crashing out with various injuries. After an intense block of training and recovery, Horner clearly looked ready at Nevada City. he rode at the front with confidence throughout the race, and finished without incident.

Looking at the team makeup, there were at least two choices made by Astana management that seem dubious. The first and most glaring without a doubt is the Kazakh rider Dimitry Muravyev. Muravyev has few results to chow in his more than six seasons in the pro peloton, and on paper he is a far weaker rider than Horner. Obviously Astana management insisted that the team have at least one Kazakh rider participating in the Tour, so Muravyev was chosen more for his nationality than his talent on two wheels.

The other rider of the nine selected that should be questioned is Sergio Paulinho, the Portuguese rider who has seven years experience in on the pro level. Paulinho is a solid rider for sure, but there is no way he is more talented than Horner. A solid time trialer who will be depended on to take long pulls at the front on the flat stages, Paulinho will be valuable to the team, but he should have been left off in favor of Horner, plain and simple.

Wherever Chris Horner is right now I hope his morale is not too low. He should realize that he did all he could to prove that he was deserving of a Tour de France ride, and when the chips were down it was politics that got in the way. His level of talent is clearly higher than that of the above mentioned riders, and he should hold his head proud in knowing that powers beyond his control prevented him from a Tour ride in 2009, not himself. As a huge fan of Horner, EP and many others will feel a sense of loss that one of the best personalities and riders in American cycling will not be on the start line in Monaco. Once again, Horner will endure a political slight, wondering what he possibly could have done to earn a Tour ride. The answer, unfortunately, is nothing.

The New Lance: Armstrong Still Focused, But Finding Time for Fans, Teammates and Media in Second Coming

Back in 1999, Lance Armstrong was an unproven stage racing talent intent on making a name for himself in the biggest stage race in the world. It didn't matter to the Texan that few others believed he could win the Tour. His coach Chris Carmichael and his director Johan Bruyneel were convinced, and by the end of the 1999 Tour, so were many others. His win in 2000 was confirmation of his new talent as a top grand tour contender, and from that point on he became increasingly distant on and off the bike with not only the media, but also his fans and sometimes even his teammates.

Today Lance Armstrong is in the midst of his second comeback to the sport. Now a 7-time Tour de France champion, he has little left to prove. Raising awareness for cancer is his top priority these days, but close behind is re-establishing himself as the top stage racer in the world. After an ambitious early season peppered with both good (solid ride in the Amgen Tour of California, Giro d'Italia) and the bad (broken collar bone at the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon), Armstrong seems poised to contend once again in the biggest bike race in the world.

The difference this time around though is noticeable to the media, his fans, and teammates alike. Gone is the distant, cold, calculating Armstrong, replaced by a gregarious everyman who seems to genuinely be enjoying the spirit of competition. "Big Tex" will grants interviews to just about any media representative, always stays around before and after races to sign autographs, and comes to the start line with a nod and a smile instead of a stone-faced stare at just about every race he enters.

This is not to say that Armstrong has lost his competitive fire, rather to underscore that his approach has changed. He still trains as hard as ever, still meticulously prepares, but this time around he does so with joy in his heart, with a sense of duty not only to himself, but his legions of rabid fans. One had to look no further than this past Father's Day at the Nevada City Cycling Classic to see the new Armstrong in full light. Granting an informal interview just seconds ahead of the race, Armstrong humbly pointed to his friend and teammate Levi Leipheimer as the rider to watch for the win on the day, while at the same time expressing his gratitude for small town races like Nevada City. The fight against cancer too was top of mind for Armstrong, as he granted that riding races like Nevada City could only help increase awareness and support for beating the debilitating disease.

As the start gun went off though, Armstrong seemed to snap back into the old "patron" we have all become so accustomed to seeing. Off the front early and often, he offered no gifts out on the roads of Nevada City, and after riding each and every rider off his wheel, he crossed the line solo for the first win of his comeback. Playing down the importance of the win for his and the Astana team's morale, Armstrong nevertheless was very satisfied with his effort, and with his decision to race the 49th edition of the western classic.

After a brief podium ceremony and a few autographs, Armstrong and his two teammates Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner were on a chartered plane back to Aspen, Colorado for a few more days of training before heading to France for the ultimate test. And while his mood will no doubt become more serious come the time trial in Monaco, Armstrong's fans and the rest of the world will never forget his win at Nevada City. The hero had come home and won in the USA triumphant, arms raised and face beaming ahead of his biggest objective. No matter his performance in France in a few day's time, his support in his home country, and the rest of the world, will remain rock-solid.

The new Lance Armstrong has arrived, and now a practiced veteran he has learned to kill em' with a smile and a handshake, remembering that true success comes in sharing and providing unfettered joy to those around you. He'll head to France with a nation of supporters behind him, ready to cheer his best effort, whatever it is.

Holding the Bag: Fuming Brechel Left off Saxo Tour Team Despite Solid 2009 Results

Bjarne Riis, the stoic yet determined leader of the Saxo bank team, put his reputation on the line a few days ago in leaving the Dane Matti Breschel off the squad. Known as one of the best directors in the game of cycling, it is a rare occurrence to see Riis' wisdom questioned. But in leaving Breschel off the Tour de France team, Riis may find himself having to answer some tough questions should the Saxo Bank team have less than stellar results at the upcoming Tour.

Breschel is still young, only 24, so he'll no doubt have many opportunities to ride the Tour in the future. Still, to all appearances it seems as though the Dane is ready now to tackle the toughest bike race in the world. After a breakout 2008 that saw him win the Philadelphia International Classic and take third in the road world championships in Varese, Italy, Breschel came into 2009 looking for big results for his Saxo team.

After a solid early season of build up, Breschel took top ten placings at both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, and just this past week he won stage 4 of the Tour de Swiss. His form seems at a high level, his mind collected, yet he'll still find himself on the sidelines when his Saxo Bank team line up for the prologue at the Tour in 10 days time.

Bjarne Riis is without a doubt one of the top minds in the sport of cycling. His ability to read a race and his riders set him apart from many others in the sport, yet his decision regarding leaving Breschel off the Tour team will have many of us scratching out heads. Hopefully Saxo will, as Riis hopes, dominate the Tour behind stalwarts Fabian Cancellara and the two Schleck brothers. But if they falter, if the wins don't come, there will be a young Dane standing on the outside looking in, wondering what could have been.

Tour de Nez 2009: Gerlach Comes Full Circle, Tibco Controls, Albor Confirms

The 2009 Tour de Nez presented by Northstar-at-Tahoe got off to a flying start on Thursday with the downtown Truckee criterium, the first of three days of racing in the 17th edition of the race. Run under sunny skies, warm temperatures and stiff winds, the pro men’s field put on a show for the thousands of assembled fans, as it was Lifetime Fitness/VeloVie rider Chad Gerlach who took the pro men’s race in a one up sprint against Jonathan Baker of the Natural Grocer’s team.

In taking the win, Gerlach came full circle after a tumultuous four years fraught with drug addiction and alcohol abuse. At this year’s Tour de Nez with only one teammate, Gerlach sparked the day’s decisive move four laps into the race with Baker, and the duo never looked back, working well together right up to the finish.

With approximately five laps to go in the race, Gerlach and Baker caught the field, and the final sprint for the victory was contested among the lapped participants in the main field. Gerlach, using his superior sprint, took the win easily over the out-gunned Baker, his first victory of 2009 and his comeback to the sport.

In the pro women’s race, it was the Tibco team that put on a cycling clinic, using all four of their registered athletes to perfection in delivering hometown Reno hero Amber Rais to the finish line victorious. Rais was off the front early in the race, but after being reeled back in by Stacy Marple and Martina Patella, she settled back into the main field as all of her teammates attacked over the ensuing laps.

First it was Rushlee Buchanan, then Alison Starnes, and finally Jerika Hutchingson that softened up the field, and by the time the group hit the last lap the result was all but assured for Rais. Out of the saddle down the final finishing straight, she overpowered Marple and Nash to take the win before the cheering partisan crowd.

In the hand cycle race, it was pre-race favorite and world championship contender Alejandro Albor who took top honors, distancing Seth Arseneau by a sizeable margin. The hand cycling national criterium championship commences tomorrow in Reno, Nevada during stage two of the three stage event.

Racing continues tomorrow for all categories in the Reno River criterium races. Saturday’s racing will then take the field to the Northstar-at-Tahoe resort for the final leg of the event, a circuit race in and around the Village at Northstar resort.

Tour de France 2009: 5 Burning Questions

The Tour de France is only weeks away, and most of the favorites are putting the final efforts into their preparations for the world's biggest bike race. Most are already in Europe racing or training, while a select few Americans are putting in their final racing and training miles in at home. There are many questions that will be answered once July rolls around, but the below five hold particular interest . . .

1. Can Denis Menchov achieve the Giro-Tour double?

Denis Menchov was dominant in the Giro, taking the long time trial and neutralizing all attackers en route to his first win in the Italian grand tour. Conservative once he had a lead, Menchov nevertheless was the strongest rider in the race, and worthy of being called champion when the race finished in Rome. As usual the Russian came in under the radar and with little fanfare, and with less pressure was able to focus more on riding than the media attention. As the Russian prepares to lead his Rabobank team at the Tour, things may change a bit. He'll be among the top five favorites for the overall, and both fan and media attention is sure to be significantly ramped up. How he handles the pressure will be as important as how he handles the parcours if he is to complete the historic Giro-Tour double. Menchov has a good team coming to France in his support, and providing his form is around where it was at the start of the Giro, he should be in with a good chance for a podium placing, if not the overall win.

2. Who from Liquigas will emerge as the true team leader for the Tour?

The Italian Liquigas team will come to the Tour with a three-pronged GC attack of Franco Pellizotti, Vincenzo Nibali, and Roman Kreuziger. Each is on good form, and all three are capable of becoming the team leader, but none of the have shown themselves to be the obvious choice the lead the team's GC hopes. Pellizotti has the most experience of the three, but he has downplayed his chances for the overall win. Niballi has stated that he wants a top ten, while Kreuziger has remained quiet as he tries to defend his Tour de Swiss title. It will likely end up that the team leader will be the man who is best positioned after the first week, with the two remaining riders slipping into the role of support men. Kreuziger, though still very young, has all the makings of future Tour winner. Whether it will be this year remains to be seen.

3. Can Lance Armstrong really contend for an 8th Tour title?

After having been off the bike for almost three years, Lance Armstrong's comeback has been nothing short of amazing. He was respectable during the early season at the Tour of California before breaking his collar bone in a crash, and although his preparation was behind for the Giro he still managed to impress in the high mountains. Now only a few weeks from the start of the Tour, Armstrong is still training in America. He plans to race the June 21 Nevada City Cycling Classic as his final race before the Tour, and then he'll head to France to co-lead the Astana team with Alberto Contador. Armstrong, of all active riders, knows how to prepare for the Tour. He'll be as good as possible for the start of the race, and it would be unwise to bet against the 7-time Tour champ. Still, there is that other teammate of his Contador . . . . .

4. Can Alberto Contador win the Tour without his team's help?

Alberto Contador is widely accepted as the best stage racer in the world. His Astana team has pledged their support for whomever the best rider is within the team at the Tour though, which could mean that he could lose out on leadership duties if teammate Lance Armstrong is going strong in the three week stage race. Perhaps anticipating a split in unity, Contador helped Alehandro Valverde win the recent Dauhpine Libere, perhaps hoping that he would have the favor returned by the Caisse d'Epargne team come July. Contador is hell bent on winning the 2009 Tour, and he is making provisions to do so even if his own team is against him. Whether Caisse d'Epargne will help him come crunch time though is yet to be determined.

5. Can Mark Cavendish win more than four stages of this year's Tour?

Most sprinters would be satisfied with ONE stage win at the Tour de France, but Mark Cavendish exists above the fold, an elite sprinter among elite sprinters. Columbia's golden boy will come to the Tour on good form after a strong performance in the Tour de Swiss, and he'll try to beat his 2008 tally of four stage wins. The Manxman has pledged to finish this year's Tour, which means he'll have more chances at victory. Still, five stage wins is a tall order even for the world's fastest man.

The Tour de France is always the most exciting time of the cycling season, and 2009 is no different. The plot lines are as intricate as the riders involved, and this year's Tour seems destined to go down in history as one of the most exciting editions ever. If the scenarios above play out as expected, cycling fans should be treated to a multi-layered Tour de France offering not seen in recent memory.

Armstrong, Teammates Planning On Racing at Historic Nevada City Classic Criterium on Sunday, June 21st

James Raia is reporting that Lance Armstrong is planning on racing the upcoming Nevada City Classic Criterium in California his coming Sunday, as the Astana star continues his build up to the Tour de France. Curently training in Aspen, Armstrong's participation in the 2nd oldest criterium in America would boost attendance for both fans a riders, and would be a nice perk for race organizers.

The reasons for Armstrong's plans to ride in the race could be many. Most likely he wants to give back a bit to the sport of cycling by showing up to a race that helped shape his early career. Like many American stars, Armstong raced the Nevada City Classic at the beginning of his career, and it will be a nice gesture for "Big Tex" to return as part of his comeback to the sport as a means of saying "thank you" to the sport that has made him so successful.

In addition to Armstrong, his teammates Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner will also race, lending more star power to the event. The "Lance Effect" is in full swing in fact, with rumors swirling that other big names will show, among them Floyd Landis, Rory Sutherland and the Jacques Maynes brothers. Without question this year's edition of the Nevada City Classic Criterium will be one to remember!

Unstoppable: Mark Cavendish Setting New Standards for Cycling's Fastest Finishers

Columbia- High Road's sprint ace Mark Cavendish has had an amazing first half to his season, and the 24 year old sprinting phenom is showing no signs of slowing down. He recently took his lucky 13th win of the season yesterday in the Tour de Swiss, handedly beating some of the fastest finishers in the sport.

Cavendish has long been known as a huge emerging talent, but over the course of this season he has shown himself clearly to be the fastest man in cycling. When delivered to the line by his team-first Columbia squad, there are few in the sport that can hope to match Cav's turn of speed over the final 500 meters. A former track star, Cavendish has made the transition over to the road scene seamlessly, and it is looking like he will notch approximately 20 wins a season for the foreseeable future.

In previous years it seemed as though Cavendish needed perfect conditions to take a big win, but that has changed in 2009. At the year's first monument of the season, Milan-San Remo, not only did Cavendish prove that he could make it over the climbs with the first group, he also proved that he had plenty left in the tank, as he single handedly chased down Heinrich Haussler to take the victory at "La Primavera." It was a shocking an unexpected win for the Englishman, and one that firmly established him as one of the top riders in the world.

Perhaps the best part about Cavendish is that he comes to win at each and every race he enters. There seem to be no off days for Cavendish, and he is just as intense in early season stage races as he is in the grand tours. A win is a win to Cavendish, and he plans on taking as many as he can throughout the course of his career. He took 17 wins in 2008, and it is he'll likely approach 25 this year, impressive for a one year improvement.

Some people are put off by Cavendish's perceived over confidence, but a closer look suggests that it is simply confidence, not over confidence. He is not afraid to speak his mind, and he knows his limits, but he also is keenly aware that he is far superior to most other sprinters in the game of cycling. If his natural ability to dominate make his outwardly confident, who can blame him? 

As Cavendish continues to notch win after win ahead of the Tour de France, his confidence is improving every day. He'll be very tough to come around in France in July, and a green jersey title will surely be within his grasp. He has stated that stage wins are more important to him this year than the green jersey, but with enough stage wins the green jersey classification will take care of itself. 

The only real problem for Cavendish these days is managing expectations. A man, not a machine, Cavendish is now expected to win races at big time events, and that type of pressure could one day get to him. For now he seems to be handling the expectation to win without issue, but all that could change were he to have a small gap between wins. In fact, if he can't manage at least one win in the Tour de France, which is not easy to do, he would likely be slammed by the media and his fans alike.  He'll have to continually be reminded by teammates and coaches that winning is hard, and it can't happen for every race. Whether he'll be able to come to accept that fact may determine not only the length, but the quality of his career. For now though it is all systems go for the "Manx Missile" as he continues to win everywhere he races.

Vuelta a Espana Leaves LPR Off 2009 Invite List, But Why?

The organizers of the third grand tour of the year, the Vuelta a Espana, released the list of teams for the 2009 edition, with the usual inclusion of several Spanish continental teams and all the Pro Tour teams but two, but the most glaring and unfair snub was surely regarding the LPR Brakes team of Alessandro Petacchi and Danilo Di Luca.

Di Luca and his LPR team were one of the dominant teams of this past year's Giro d'Italia, and Di Luca "The Killer" lobbied hard for his team to be invited to the Vuelta based on his belief that if invited, he and Petacchi would each fight for a stage win during the race, adding to the excitement for the viewing public. And in his history, Di Luca has always been an attacking, aggressive rider that always lent excitement to the race he was in, be it a one day classic or a stage race. In short he backs up his words. Petacchi meanwhile is still winning even at the age of 35, and at least one stage win at the Vuelta would all but have been ensured had Petacchi been granted an opportunity to ride.

In looking deeper at the LPR team, there are good riders in addition to Petacchi and Di Luca who would have possibly been able to shine at the Vuelta. Gabriele Bossisio, though almost always playing the role of domestique, is a dangerous rider who has a nose for decisive breaks and can climb with some of the best in the world. And solid workers like Specialetti and Ongoroto add fire power to a team that had no problem keeping up with, and sometimes dominating, the rest of the field at the 2009 Giro d'Italia.

The main reason for LPR's exclusion is based on the past doping offenses of several riders on the team, including Di Luca, Petacchi and Bernucci. But they are currently enrolled in the UCI's blood passport program and should be afforded the same opportunities as the other teams that follow the UCI code. In order to even participate in the blood passport program, a team must submit a significant financial sum to the UCI, and LPR reasonably could argue that they should be entitled to receiving the money they paid back as it made no difference in the races they were allowed to ride in.

On one hand the Vuelta organizers will look the other way for suspected dopers as in the case of alejandro Valverde and other top Spanish riders, but Di Luca and the LPR team are left off the list despite their ability to animate a stage race. It's time that race organizers applied rues equally to all teams instead of making arbitrary choices based on their own prejudices. With LPR's exclusion, the Vuelta will surely lose much of it's drama, and therefore fewer fans will tune in to watch the event. 

Fast forwarding to 2010, Di Luca could cause some serious problems to race organizers if he is able to take the world championship in Switzerland this fall as he is planning. The coach for Italy at the world's, Franco Ballerini, has told Di Luca he'll have a chance to lead the team for the rainbow jersey, and the course in Mendrisio is very well-suited to Di Luca's ability. With the rainbow bands on his back for 2010, it would make it hard for races to keep him from taking the start line. If "The Killer" hashis way, that's exactly what will happen in a few months time.

Is Ivan Basso Done? Modest Results at Giro, Dauphine Cast Future Leadership Duties Into Doubt

Before Ivan Basso's suspension way back in 2006, the Italian was perceived to be on the precipice of cycling immortality. He had taken his first grand tour in his home country by more than nine minutes, dominating a deep and talented field. His competitors had been laid to waste, and Basso was the darling of the Italian and world cycling media. Newly crowned as Italy's best stage racer, Basso then prepared to take on the Tour de France, in hopes of completing the mythical double last accomplished by Marco Pantani.

Unfortunately though he would never get the chance, as he and several other top riders were barred from participating in the Tour at the eve of the start of the event. Operacion Puerto had broke, and Basso was one of the riders at the center of the investigation. In sticking with the code of Omerta in the sport of cycling, Basso denied everything, and set out to prove his innocence over the next few months.

As the months passed after the Tour de France, the noose closed around Basso and he was eventually forced to admit that he had in fact been involved in the Puerto scandal. He called a press conference, and then admitted what many already expected: He had in fact been involved, and was ready to serve his suspension. CONI obliged, handing him a two year ban, and he sat out of professional competition until just this past year. Returning under the Liquigas moniker, Basso promised both the media and his tifosi that he would be as strong as ever, and would get back to the top of the sport once again. He was the prohibitive favorite heading into the Giro, in part from his own claims that he was ready to win the event again.

So far though, Basso has been less than stellar in his return. After a lackluster Tour of California where he dropped out with an injury, he recovered before beginning his build up for the Giro d'Italia. Basso spoke about how he was ready to win the event, despite having a teammate who finished in the top five the year before in Franco Pellizotti. As May fast approached, Basso still hadn't notched a win, nor had he shown himself to be all that dominant in the mountains during smaller stage races.

At the Giro, it became clear that Basso was going to have a tough time holding onto his team's captaincy, let alone winning the overall classification. He lost time in the stage 12 time trial, and after that point there really was no question about Basso's chances to win the Giro . . . it simply was not going to happen. In an attempt to salvage his Giro, Basso went on the offensive for stage 15, attempting to take time back on race leader Denis Menchov. But his attack was unsuccessful, and the rest of the Giro for Basso was spent following wheels.

By the time the race was finished in Rome, Basso and his teammates were already doing damage control, explaining that the two year lay off would take time to come back from. While Basso's statements are true, the time has come to wonder whether he will ever get back to the level he was at when he was banned from competition. Just this week, he dropped out of the Dauphine Libere after not having made so much as a whimper in the race. Meanwhile, his younger teammate Vincenzo Nibali is riding high on the overall classification as he plans to take on the Tour de France in a few weeks time.

Ivan Basso is still a top rider in the sport of cycling, but it is looking like his days of being a designated team leader may be coming to an end. Franco Pellizotti is a very strong GC rider, and Nibali and Roman Kreuziger, though very young and relatively inexperienced, are beginning to show real promise as team leaders for grand tours. If Nibali and Kreuziger shine at the upcoming Tour de France, it could be bad news for Basso.

Basso has already made clear his intentions to race the Vuelta a Espana later this summer with the intent to win the overall title. He'll have plenty of time between now and then to prepare, and whether he knows it or not the Spanish grand tour is shaping up to be his most important race of his entire career. A flop in Spain would most certainly seal his fate as a past his prime rider, while a podium or even win would once again thrust him back to where he wants to be, that of a clear team leader on a Pro Tour team. One thing though is for sure: Ivan Basso won't be winning any grand tours by nine minutes in the future.

Summer Cleaning: Approaching Tour de France Means Positive Doping Tests, Major Controversy for Cycling

Every year, at least recently, it's the same thing. The drug testers re-double their efforts in their search for drug cheats, and the UCI inevitably announces that they have some new program designed to catch even the most wily cheat. 2009 has been more of the same, as the UCI announced recently that they will be announcing allegations against and unspecified number of cyclists in relation to the results from the over-hyped and late arriving blood passport program.

It is great that the UCI are doing all they can to catch cheats in cycling. But why does it always seem that these allegations are made ahead of the Tour de France instead of earlier in the season? Now, to be fair, there have been a handful of cheats caught throughout the first part of the season, including Davide Rebellin, Christian Pfannberger and just a few days ago Antonio Colom. But the announcement by the UCI that they will be releasing a number of names next week sounds ominous. Will it be 2? Or 3? Or 10? For now, no one knows.

To the casual viewer, it would seem that cycling's governing body likes to drum up the drama before announcing a positive test result to the public. Instead of moving swiftly and decisively, they always seem to find a way to delay their findings until the Tour de France is imminent. Hardly a coincidence, this allows the UCI to attract the maximum exposure from the media to highlight their efforts in the fight against doping. Which is a crying shame. This time of year should be dedicated to predictions and conjecture about who will win the Tour, but instead it always ends up being a debate about who will be the next rider found positive for doping.

The UCI has a job to do, one that requires them to be thorough and steadfast in their search for truth. But it is no coincidence that they are waiting for July to roll around each year before announcing their most damaging test results. Meanwhile, races are being contested and sometimes won by cheaters, forever altering the history of results in the sport of cycling. Instead of waiting for the publicity before announcing who the cheats are, perhaps the UCI should start putting the well-being of the sport ahead of their own agency's objectives. Until then, the Tour de France will be as synonomous with bad news about doping as it is about good news regarding competition and tiumph.

Outshined: Tour de Swiss Boasts a Better Line Up Than Dauphine Libere, More Favs Choose Switzerland for Final Tour de France Prep

The provisional lineup for the upcoming Tour de Swiss is an impressive one, with many of the top riders in the world taking place in the nine day stage race from June 13-21. Typically the Dauphine Libere has the more potent line up of the two races, as the mountainous stages of the French stage race provide great prep for the GC hopefuls of the upcoming Tour. The Tour de Swiss meanwhile tends to attract the top sprinters due to it's less mountainous terrain.

But 2009 sees a strong all-around field ready to take to the start line as they look to put their final preparations into effect ahead of the Tour de France. The sprinters are prevalent as they are every year, and some of the fast men that will contest the race include Mark Cavendish, Daniele Bennati, Thor Hushovd and Heinrich Haussler, Matti Breschel, and Oscar Freire.

But in addition to the fast finishers, there are a host of other top riders that will be on hand to show their form ahead of the biggest bike race in the world. There are a few that fall into the "not a surprise" category, including Fabian Cancellara, himself of Swiss descent, and Andreas Kloden, who seems to prefer the Tour de Swiss to the Dauphine. But after that there is a list of riders that one would not necessarily expect to see at the Tour de Swiss.

For the Tour de France GC hopefuls, Columbia's Kim Kirchin will be looking to add race kilometers after a tough early season crash that significantly set back his preparation, as will Garmin's Christian Vande Velde,who will hope to affirm his top five finish in last year's Tour de France. Roman Kreuziger, the young stage race talent and defending Tour de Swiss champion from Liquigas will lead his team before an assault on the top ten placing at the Tour and another white jersey. Also competing will be Katusha's stage racing threat Vlad Karpets. Always close but never elite, Karpets will be the undisputed team leader of his Katusha squad in July. Saxo Bank too will bring both of their big stage racing guns to Switzerland, as the Schleck brothers prepare to try to win the Tour.

The race is Italian-heavy as well, as world champion Alessandro Ballan will return to action after a lengthy lay off from sickness, and Lampre's Damiano Cunego, a flop in his home tour only a week ago, will look for redemption at the Tour de Swiss. In fact, Cunego will be a favorite to win the overall, as shorter stage races are much better suited to his talents as a cyclist. "Pippo" Pozzato too will be on the start line, trying to build momentum ahead of the Tour.

Other riders to watch include Quick Step's Sylvain Chavanel, who should be in with a chance at a stage win, Katusha's Sergei Ivanov, this year's champion of the Amstel Gold race, and Lotto's Thomas Dekker, who will be looking to gain momentum after an abysmal 2008. Milram's Gerald Ciolek, a bust thus far in 2009 will hope to be toward the front in the sprints, and BBox's little Tommy Voeckler will look to get his breakaway legs ready for July as well.

With a deep field full of motivation and talent, the Tour de Swiss may end up being one of the more exciting stage races thus far in 2009. The sprinters, as they always do, will put on a show, but expect that the mountain stages will see some significant action as well, as the Tour de France hopefuls stretch their legs against one another in hopes of measuring their form ahead of the biggest bike race in the world.

"Gorrilla" Mauls Field in Philly, Teutenberg Completes Columbia Sweep

The Philadelphia International championship was swept Sunday by the Columbia High Road team, as Andre "Gorrilla" Greipel and Ina Yoko-Teutenberg each won their respective races in Philadelphia, completing an impressive sweep of the event for Bob Stapleton's yellow and white clad team. Behind solid tactics and a clearly superior team for both races, Columbia won easily, showing the rest of the peloton their superiority in the 25th edition of the race.

Greipel showed that he is riding great form right now, and his impressive display of power to finish the race showed the clear difference in level of talent between the European and domestic peloton. While it is true that the domestic field has improved greatly over the past few years, there is still much to be done in terms of bridging the talent gap to the elite European peloton.

For Teutenberg meanwhile it was business as usual, as she took her third Philadelphia crown as she continues to add to her win tally in 2009. This year has been one of the best yet for the 34 year old veteran, as she took her 9th win of the season in Philly.

For those domestic riders there were a few highlights, including young Daniel Holloway's solo attack that ultimately failed, and Kirk O'Bee's third place also was impressive as the Bissell rider was able to stay among the top two Columbia riders to take the third spot on the podium. In fact, O'Bee was the sole American that made the top ten.

Although the 25th edition of the race may not have had the star power of past editions, it was still impressive that the organizers were able to save it from being cancelled amid a terrible economic climate and a changed relationship with the city concerning payment of police and other workers. Hopefully the 26th version will take place under better circumstances, with the star-studded field that the race has become known for. All in all though the silver anniversary of the race will go down in history as a good one, and will be remembered as the race that was completely controlled by America's, and perhaps the world's, best Pro Tour team.

Building Up: Dauphine Libere Stage Race Provides Tour de France Favorites a Testing Ground for July

The Dauphine Libere, as it does every year, provides many of the upcoming Tour de France favorites a chance to ride against each other on stage that are similar to July's Grand Boucle. Most Tour favorites hold back just a shade at the Dauphine to avoid peaking too soon ahead of the biggest bike race in the world. Others in the race will use the Dauphine as a spring board to future stardom, as a win in the eight day event remains very prestigious.

There are several riders competing at the Dauphine who will be among the leader's in the Tour, starting with 2007 Tour champion and heavy 2009 Tour de France favorite Alberto Contador. Contador, as he does in every race he enters, will look for the overall win, but expect too that he won't go too far into the red if the action becomes too frenetic throughout the race. Contador's number one goal is a 2nd win at the Tour, and he'll do nothing to compromise his chances.

Two-time Tour de France runner up Cadel Evans will be at the Dauphine as well, and like Contador he'll look to ride at the front of the race, but likely has no illusions of winning the overall. Instead he'll try to stay at the front on the decisive climbs and try to put in a good ride in the stage three time trial. He'll likely also be keen to see how his team holds up as he looks for support ahead of his season's biggest target, something he was sorely lacking in 2008.

Other Tour de France GC hopefuls that will be riding the Dauphine include Liquigas' Vincenzo Nibali, Quick Step's Stijn Devolder, and Milram's Linus Gerdemann. These three certainly aren't top favorites for the Tour though, so they may also decide to try for the overall at the Dauphine instead of using it only as training.

In addition to the riders above, there will be riders at the Dauphine specifically chasing the overall title. Headlining this group is none other than last year's winner "Don" Alejandro Valverde of the Caisse d'Epargen team. Valverde likely won't be riding the Tour de France as he is banned in Italy (one stage of the Tour finishes in Italy), so expect that the Spaniard will lay all his chips on the table in attempting to win the event for the second consecutive year.

Rabobank's newly crowned Giro d'Italia champion Denis Menchov won't be on hand at the Dauphine Libere, so leadership duties will instead fall to the young climber on the team, Robert Gesink. Gesink is a big talent still learning the ropes, particularly in the time trial discipline, but his climbing ability is superb. If he can escape on one of the summit finishes, Gesink could possibly hope for a podium finish on the GC. For the Tour, he'll be a candidate for best young rider honors.

Other wild cards to watch include Garmin's young Irish hope Dan Martin, who will hope for a stage win on one of the mountain stages, and Lampre's youngster Simon Spilak. Only 22, Spilak has progressed nicely thus far in 2009, and will hop for a top 20 overall at the Dauphine. Finally, French hope Remi Di Gregorio will try for his Francaise des Jeux team, and Cyril Dessel will do the same for his Ag2R squad.

The Dauphine Libere, though not as well attended as in years past, will nevertheless provide an important look into the form of some of the Tour de France's biggest favorites. Each of these riders will need to be careful to avoid crashes or sickness, as either could derail their GC hopes for the Tour. Calmness will be the order of the day, and the competitive fire will need to be tamped down as the top riders wait to unleash their full athletic fury in about a month's time.

Here to Stay? Will Philly Be Rock Racing's Last Stand?

Rock Racing were the talk of the peloton back at the 2008 Tour de France. Their flashy uniforms, beautiful podium girls and general bad boy attitude captured the attention of both the fans and riders at the American stage race, and the future looked bright for Michael Ball and his group of cycling cast aways.

But by the time the 2009 Tour of California rolled around, the Rock outfit had fallen on tough times. Rocked by a recession, Rock management came to the 2009 AToC far more subdued than in 2008. Ironically though, they had a much better performance out on the road, as Paco Mancebo took a stage win and both Tyler Hamilton and Mancebo held the red best climber jersey for the majority of the Tour.

Shortly after their California adventure however, things started to unravel. First Tyler Hamiloton tested positive again, leading to his immediate retirement. Then three workhorses of the team, Cesar Grajales, Mike Creed and Chris Baldwin were unceremoniously let go, as the recessionary crunch hit the team full-force. Rahsaan Bahati, the reigning US Criterium champion toiled on while not being paid, and Creed and eventually Baldwin both found rides with other teams.

As Michael Ball's squad prepares to head out to Philly for the International Championship, there is a distinct possibility that the biggest one day race in America could be Rock's last. Their roster, once full of big talent like Enrique Gutierrez, Mancebo and Hamilton, is now a shadow of its former self as relative unknowns like David Vitoria, Jamey Driscoll and Nic Sanderson are listed as starters for the June 7 race. Even Bahati, while an excellent rider, is out of place in the Philly Rock line up, a pure sprinter forced to line up for a "classic" style race.

Rock Racing, in their short time in the pro peloton, has had a mostly positive and inspiring effect on American cycling. But unless Michael Ball can find a suitable replacement sponsor, the bad boys of the domestic peloton will fade away, yet another casualty of the lingering world-wide recession. True underdogs, don;t expect them to go down without a fight. Former Philly winner Fred Rodriguez will line up again to try for another win, and he'll want to put in a solid rider to show he still has the chops to rub elbows with the best in the business. Meanwhile, Michael Ball hopefully will be scrambling to find a sponsor on hopes of saving his upstart squad.

"Good On Ya" Philippe: Lotto's Gilbert Scores Giro Stage, Reduces Internal Team Pressure Ahead of Tour de France

Philippe Gilbert had a breakout year in 2008, and as the dawn broke on the 2009 season the Belgian seemed on the precipice of greatness. After all, he had signed with a Belgian team (Silence-Lotto), had remained injury and sickness free during the off season and was riding sky-high confidence following that breakthrough 2008 campaign.

But all did not go to plan for Gilbert in the first half of the season. Luckily for the intense Belgian, his luck finally changed for the better at the Giro d'Italia. After a few near misses throughout the first half of the event, Gilbert broke through with a crucial win for his Belgian sponsor, taking the 20th stage of the centenary Giro d'Italia. Using a signature late race attack, Gilbert was able to stay free to the end of the stage, taking a well-earned and extremely important victory for both himself and his team.

Gilbert's win not only took the pressure off of him heading into the Tour de France, but it also reduced the overall malaise that the Silence-Lotto team has been experiencing thus far in 2009. After an abysmal classics season the outfit came into the Giro on the lowest of lows, but with Gilbert's win they will surely feel a renewed vigor to compete and excel over the final half of the season. With a top GC threat (Cadel Evans) and several stage hunters heading to the Tour, Silence-Lotto should be able to take the momentum that Gilbert started in Italy and carry it into the biggest bike race on the planet in about 30 days time.

Gilbert is an undeniable and intense talent capable of big things, but like any cyclist he needs a bit of luck of be successful. With a win at one of the three grand tours under his belt, expect Gilbert to attack with a vengeance in the Tour, assuming his leader Evans allows it. And as for Evans, he'll be considerably more mellow in knowing that his team has now finally scored a major victory in a prestigious race. Racing without so much pressure should be good for Evans, who wilted under the media spotlight at last year's Tour.

2009 Giro d'Italia Wrap Up: The Good and the Bad

The centenary Giro d'Italia is now in the books, with the Russian Denis Menchov taking top honors on the GC. Menchov's performance was one of many excellent highlights of the 100th edition of the Italian grand tour. There were also some less than stellar instances worth examining, both from the individual and team side of the perspective. EP's final thoughts on this past year's Giro.

1. Denis Menchov is a legitimate stage racer who could become one of the more dominant GC threats for the coming years. Behind only average team support on behalf of his Rabobank team, Menchov was nevertheless able to control the race, and take the Maglia Rosa all the way to Rome. He had a dramatic final kilometer crash in the final stage of the event, but in the end came home with plenty of time to spare on 2nd placed Danilo Di Luca. And while a double at the Tour de France is unlikely, he should still be a shoe-in for a top ten placing. Plus, at only 31 years old, his best days as a stage racer may still be ahead of him.

2. Danilo Di Luca proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has a warrior's spirit and an unending desire to compete with the best stage racers in the world. He came up under a minute short to Menchov in his home tour, but still his second place deserves accommodation. Di Luca still has a fire inside him to compete at the top level of the sport, and if he and his team are not invited to the hilly classics next year it would be a gross injustice. "The Killer" is back in a big way, and should remain a top rider at least until 2011.

3. Heading into 2010, the Liquigas squad will have a big problem on their hands in determining team leaders for each grand tour. Franco Pellizotti proved his worthiness as a team leader, and Ivan Basso also put in a respectable ride as well in finishing 5th overall. Neither was so dominant as to deserve outright leadership duties though, and with the emergence of the young duo of Vincenzo Nibali and Roman Kreuziger as GC threats, 2010 could see Liquigas with a stable of overall hopefuls that rivals this year's Astana squad. How Kreuziger and Nibali perform at the Tour in a month's time will largely determine the direction of the Liquigas team in 2010. One thing though is for sure. Basso particularly could find himself on the outside looking in when the leaders are determined for next year's grand tours.

4. Bjarn Riis' Saxo Bank squad has banked everything on the Tour de France. They were virtually invisible for the duration of the Giro, and their top placed rider on the GC was Lars Bak in 20th overall, over 30 minutes behind Menchov. Expect Saxo to be front and center once the Tour de France begins, with the possibility of winning the GC outright. At worst, they should be able to place both of the Schleck brothers in the top ten, and hope for at least one stage win by Fabian Cancellara. If they fall short of these lofty expectations though, 2009 could end up being remembered as Bjarn Riis' worst as owner of a cycling team.

5. Damiano Cunego will never win a grand tour. Despite "Il Piccolo Principe's" insistence that he can be a one day AND grand tour threat, the facts suggest otherwise. He was dropped on EVERY SINGLE mountain stage, and finished a distant 19th overall, 28 minutes behind Menchov's winning ride. Cunego should, once and for all, give up trying for the GC and focus instead on stage wins and one day classics. If he decides to temper his expectations in the grand tour GC hunts, he could end up one of the winningest riders of his generation. If not though, he'll be remembered more for his stubborn refusal to know his limits than for his abilities as a one day specialist.

6. Lance Armstrong, like a lurking tiger in the tall grass, is preparing for an assault on an 8th Tour de France title in a month's time, and he is right on schedule. Don't let the 12th place overall fool you, "Big Tex" is getting better by the day and he'll be right up among the leaders when the action starts in a few weeks time. Alberto Contador, preparing in secret, should be getting very nervous about allegiances on the Astana team. Now that they have seen Armstrong perform in Italy, support is likely to be thrown his way if he requests it during the Tour's most important stages. Many are writing off his chances to contend for an 8th title, but not EuroPeloton.

7. Gilbert Simoni's best days are far behind him. He came to the Giro as an outside contender for the overall, but after completing the Giro more than 45 minutes down on the overall and with no stage wins, it is now clear that he is well past his prime. His career has been illustrious, his quotes colorful and wins beautiful, but the time has come for "Gibo" to hang up his cleats. He will be missed in the future, as we remember his glorious past as a top Italian rider of his generation.

The 100th Giro d'Italia will go down in history as one of the most unconventional and exciting in recent memory. The battles were hard fought over a unique parcours, and the result was an edge-of-your-seat three week race that will be remembered for a long time to come. Hopefully the upcoming Tour de France will be able to come up to the level that the Giro established for entertainment and excitement, and the cycling public will once again be treated to all the drama a three week stage race can offer. Or Alberto Contador will run away from the field in France, leaving us all wishing that we were back in Italy watching the battle for the Maglia Rosa.