How Cool Would It Be If Jan Ullrich Returned to Pro Cycling?

Jan Ullrich has been retired for several years now, but at only 37 years old he could still hope to make a comeback if the desire was there. Recently the German expressed that he feels better than ever, but steadfastly shot down any notions that he would return to the sport. he allowed that he trains with his good friend Andreas Kloden, but also stated that he is far from racing shape.

Clearly Jan Ullrich is not coming back to race his bike at the highest level of the sport, but wouldn't it be great if he did? As a pro, Ullrich had an aura about him that made it easy to root for him. He was somehow more human than other top cyclists. He would get fat in the off season. he would get caught drunk driving or using recreational drugs. But most of all, he often fell just short of glory year in and year out.

All of these things endeared him to his fan base. Despite the fact that he was never able to unseat Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France, Ullrich nevertheless enjoyed immense popularity world wide. His aw shucks approach to the media and reality-driven quotes told it like it was. He was never one to say he was better than others. He stated simply that he would do his best and if that wasn't enough he would still be happy with his results.

If Ullrich decided to come back, he would be able to do so on his terms, without pressure. He would be able to return to the sport just for the sake of working for others. He could become a super-domestique perhaps, lending his experience and horsepower to the younger generation. Perhaps he could join up with Ivan Basso at Liquigas, helping the Italian at next year's Tour. Or he could sign with the Geox team, joining forces with aging stars Denis Menchov and Carlos Sastre.

Best of all for Ullrich, he could come back with little or no pressure. Having been away so long, there would be no questions about whether he could become a top contender again. If he were to garner big results than the talk about his chances at Le Tour would increase, but as long as he stuck strictly to the role of helper he would be able to ride in peace for a year or two.

It is clear that Jan Ullrich won't come back to pro cycling. Likewise it is clear that he is happy to be retired, away from the prying eyes of the media and his fans. Nevertheless, Jan Ullrich is missed. He lent an intrigue to any race he entered and win or lose all eyes were always on him. Maybe he'll have a New Year's epiphany and decide to start training hard again. If not, his memory will continue to live on for decades when the best riders are discussed by fans world wide.

7 Riders that Need Big Results to Avoid Obscurity in 2011

The 2011 cycling season is nearly upon us and with the news season comes enormous pressure for a select group of star riders. These 7 names must garner big results in 2011 or face being relegated to support riders . . . or worse . . . in 2012.

1. Stijn Devolder had some great years with Quick Step, but he became known as a one-dimensional rider unable to maintain decent form throughout the year. He continually put all of his eggs in one basket as year in and year out he tried to win at the Tour of Flanders. It worked for two years in a row, but after striking out last season he wore out his welcome at Quick Step. In 2011 he'll ride for Vacansoliel. He'll be joined on the team by Riccardo Ricco, who will share leadership throughout the year, but it will be Devolder who will be expected to carry the squad in the northern classics. Should he strike out at Flanders Week this year, Devolder will be considered no more than a dark horse for future victory. The time is now for the Belgian to find a way to ride well throughout the spring, not just at Flanders.

2. Alessandro Ballan was on top of the world just two short seasons ago after having won the world championship. As a part of a very strong Italian team on home soil in Varese, Italy, Ballan won solo and suddenly became a big time rider overnight. He left Lampre at the end of that year to join up with the new BMC team, but since then he has ridden as pack fill in those races he has paricipated in. 2011 will be a swing year for Ballan as the lanky Italian looks to regain his form for the year's biggest cobbled-classics. He won't be the only option on the BMC team, as both George Hincapie and the young Taylor Phinney should be protected as well. Should Ballan show poor form early on, he could find himself a lead out man for his teammates and possibly without opportunities to ride for himself in 2012.

3. Robbie McEwen has not been a major factor in two years and 2011 could well be his last chance to vie for big time wins on the European circuit. After signing for the Pegasus team in 2011, McEwen was forced to sign elsewhere when the team was unable to achieve ProTour status for 2011. He penned a deal with Radioshack just a few days ago and will be the team's sprint leader for 2011. It is no secret that Radioshack is a stage racing team and McEwen won't have all that much support as he hunts for wins throughout the year. Still, if he isn't able to at least podium in a grand tour stage or classic, he'll likely see his career some to an end.

4. Heinrich Haussler had a terrible 2011 season beset by injury and poor form. He heads into 2011 as a part of the newly formed Garmin-Cervelo team, where he'll be one of three (at least) team leaders for the northern classics. Haussler took second at Milan San-Remo back in 2009, but since then he has not had many results. Now 26 years old, Haussler can no longer be considered a youngster learning his way in the sport. Instead, he is an established pro in need of a big win in 2011. If he fails to podium at a big one day race or gain a stage win at the Tour, he'll likely be regarded as a domestique for 2012 and beyond.

5. Juan Mauricio Soler may have already worn out his welcome as a mountains protagonist. He was a revelation at the 2007 Tour de france as he won the KOM title, but since then he has gone nowhere. For 2011 he'll be a part of a Movistar team without team leader Alejandro Valverde. Soler will surely have a shot to ride for results, but whether he has anything left remains to be seen. 2011 truly is his last chance at glory in the pro ranks.

6. Filippo Pozzato has seen many a podium in big races the past few years, but winning has been elusive. Seemingly always in the mix, Pozzato just hasn't been able to find the winning combination. As the lone leader for his Katusha team at the northern classics, Pozzato needs a victory badly in 2011. He'll likely see himself a leader again in 2012 regardless of whether he manages to win in 2011, but without a victory his name should no longer be mentioned among the favorites in one day races.

7. Gerald Ciolek was once considered one of the brightest young German cycling stars, but all that has changed over the past few years. Today Ciolek is still only 24 years old and so still has time to develop, but he needs to show himself at the front of races consistently if he is to earn leadership duties in the future. As a new signee for the Quick Step team Ciolek will help Tom Boonen in the sprints. He probably is not under enormous pressure to succeed to 2011, but as a helper for Boonen he would be well-advised to try for a few individual results for himself to avoid being labeled a super-domestique.

Living Up to the Hype: Can the Luxembourg Cycling Project Deliver on Huge 2011 Expectations?

Despite the fact that they haven't ridden a single race as a team, despite the fact that they haven't even officially announced the name of their team, the Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project already is operating under enormous pressure for the 2011 season. Having signed most of the main team leaders from Bjarne Riis' Saxo bank squad, the fledgling ProTeam finds itself ranked as the world #1 heading into the new year.

In addition to stars like Fabian Cancellara, the two Schleck brothers and Jakob Fuglsang, the Luxembourg team has added other big names. Former Liquigas Sprinter Daniele Bennati will be the team's number one sprinter, while Brice Feillu, Fabian Wegmann, Linus Gerdemann and Maxim Monfort will lend extra clout in one day races. The only question is how will these riders come together in 2011? With all their talent, will there still be enough room on the Luxembourg squad for all their talent?

Daniele Bennati is already talking tough for the 2011 season, but after a so-so 2010 the Italian has much to prove next year. He was consistently distanced by the best sprinters throughout last year, and his only major win came at Tirreno-Adriatico, where he won a stage. In fact, you would have to go back to 2008 to see major results on his palmares. That year, he notched stage wins at the Giro and Vuelta, and appeared on his way to the top of the sprinter's hierarchy. Since then though, he has been a very average and injury prone rider.

Brice Feillu clearly is a promising rider with a limitless ceiling. He has already taken a stage at Le Tour, and his characteristics seem perfectly suited to one day hilly races. But with the two Schlecks leading the Luxembourg charge at both the hilly classics and stage races, will there be any room for Feillu to ride for himself in big races in 2011? Similarly, Wegmann, Gerdemann and Monfort all have proven pedigrees as solid one day threats, but will they find themselves reduced to gregarios for the Schlecks and Cancellara?

Then there are the elder statesman of the Luxembourg team. Jens Voigt and Stuey O'Grady are both certainly at the ends of their rope, but they both still have a bit left in the tank. Will those riders be happy pulling for miles at the front for their team leaders or will they want one last shot at individual glory? Ironically, these two are probably the safest bet on the Luxembourg team. they are both consummate professionals and always willing to sacrifice their own standing for that of a teammate. Still, if their new teammates don;t garner wins early on each could decide to express their desire to ride for themselves.

After what has seemed like a long off season, the cycling world will know soon just how powerful the new Luxembourg team is. Beginning at the Tour Down Under and the Tour of Qatar, the new ProTeam will have a chance to show just how powerful they are. Soon after that, Cancellara will begin his 2011 cobbled-classics campaign once again, as he looks to repeat at both Flanders and Roubaix. If Cancellara does what he is capable of then all should be well. If however the Luxembourg team fails to strike by the hilly classics in mid-April, expect a tense and quiet atmosphere within the team, similar to what we saw at Team Sky after the Tour de France.

Michael Ball and Rock Racing: The Art of Crash and Burn

Where has Rock Racing gone? Just a couple of years ago the R&R team seemed poised to join the elite ranks of pro cycling in Europe. They had thoroughly dominated the US domestic scene and were loading up on talent in hopes of cracking the Euro ranks.

Today though all that is long gone as team owner Michael Ball has disappeared from sight. Rumors are swirling that he could face sporting fraud charges (or worse), and his team, once one of the most powerful in American cycling, is now gone.

When Michael Ball announced to the world at the 2007 Tour of California that his team was coming to clean house, few thought his riders would even have a chance to compete. After a lengthy review by the race organizers, the team was allowed to start some, but not all of their riders. They rode strong for that first race, and their flashy clothing and rock star style attracted huge followings before and after each stage.

Over the course of the next two years, the Rock team continued to have big success. They signed controversial riders with checkered pasts, always claiming that everyone deserves a second chance. But the rest of the cycling world just was not convinced. Many informed observers worried that it was only a matter of time before the whole Rock machine crumbled to the ground. Those observers ended up being resoundingly correct.

Today, the Rock team is long gone. Several of their top riders have been suspended for doping, among them Tyler Hamilton and Oscar Sevilla. Of the others, few have been able to find contracts with other pro teams. In the end, the Rock Racing experiment was a failed one, led by a man more concerned with money than integrity. Too bad they crashed and burned, cycling really could have used some honest edge.

Coming Clean: After Years of Denials, Danilo Di Luca Finally Admits He Doped

I never thought I'd see the day. Danilo Di Luca, thrice implicated for doping, has finally come forward and admitted that he has participated in doping throughout his professional career. The fact that he doped is not the story here, but rather that he has finally shown the courage and class to admit publicly to doping throughout his career. Better late than never.

Now that Di Luca has finally allowed that he cheated, he can begin anew a career as a clean athlete, like other riders have, Ivan Basso and David Millar being two good examples. Unfortunately he is already in his mid-thirties, so his years in the pro peloton are numbered. Still, he should be able to make a comeback and garner decent results before he retires, proving that he still has what it takes to win even without drugs.

The only problem for Di Luca is that he has not ridden clean in years. It will surely be a new experience for "The Killer" to ride without chemical assistance. The burn he'll feel in his lungs and legs will be worse than ever, and whether he'll have the legs to stay with the best is a question only he can answer.

Di Luca's pro career is far from back to normal, as he still has not secured a contract to ride 2011. Clearly teams are wary of signing the former Giro winner, perhaps realizing that should he join their team they will most certainly be left off the Giro invite list as well as other big races. His admission though should help matters, as at least now he has admitted his wrong doing. Now he should be allowed to move forward in the process of rebuilding his career and reputation. His honesty, though very late in the game, deserves to be rewarded.

Unlike some of his contemporaries (Stefan Schumaker, Davide Rebellin, Michael Rasmussen), Di Luca can now finally count himself among those cyclists who were able finally to admit publicly that they cheated. Everyone makes mistakes and cheating at the highest levels of all sports is nothing new, but to come out and admit freely that you cheated is still a rare occurrence. Hopefully Di Luca will get a contract soon, and with it a chance to prove his ability as a clean athlete.

Richmond, Virginia Wants 2015 World's: Could It Happen?

Big news today out of Richmond, Virginia as city officials unveiled their intention to bid to host the world cycling championships in 2015. This is huge news to American cycling fans, as the world championships have not been held in America since 1986. Competition is always fierce for the honor of hosting the world championships, and Richmond's chances to land the battle for the rainbow jerseys should be intense as more cities submit their applications.

Pro cycling in America has come a very long way the past 20 years. Greg Lemond started the ball rolling heading into the early 90's, and then Lance Armstrong opened the flood gates with 7 straight Tour de France wins. The "Lance Affect" has seen cycling ascend to new heights of popularity in America, leading to big time stage races like the Amgen Tour of California and the brand new Quiznos Pro Challenge.

It would seem that America is ready to host the world championships. back in 86 when the world championships were held in Colorado Springs, cycling was far from being an established sport in America. The crowds at the events were good but not great, perhaps leading to the nearly 20 year absence of the world championships being hosted in America.

If Richmond does end up winning their bid to host the 2015 world's expect massive crowds and big enthusiasm once the event kicks off. The number of cycling fans in America are growing every day, and the chance to see a world championships on home soil would be at the top of any cycling fan's list. And how about a short list of hometown favorites should the races be contested in Virginia come 2015? For the road men, how about Tyler Farrar? For the women why not Coryn Rivera? And for the ITT men? Taylor Phinney of course. The Women ITT? Maybe Allison Tetrick-Starnes?

10 Cycling Christmas Wishes

'Tis the season to be greedy! Here are ten wishes for the upcoming cycling season. Fingers crossed . . .

1. Epic rainy and muddy Paris-Roubaix. The "Queen of the Classics" is always a great race, but with mud and rain it becomes legendary. Here's hoping the skies open up and chaos ensues. And that Hincapie finally gets his win at the Hell of the North.

2. Contador gets banned for cheating. All this talk about meat contamination is wearing thin. The guy tested positive and should serve a two year ban, simple as that.

3. Chris Horner wins a classic. Horner has cemented himself among the best cyclists in America, all he needs is one classic win to gain legend status. Hopefully he can put it all together at the Fleche or LBL.

4. The Luxembourg cycling team gets shut out at the classics and Tour. This team enters the season on paper as the world #1. But what have they done? Here's hoping their 2011 season mirrors Sky's 2010, as one of eating much humble pie.

5. Di Luca and Rebellin fail to find jobs for 2011. Both Italians screwed up multiple races as they cheated their way onto the podium in past years. Hopefully teams stay away and send a clear message that dopers, especially unapologetic ones, are not welcome back into the sport.

6. Mark Cavendish is denied the green jersey at the Tour again. It is getting so fun to hear the myriad excuses the Brit has to explain why he can't take green.

7. Tom Boonen makes a strong comeback. The "Tornado" was laid low by injury in 2010. Hopefully he storms back in 2011.

8. Basso takes Le Tour. If the Italian can manage to win this year's Tour it will be icing on his comeback cake.

9. Steven Cozza rides strong for Net App. The move from Garmin to the smaller Net App outfit was a gutsy one for Cozza, hopefully it pays off.

10. Bjarne Riis and his team have another strong classics and stage race season. Never has Riis' coaching been more pivotal than for 2011. A classic win and grand tour podium would serve as vindication of his leadership talent despite the mass rider exodus in the off season.

All In: Floyd Landis Goes All Out to Expose Drug Cheats in Cycling

Floyd Landis can consider it a safe bet that he has very few friends left in professional cycling. On the fan side though, Landis is turning into a sort of dark hero, a man willing to compromise his own reputation and standing for the sake of his sport. It took the deposed Tour de France champion awhile to tell the truth, but better late than never right?

Now, Velonation.com (who are giving cyclingnews.com a run for their money in terms of breath and depth of new cycling-related content) has reported that Landis went as far as to wear a wire to expose Michael Ball and his Rock Racing team as drug cheats. Increasingly it seems as though Landis will stop at nothing to help the authorities find cheats within the sport of cycling. And if there were few doors open to Landis before he admitted cheating, today there are likely none.

Floyd Landis has clearly made a choice to stop at nothing to help find other cheats in the sport of cycling. Clearly he is not concerned with what the cycling world thinks of him, and he possesses a kind of peace about his actions. Gone are the guilty sideways glances and shoulder shrugs when talking to the media, replaced by a knowing smile and quite confidence that only a man with the truth on his side can display.

Floyd Landis' credibility has surely suffered through his multiple denials about doping over the years, but as the months drag on the new completely open Landis seems to be gaining in credibility. If his testimony and assistance is good enough for Jeff Novitzky, then perhaps he really is telling the truth. Or he is extremely bitter about how he was made into a scapegoat and will now stop at nothing for revenge. Either way, those cyclists that have cheated and been observed by Landis better watch their step in the coming months.

Are Dominant Cyclists Extinct? Will There Ever Be Another Merckx or Hinault?

Eddy Merckx is the greatest cyclist of all time, simple as that. He won classics, stage races, time trials, world championships, everything. He won mountain top finishes, group sprints and breakaway chess matches. He won on long-range solo forays. There wasn't a race Merckx entered that he wasn't a favorite to win. To a lesser extent, Bernard Hinault was a similar rider. He too won all types of races, and earned the nickname "The Badger" for his tenacity in each race he entered.

Fast forward nearly thirty years later and there just aren't any riders today who can even come close to the results garnered by Merckx and Hinault. The closest multi-faceted rider today with the potential to become truly dominant is probably Fabian Cancellara, but the Swiss rider has yet to contend in a hilly classic or grand tour overall. He also has yet to win his first world road championship.

The disparity in riders today as compared to the past is distinct and there are many theories as to why riders today are unable to approach the win totals of past champions. Some argue that training is so much more specialized today than it was in the past that it is impossible for a given rider to be in optimal form from beginning of season to end. Others claim that riders must choose a discipline to specialize in if they are to hope for consistent victories year in a year out. Still others murmur that riders like Merckx and Hinault must have doped to achieve such great results.

But could the answer be simpler than the above hypothesis? Could it simply be a matter of personal ambition? Or could it be that Merckx and Hinault were just physically superior to their contemporaries? The answer could be a combination of the two. Merckx and Hinault clearly were a cut above their competition physically. There is no other explanation for their gaudy palmares. Yet they also possessed dominant personalities and a never say die attitude. Each were absolutely ruthless in competition, unwilling at any point to gift anything to their opponents.

Today's riders seem decidedly more mellow than those that rode 20+ years ago. Recently the great Mario Cipollini lamented what he sees as a soft peloton, composed of riders content with second place and always happy for their rivals in victory. He allowed that he "hated" his rivals, and was never happy when he was defeated by them. Could this by part of why Cipollini was so dominant in his day?

These days, when a rider is defeated, often the first thing he'll do is congratulate the man who just beat him. Instead of sulking and being visibly upset at the shortfall, riders seem all too happy with a podium position instead of an outright win. In a society increasingly concerned with fair play and good sportsmanship, perhaps pure competitive fire is being bred out of elite athletes?

Another contributing factor to the lack of a wire-to-wire cycling star is personal ambition. Back when Merckx and Hinault rode, the pay for a pro cyclist was relatively meager. If one wanted to earn a big salary, they had to do so through endorsements. And the only way to get endorsement deals was to notch lots of victories. Additionally, winning a given race would come with a handsome winner's check and so the old school riders truly were racing for a paycheck every time they mounted their machines.

Today there are still winner's checks, but pro contracts have ballooned to the point that a strong domestique can now expect to earn a six figure income. Team leaders on the other hand, even if they don't win a single race during the year (like Lampre's Damiano Cunego), can still expect to be paid in full by their team. There are few incentives built into contracts, which allows riders to earn good money whether they win or not.

The only rider today who seems to want to win every single race he enters is Mark Cavendish. The Brit is sometimes given a hard time for being salty in defeat and tough talking on and off the bike, but isn't that what elite competition is all about? Recreational cycling should be lighthearted and always fun, but shouldn't pro cycling be considered a business for these riders? Cavendish sure seems to think so, and his amazing results over the years would suggest that his serious approach is working.

Athletes should enjoy the sport they do and fun should be a part of the process. But to become a truly great cyclist in the historical sense one must have a killer instinct, a desire to ride above the rest, a need to truly seek greatness. There are many riders in the pro peloton today that have the potential to become truly great (Phillipe Gilbert, Cancellara, Boasson-Hagen, Taylor Phinney, Peter Sagan to name a few), but as of yet they have not displayed the personal ambition to make it happen. Hopefully the coming years will see a truly dominant cyclist emerge, to the delight of cycling fans and historians everywhere.

Is Lance Armstrong Still a Pro Cyclist?

Lance Armstrong had a very tough 2010 Tour de France, filled with bad luck, crashes and a huge dose of humility. Even before the race was over the 7-time Tour champ allowed that he would be retiring from the sport at the end of the race. A few months later though the news came out that Armstrong had agreed to contest the 2011 Santos tour Down Under with his Radioshack team. Armstrong clarified that his ride down under would be his last as a pro.

New rumors have began to swirl around Armstrong's participation in the brand new Quiznos Pro Challenge stage race in Colorado this coming August. Armstrong was instrumental in helping to set the race up and there seems to be a real possibility that he may actually ride in the event. So is Lance Armstrong still a pro bike racer? Will he add more races to his calendar in the coming months? Or is his possible participation for the Quiznos race just a rumor created to pump up interest for the event?

Lance Armstrong is still undoubtedly strong enough to race on the European circuit, but has his motivation waned? He is clearly not the dominant rider he was in his prime and his stellar stretch of luck over the course of his 7 Tour triumphs seems to have left him over the past two seasons. His name is being associated with a government investigation into doping and he just welcomed another child into the world. So are there too many distractions off the bike these days for Armstrong?

Armstrong's participation in any cycling event can only be considered a good thing. The "Lance Factor" can see an average race turned into an event covered by the world. Through his cancer advocacy and historical relevance in the sport Armstrong brings a unique dynamic to any race he enters, whether he is leading at the front of the race or hanging off the back. Race organizers and the world of cycling as a whole should cross their fingers that Armstrong decides to ride again in 2011.

Accident Prone Stuey O'Grady Crashes Again, This Time On the Slopes

Is Stuey O'Grady the most accident prone cyclist in the history of the sport? This, this, this, this, this and this would suggest that he is. And now, enjoying a pre-season get together with his new Luxembourg teammates, O'Grady has once again managed to do major damage to his body, as he broke more ribs while skiing. No one else from the Luxembourg team managed to get injured, only O'Grady.

O'Grady seems always to fall when others don't, and seems to be a rider always caught up in race melees throughout the season. How he has managed to build his palmares over the years despite these myriad injuries is anyone's guess. When upright, O'Grady is as valuable a domestique as any other rider, but his time off the bike from injury affects his form on a regular basis.

2011 will see O'Grady riding for the newly formed Luxembourg cycling team. He had hoped to lead the team at the Tour Down Under, but his latest injuries will likley see him arrive at the start line for the first stage race of the season in less than optimal form. Hopefully he'll heal up in time to contest his home tour, but to expect him to be 100% is unrealistic.

As he has aged, O'Grady has certainly slowed down and wins for the Aussie have been few and far between. These days he takes pride in helping his teammates win, and for that he is still a very valuable commodity within the pro ranks. His new team would be well-served though to keep O'Grady from any dangerous situations off the bike as he seems to find enough danger on the bike to keep area hospitals busy for the coming months.

Who Do You Trust? With Sassi Gone Are Ivan Basso and Riccardo Ricco Trustworthy?

With the passing of Aldo Sassi this past weekend, the cycling world lost a great man and advocate in the fight against doping. Sassi suffered from several incurable brain tumors and passed away at the age of only 51. In recent years Sassi had taken on several high profile dopers, agreeing to train and test them to prove that they are now clean riders.

Ivan Basso collaborated with Sassi for his comeback from "attempted doping" and the Italian has regained his status as one of the world's top stage racers after taking last year's Giro with a dogged and determined effort. Basso will head into the 2011 season as an established team leader, but without Sassi around he'll have to find alternative means of proving that he is still racing clean.

The other high profile rider under Sassi's watchful eye was Riccardo Ricco. Seemingly always in the news for doping related allegations, Ricco had hoped that his collaboration with Sassi would once and for all prove that he is racing clean. Unfortunately though Sassi's passing leaves Ricco without a credible ally to stand by his side as he professes himself a clean rider.

With Sassi now out of the picture, can both Basso and Ricco be considered clean athletes? For Basso, the answer is probably yes. Unlike in his "extra-terrestrial" days before his ban, Basso has come back to earth in relation to his time trial skills. He now either limits or loses time to the specialists in the race against the clock, and his climbing skills are more determination than raw power. he has gone from an accelerator to a grinder, and his results have shown him to be consistent but not explosive.

Ricco though is a different matter. He is fresh back to the pro peloton and lacks credibility as compared to Basso. He is still young, still unapologetic from his past transgressions, and in joining a new team for 2011 under big pressure to produce results. Should he show at the front of the hilly classics with his trademark accelerations on the steepest climbs, expect the doping rumblings to be fast and furious. If however he finds himself off the back and out of contention for the first part of the year, expect their to be fewer allegations regarding his form.

Ricco is now in a very tough spot. Even if he is clean, if he wins impressively, especially during the first part of the season, many in the cycling world will automatically think he is guilty. His only hope it would seem would be to underwhelm in the spring with a hope for a strong showing at the Tour in July. The problem is though that his new Vacansoleil squad is paying him for results, big results, especially in the one day races. Like it or not, with success Ricco will make his sponsors happy but will likely suffer the wrath of the court of public opinion throughout the year.

Aldo Sassi's passing will be felt throughout the season any time one of his charges succeeds . . . or fails in a pro bike race. From controversial riders like Basso and Ricco to established pros like Cadel Evans and Mick Rogers, all eyes will be on Sassi's riders in 2011 as the cycling world mourns the death of such an important figure in the fight against doping.

HTC's Tony Martin: Germany's Best Tour de France Hope for 2011

German cycling has taken a huge beating over the past few years. Jan Ullrich, once a god in his home country, has been castigated and ostracized since retiring a few years back amid doping allegations. Then in 2010, the Milram team, the only German cycling team, stopped their sponsorship. Heading into 2011, German cycling is on the brink, in desperate need of a young star to revive its ranks.

Enter HTC's young stage racing star Tony Martin. Only 25 years old and already possessing a wealth of experience, Martin heads into the new season as HTC's best hope of a podium finish at this year's Tour de France. Martin is a truly special rider in that he is capable of strong performances in both the high mountains and in individual time trials. Compact and tenacious, Martin seems poised for a huge 2011 barring injury or illness.

Martin has already proven himself capable of staying with the top riders on the steepest mountain ramps, and likewise he has established himself as one of the best GC time trialists in the world. On a good day, Martin is capable even of challenging the time trial specialists at the discipline, including Fabian Cancellara. As his body develops and his tactical prowess improves, he should become an even bigger force in the mountains as well.

Martin's best approach at the grand tours in 2011 will be to limit his losses in the mountains and plan on taking time in the time trials. His technique should be similar to Lance Armstrong's in his prime. In fact, Armstrong usually used at least one mountain top finish to his advantage each year. Martin would be well-served to identify the one stage best suited to his climbing abilities, and then attack with gusto on that day.

Aggressive, attacking riding in the high mountains comes with experience and time. Martin may not be ready this year to try to hurt his rivals on the steepest climbs. But that day is definitely coming. Within three years Martin should be right alongside the Contadors and Schlecks, putting in searing attacks on the alpine stages of the Tour. For this year though it will be strong time trialing and conservative climbing, hopefully leading to a podium spot for Martin at this year's Tour de France, and a revival for German cycling.

Grandes Attentes: Dominique Rollin Riding with the French as Leader in 2011

After a gradual progression through the pro cycling ranks, first with the Toyota-United team and then with the Cervelo TestTeam, Dominique Rollin penned a deal to ride for the Francaise des Jeux team in 2011. The big Canadian classics specialist will be expected to be one of the leaders for the French team in 2011, which will see him shouldering more pressure than in any previous season.

Rollin is built in the classic mold of a cobbled classic rider with a heart to match. The worse the weather the happier Rollin seems to be, and two of his biggest results (1st stage 4 Amgen Tour of California, 5th Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne) were in abysmal conditions. Rollin seems to possess a bit of extra power the worse the weather, making him ideally suited to contest the early spring classic events.

In signing with the FDJ team for 2011, Rollin should have his chance to shine at some of the toughest early season classics and semi-classics. At 28 he is heading into the prime of his career and although he probably isn't ready yet to podium at Flanders or Roubaix, he could reasonably expect to win or podium other races like the E3 Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen, the Omloop Het Niewsblad or Kuurne-Brussells-Kuurne.

Most important for Rollin in 2011 will be learning to deal with the pressures of team leadership. The day before races at the team dinner all eyes will be on him, unlike in past seasons where he wasn't expected to lead. Ahead of the start of the bigger races fans will be clamoring more than usual for a photo, for an autograph. Announcers will seek interviews with greater frequency, the media will close in looking for that elusive pre-race quote. All of these things will make for a profoundly different experience for Rollin in 2011. How he prepares mentally for next year will be as important as his physical condition; perhaps even more so.

If ever Dominique Rollin was ready to lead in the spring classics, 2011 is the season. He is as strong physically as the best classics competitors. Now it is up to him to make sure his will is also as strong. He'll need to draw on his tough Canadian roots to find the inner strength to believe in himself. If he can do that, 2011 could see Rollin finally on the top step of a classics podium in Europe come spring time.

Menchov Spurns Kutusha, Happy at Goex, But Why?

Denis Menchov made a bold career move this past off season in signing with the Geox squad. At the time of his signing the Russian had no idea that Geox would not be granted a ProTeam licence. Now that the off season is in full swing though, Menchov has to cope with the fact that his team won't receive automatic invites to the season's biggest races.

Menchov has already stated that he is not bothered by the ProTeam exclusion and that he has no regrets about not signing with the Russian Katusha team. He seems at ease with his new team's predicament and likewise confident that they will receive invites to the year's biggest races. Once the invites are handed out for 2011 though, Menchov could be singing a decidedly different tune.

Menchov's new Geox team is predominantly a Spanish squad, and so invites to the Vuelta and the Classica San Sebastian are likely. However, events like the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France will likely be hesitant to invite the Geox team, especially with so few wild card invites available. Menchov may find himself riding a largely anonymous early season and having to perform under big pressure at the Vuelta in the fall.

Joining Menchov at Geox is the aging and just about washed up Carlos Sastre. Since winning the Tour de France in 2008 Sastre has been an also-ran throughout each season, and the diminutive Spaniard has contemplated retiring on more than one occasion. In joining the Geox team he takes a clear backseat to Menchov in stage races and fills a figure head role with the Geox team. The UCI, perhaps sensing that the Sastre signing was more for show than results, made their decision to not grant the Geox team a ProTeam licence. After all, besides Menchov, there are few other big guns on the Geox squad.

Denis Menchov has already done enough in his career to be considered one of the best stage racers of his generation. The money that the Geox team offered him must have been substantial, and he deserves a big contract for the final few good years of his career. In not joining Katusha though, Menchov may have unwittingly hastened the end of his career. Without big time results new contracts are not offered. Should he time at Geox prove fruitless, Menchov could be without options in a couple of years time.

New Liquigas Members Duggan and King Look to Rep USA on Italian ProTeam

The Liquigas cycling team boldly signed two lesser-known American riders for 2011 in Tim Duggan and Ted King. The duo have both ridden for Pro Tour level teams in the past, but neither has been able to break through in the victory column on the Euro scene. Presumably each will be asked to work hard for the multiple team leaders on the Liquigas team, while providing a strong American presence at the Amgen Tour of Claifornia and Quiznos Challenge stage races.

Ted King spent 2010 toiling as a domestique of the Cervelo TestTeam. The New Englander has yet to break through with a big win in the European ranks, but he has proven himself a worthy worker for any big team. Known for his tongue-in-cheek persona and overall humble attitude, King is a great ambassador for the sport and a rider as valuable on the bike as in the press room.

Tim Duggan, like King, is a humble and down to earth rider still waiting for his big breakthrough in the ProTour ranks. He spent his entire pro career with Jonathan Vaughters' Garmin squad, where he has developed into a strong all-arounder. After suffering a near career endign crash in 2008, Duggan has proven himself a valuable teammate in stage races and hilly classics. He likely won't have many opportunities for victory, but he'll no doubt have a hand in delivering some of Liquigas' bigger names across the line in first place throughout the year.

Sometimes the best thing for a professional rider is shaking things up and taking on a radical new challenge. Both King and Duggan have done just that in signing with the Liquigas team. They'll be a part of one of the most dominant teams in the peloton, and each will be afforded the chance to learn under some of the best riders in the world. And while each may not have many victories throughout the year, their worth will be measure in their tireless support rather than their individual results. Two throwbacks with selfless attitudes, King and Duggan are just what liquigas needs for their team leaders.