Tour of Flanders 2011: It's Fabian Cancellara's Race to Lose

Face it: Fabian Cancellara deserves to be a heavy, heavy favorite heading into this week's Tour of Flanders. He defended his E3 title with ease this past weekend and his form is seemingly as good as it's ever been. Add to that a strong team surrounding him and all signs point to another display of power by Cancellara at the Tour of Flanders.

Perhaps the only thing working against the Swiss machine is the fact that every other team in the peloton will likely be looking to make sure Cancellara doesn't win. So dominant has he become in the spring classics, he now commands the complete attention of the entire peloton. The only way to beat Cancellara may be to simply follow his wheel the entire race and risk losing to a move up the road.

Tom Boonen's win at Gent thrusts him into the spotlight as the main foil for Cancellara. After being schooled three straight times by Sparticus last year, Boonen will be smarting for some revenge. He'll pour himself into the next few weeks, and if he falls short to Cancellara it won't be because of poor form or illness. It will be because Cancellara is stronger . . . again.

And then there is Philippe Gilbert. Lost amid the Boonen-Cancellara duel is the other heavily favored Belgian in the race. Gilbert has had Flanders circled on his calendar for the last 6+ months. The course has the climbs required to stretch the field and if a small bunch goes to the line Gilbert has a good enough sprint to contend against the likes of Boonen and Cancellara. Gilbert wants to be considered the best one day rider in the world. A win at Flanders would do just that.

After the big three, there are a host of other names that find themselves in with a very good chance to win. The Garmin-Cervelo team needs a victory, not a good result over the next two weeks. Thor Hushovd is probably their best hope for Roubaix in two weeks, but this week it seems more likely that Haussler will be the primary protected rider. Tyler Farrar too can ride the cobbles and could be a darkhorse.

Alessandro Ballan will represent BMC at the only classic he has ever won, and his recent form suggests that he will be up front when it matters at Flanders. The lanky Italian is all the way back after an abysmal last two years, and seems ready for Flanders in every way.

Other thoughts for Flanders . . .

If I have to choose between Filippo Pozzato and Leif Hoste for Katusha, I'll go with Hoste. Although he is ancient, Hoste seems a better bet than a thus far anonymous Pozzato.

Nick Nuyens of Saxo Bank is on a good year, but a win at Flanders? Nah!

Bernhard Eisel of HTC is so under rated as a classics rider. With Cavendish riding the way he is, it may make sense for HTC to back Eisel at least for Flanders, if not Roubaix as well.

Juan Antonio Flecha of Sky seems done. No other way to say it.

Stijn Devolder comes into Flanders unheralded after being frequently dropped in the previous week's racing. No one thinks he has a chance, which is just how he likes it. Devolder loves Flanders, and performing well at the Ronde seems to be something bred into his legs. Expect a top 10 ride out of the mercurial two-time Flanders winner.

Will Flanders be the race that Lars Boom finally shows himself? Yes he's still learning to be a leader, but isn't he also due for a big result? And if he is off the pace at Flanders, will Langevelde earn the moniker as outright leader? Big questions for Rabobank as the heart of the cobbles approach.

I'm not sure Peter Sagan is ready yet for a big result at Flanders, but he'll sure learn a lot this year. He continues to be one of the brightest young stars of cycling.

E3 Prijs Vlaanderen/Criterium International/Gent-Wevelgem: Thoughts and Analysis

Big time European racing was on tap this past weekend as three different races offered a complete early season view of the European peloton. The E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, as a final tune up to next week's Tour of Flanders, ran on Saturday while in France day one of two began at the Criterium International. Then on Sunday, The Criterium International's famous two race in one day format unfolded, while the sprinter's classic Gent-Wevelgem teed up in Belgium. Our thoughts from all three contests.

Fabian Cancellara once again seems to be at least a gear faster than all of his competition heading into the biggest cobbled classics of the year in the next two weeks. First up for Sparticus though was defending his 2010 E3 title. Last year Cancellara had to win in the final kilometer, pulling away from Tom Boonen for a solo win. This year it seemed easier, as Cancellara rode away with about 15k remaining in the race for a seemingly simple ho-hum repeat win. Although some of Cancellara's biggest rivals for Flanders were not present, his win is nevertheless a big one, as it shows that he is once again primed for glory at Flanders and Roubaix.

Other notes from the E3 included a resurgent Vlad Gusev, who finished third and seems re-established as a one day protagonist following some troubling and confusing years as a part of Johan Bruyneel's Discovery/Radioshack outfit. The Russian looks set to be a player over the next few weeks as a part of the multi-pronged Katusha attack corps.

Heinrich Haussler doesn't seem to have the explosiveness to match the likes of Cancellara, Hushovd, Boonen or Ballan on the cobbles. Ditto Rabobank's Lars Boom, who despite high expectations has done little thus far in the 2011 road season. And another week, another DNF for American cobbles hope Steven Cozza. The Californian is off to a tough start as a part of the new NetApp team. FDJ's Dominique Rollin too was a DNF, a big disappointment for the Canadian strongman.

Meanhwhile in France the Criterium International offered a glimpse of some stage racing talent as several Tour de France favorites showed themselves at the two day, three stage race. Frank Schleck emerged victorious for stage one, winning impressively ahead of a largely unknown top ten. Ryder Hesjedal, Sammy Sanchez, Andreas Kloden, Brad Wiggins and Alexander Vinokourov all were well off Schleck's pace, and heading into the second day the elder Schleck seemed to have the overall title wrapped.

As it turned out Schleck was able to defend his lead through the final two stages, while one of the pre-race favorites Andreas Kloden won the day's time trial stage. Kloden, as ever, looks good but not great as he preps for the summer's stage races. He'll likely not be the outright leader for Radioshack come July, but he showed that as usual he'll be able to shoot for a top 15 placing at the Tour de France.

Also on Sunday was the sprinter's classic Gent-Wevelgem. With maximum ProTour points on the line, Patrick Lefevre's Quick Step team emerged victorious, as Belgian superstar Tom Boonen surprisingly won the bunch sprint. Boonen's win at Gent was important for the Quick Step team, but was equally huge for Boonen as he prepares to do battle with Fabian Cancellara beginning next week at the Tour of Flanders. Boonen will be able to head into the two biggest races of his season tranquil after his win at Gent. One thing is for certain: Boonen vs. Cancellara should be an amazing thing to watch in the coming weeks as both riders seem to be once again at the top of their games.

Some of the low lights from Gent-Wevelgem were the Garmin-Cervelo team once again falling short in a big classic and Mark Cavendish being derailed by a crash and once again left out of contesting, let alone winning, a bunch sprint. Garmin, despite being the strongest classics team on paper, has not been able to get it done yet at the biggest races. This time it was Tyler Farrar who was unable to withstand Boonen's charge. Heading into the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, the Garmin team will have huge pressure to succeed at one of the two races.

For Cavendish meanwhile his 2011 season continues to be a poor one, as he crashed out of Gent and was left alone to try to chase back to the front of the race. The self-proclaimed "fastest man on two wheels" seems anything but these days, and for the first time in the past several seasons Cavendish has looked just average. Perhaps the high turn over rate at HTC has finally caught up with Cavendish, as his lead out train just isn't as strong as it used to be.

Pro Cycling Early Spring Impressions

It has been an excellent start to the 2011 procycling season, with both veterans and new comers alike finding big results early on. From Alberto Contador's controversial return to the exciting running of "La Primavera", it has been one hell of a start to the year. Some impressions thus far on the season . . .

The Garmin-Cervelo squad, despite being very strong on paper, have yet to live up to the lofty expectations put on them by fans and media alike ahead of the season. From Thor Hushovd to Heinrich Haussler to Tyler Farrar, Jonathan Vaughters' super team has yet to deliver a huge result in 2011. Shut out of the Omloop Het Niewsblad, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and Milan-San Remo, the American teams heads into the meat of the cobbled classics season with little to show for their early season efforts. Big pressure awaits over the coming weeks as a winless spring will see the classics monkey still on the back of Vaughters and his riders.

Team Leopard-Trek hasn't been all that better than Garmin. Fabian Cancellara took a solid runner-up at Milan-San Remo, but other than that the pre-season world's number 1 ranked team has looked just average. Cancellara will clearly keep the team in the spotlight, but the dominance that so many predicted for them has been elusive thus far in the year.

Bjarne Riis is an amazing cycling coach an motivator, simple as that. Despite losing the majority of his team to Leopard-Trek, Riis still manages to bring home the wins. This year it has been JJ Haedo and Nick Nuyens who have thrived under Riis' tutelage, while new star signing Alberto Contador's return to the peloton after being cleared of doping by his national federation has allowed Saxo to be as strong as ever in stage races as well. Nuyens particularly owes Riis a ton, as his integration into the Saxo team has seen him take his first classic in years, just today at Dwars Door Vlaanderen.

The ascension of Taylor Phinney onto the pro cycling scene seems to have stalled as the American phenom deals with various knee ailments. In an eerily similar situation to Heinrich Haussler last season, Phinney has once again been shut down as BMC team doctors try to decipher what is plaguing him. Hopefully he'll be given plenty of time to heal so that once he does return it is at full strength.

Patrik Sinkewitz is an idiot. So is Riccardo Ricco.

Mark Cavendish seems to have lost a pedal stroke or two over the past two seasons. The previously unassailable "Manx Missile" has been a dud thus far in 2011, after a strong but not dominant 2010. In looking at his palmares, it is interesting to note that he notched "only" 13 wins last year, far off the blistering pace of 24 in 2009. Could a single digit season be on tap for him this year? It's looking more likely as each race passes him by.

Watch out for Alessandro Ballan over the next few weeks at the northern classics. The BMC rider looks all the way back after terrible 2009 and 2010 seasons. Ballan will always be the type of rider who needs ideal circumstances to win, but with the form he's holding today he looks like a big threat for Flanders and Roubaix.

As he did in 2010, Tom Boonen will likely take to the start line at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix with a world of pressure on his shoulders. Unable to break through at MSR, Boonen is once again staking his season on two weeks in spring. Hopefully he can get it done this year and avoid the Cancellara buzz saw.

Dominique Rollin may not be a name on everyone's mind heading into the next two weeks, but don't be surprised to see the French-Canadian find his way onto a podium in one of the big classics. Rollin seems to gradually get stronger each year, as as a protected rider for FDJ he'll have every chance to ride for a big result in the coming weeks.

Where is going on with Steven Cozza? There were big expectations for the American as he joined the NetApp team for 2011, especially for the classics. With several races in the books though, Cozza is nowhere to be found. He didn't finish today's Dwars race and seems off schedule for being ready in time for the other big one day spring races. If he is saving his form for a run at the Amstel Gold Race then great. If not, then his early season has been a disappointment, simple as that.

More thoughts on the early season in the coming days in what has been another interesting start to a cycling year.

Aussie Boss: HTC's Matt Goss Wins with Strength and Guile to Take Milan-San Remo

Matt Goss officially entered the conversation of best sprinters in cycling today at the season's first one day monument of cycling, Milan-San Remo. Goss emerged victorious out a small group of elite one day racers to win San Remo convincingly with a powerful finishing sprint. Using a combination of strength coupled with shrewd tactics saw Goss take what is the biggest win of his short, yet already impressive career. He'll be a favorite for victory again this coming week at Gent-Wevelgem.

Goss did his best Oscar Freire impression in taking the win, staying largely in the background until the final 2 kilometers. The HTC star was able to avoid having to expend any huge energy en route to the final sprint, showing his class as a well-schooled rider more than capable of reading the nuances of a big time race.

With his victory, yet another in-team controversy threatens to emerge within the HTC outfit, as Mark Cavendish seems at the present moment to be option number two behind the rampaging Goss. Even more so than Andre Greipel (who rode a strong MSR in support of Philippe Gilbert) did in 2010, Goss seems to be threatening Mark Cavendish for team leadership in sprint races. However, as was the case in 2010, expect team owner Bob Stapleton to manage his talent well throughout the year, ensuring that both riders have their chance for victories.

The only big problem for Stapleton will be the Tour de France. As a winner of a cycling monument, Goss has pretty much assured himself an invite to the French tradition, which will force HTC to find a way to accommodate both Cavendish and Goss. Presumably both could be stage winners at this year's Tour, providing they can continue to get along as well as they have thus far in 2011.

As Matt Goss heads into the rest of the cycling season, he does so as a favorite in most races he enters. He has proven himself capable of winning bunch sprints, and after his win today he also becomes a ride who is to be feared as much for his tactics as for his power. Meanwhile for HTC, it's business as usual as squad continues to rack up big wins year in and year out. It's hard to believe what Bob Stapleton has accomplished as a team owner since beginning the team in 2008.

Some other thoughts from MSR . . .

Fabian Cancellara rode a superlative race in finishing runner-up. He was unable to come around Goss, but the Swiss is looking ready again for the cobbles in a few weeks time.

Philippe Gilbert seems destined never to win San Remo. Winning alone at La Classicissima is just plain tough these days, and Gilbert is too heavily marked year in and year out to escape solo. This year it was Filippo Pozzato who chased the Belgian down on the way to the finish line, leaving Gilbert frustrated despite having cracking form. No big deal for Gilbert though, who will next target Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders.

The Garmin Transitions team, despite coming in with the most cards to play, were inexplicably shelled at Sam Remo. Farrar and Hushovd were caught in the second group when the decisive move went away with 50+ kilometers remaining, and Heinrich Haussler was the only one of the three present at the front of the race down the stretch. Yet despite making the final selection, Haussler faded on the Poggio, and finished an anonymous 18th.

BMC's Alessandro Ballan looks back to business again, and a top five finish at MSR should give him the mental boost required to be a protagonist at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. The lanky one day leader for BMC should be feared in the coming weeks, as he clearly has his legs back after two poor years.

Dominique Rollin put in a nice ride in San Remo, and will be a strong presence at the front of the next races, particularly the E3 Scheldeprijs and perhaps next week's Gent-Wevelgem.

Vincenzo Nibali showed today that he is more than capable of one day winning Milan-San Remo, providing he can get a very strong team to support him early on in the race and make the early part of the contest difficult to pair down the field like they did today. Meanwhile Nibali's teammate Peter Sagan finally had an off day, and managed only a top 20 result. The youngster will have many more shots at San Remo, today just wasn't his day.

Tom Boonen just didn't have what it takes on the Poggio this year. He rode well until half way up the final climb, but ran out of gas toward the top. It is looking increasingly like Boonen has his sights set on the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, as he looks to build steadily for the two Belgian monuments.

Steve Chainel looked like vintage Jens Voigt at this year's MSR. Grimacing and bobbing his shoulders, he destroyed himself for his teammate Yoann Offredo, who finished 7th. Chainel put in a throwback performance and left an indelible mark on the 2011 edition of the race. Amazing ride by the domestique.

Robbie McEwen spoke loud and proud ahead of MSR about how he felt better than he ever has at this point in the season. Then he finished 5+ minutes behind the winner. Time for the Aussie to retire and leave it to new hopes like Goss or Jack Bobridge.

JJ Haedo finished 9 minutes in arrears, showing he has a ways to go toward one day competing at MSR. Perhaps next year . . .

Monumental: 2011 "La Primevera" Milan-San Remo On Tap

You gotta love Milan-San Remo, the cycling season's first monument. At nearly 300 kilometers long, it is the longest one day race on the pro calendar, and is truly a test of mind and body for each rider that contests the Italian tradition. As usual there are a host of favorites for this year's edition, but only one will be worthy. Our top thoughts heading into the first monument of 2011.

The Garmin-Cervelo team looks absolutely stacked for MSR, with Tyler Farrar, Heinrich Haussler and Thor Hushovd all ready to be at the front of the race by the time it hits the Poggio. All three riders have proven themselves capable of taking MSR, as each have enough endurance and climbing ability to stay with the front of the race as it ascends the final two climbs inside the last 25 kilometers.

Haussler has come inches from victory in the past, and after a low-key off season looks ready to blitz not only MSR, but all the spring classics. Unfortunately though he'll probably be the second or third option for the team behind Farrar and Hushovd, and may find himself closing down attacks in during the last portion of the race rather than going on the offensive.

Thor Hushovd is also probably not first in line for the victory hunt, as his biggest goals will come on the cobbles later in the spring. Still, Hushovd is no joke in a bunch gallop, and if Farrar should suffer a crash or other bad luck, Hushovd would likely be next in line to try in a bunch sprint scenario.

Farrar still has yet to win a monument, and 2011 could well be his year. He has raced MSR enough to know all the important segments, and with a hugely powerful team behind him he'll have no excuses should he fall short this year. He has demonstrated his good form and top-end speed early on this year, with a recent win at the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race. Farrar will be among the top three favorites for victory come race time on Saturday.

Last year's champion Oscar Freire has had a good early season prep run, as he has avoided crashes and sickness and looks primed for another San Remo run. The joy of watching Freire is his ability to come out of nowhere and snatch victory from the arms of his unaware competition. He is clearly coming to the end of his time as a professional cyclist, but to short sell him for San Remo would be a mistake. barring a crash or mechanical, he should be a safe bet to go top five when all is decided at the end of the race.

HTC's Mark Cavendish seems to garner all the attention coming into this year's MSR, but it is his teammate Matt Goss that looks like the bigger threat for victory at this year's edition. Cavendish has looked underwhelming thus far in 2011, while Goss has been flying. Still, winning MSR would be a massive step up for Goss, and the reality is that he probably isn't ready yet to seriously be considered a top contender. Under the right circumstances, he could catch lightening in a bottle . . . and set up an epic battle for control between himself and Cavendish for leadership the rest of the season.

Tom Boonen probably won't win this year's MSR, but after a 2nd place finish last year he must be mentioned among the favorites. Boonen is less of a sprinter today than in previous years, but he has veteran experience and will likely put himself into position to at least contest victory again this year. He'll likely not risk it all for the win, but if he finds himself in the front group heading into the final straight away, expect him to throw down his best sprint effort.

Alessandro Petacchi has probably seen his best days on the bike pass him by, but as a former winner of Milan-San Remo he knows what it takes to win and could get lucky. He rode strong the last two years and will hope for one more big result before he rides into retirement. Seeing him win would be a big shock though, as he has not demonstrated yet this year that he has the speed to resist the younger competition surrounding him.

JJ Haedo is another sprinter who could well be in with a chance for his Saxo Bank squad. The Argentinian has really come of age over the course of the last year, and like Freire he seems to excel in situations where he is able to sneak up on his competition. No one will talk about Haedo as a true contender for MSR, but they should. Haedo is fast becoming a big player on the sprint scene, and a top 10 will confirm his stature as a constant threat in bunch sprints.

Romain Feillu will lead the Vacansoleil-DCM team, and the strong French sprinter is a dark horse for a win. Feillu is an unknown commodity at MSR so experience will be the first order of the day, but as a protected sprinter on a ProTour team he'll be in with a chance for the win providing he can ride efficiently throughout the race.

Last but not least among the sprinters is Daniele Benatti of the Leopard-Trek team. Although winless thus far in 2011, Benatti has come close on multiple occasions and will be hungry to ride well in his home country. Benatti will have a strong team supporting him, but they may lean in the direction of Cancellara rather than supporting the Italian. Bennati needs a huge win to be considered again a top sprinter, and taking MSR would do that and more.

Over the past several seasons, with exception to the great Fabian Cancellara, no one has been able to successfully escape on their own to claim victory at Milan-San Remo. So for those riders that are not pure sprinters, a bit of collusion will be required if they are to give themselves a chance at victory. With the Poggio coming only 8 kilometers from the finish and featuring a harrowing descent, a group of 5 to 10 could reasonably expect to escape and contest victory amongst themselves.

Those names that should consider a coordinated attack on the Poggio include Philippe Gilbert, Enricco Gasparotto, Allessandro Ballan, Damiano Cunego, Fabian Cancellara, Peter Sagan, Vincenzo Nibali, Edvald Boasson Hagen and Filippo Pozzato. Whether they'll be able to form a decisive attack is far from a sure thing though.

Dominant Ascension: Philippe Gilbert at the Top of the Pro Cycling Heap

In the spring of 2010, Fabian Cancellara went on a rampage, taking wins in some of the most prestigious one day classics. It was the way he did it though that resonated, as the rest of the peloton just looked a gear slower than the Swiss machine. From Tom Boonen to Filippo Pozzato to Thor Hushovd, no one seemed able to stay with Cancellara went it counted.

As the season went on though, it was a different name who began to come to the front of races and dominate: Philippe Gilbert. Gilbert, though overshadowed by Tom Boonen in his home country, has fast become the most dominant one day rider in the pro peloton. After winning his second consecutive Giro di Lombardia last fall, Gilbert has assumed the role of attacker and destroyer in almost every race he contests.

Most intriguing about Gilbert is his remarkable versatility. While a rider like Cancellara has little hope in hilly races like La Fleche Wallonne or Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Gilbert is considered a protagonist when the Mur or La Doyenne are discussed. Even Milan-San Remo is well within Gilbert's capability. Of all the riders currently racing in cycling, it is Gilbert who stands the best chance of winning all five cycling monuments. Still, he only has one of the five on his palmares thus far, so he still has a lot of work to do.

At 28 years old, Gilbert is in the prime of his career. He'll have about six more season at the top of his game to add additional races to his resume, but he has given himself a very nice head start thus far. Having won this past weekend's Strade Bianchi classic in Italy, Gilbert looks primed for the huge races that are upcoming, including Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

2011 has already been a successful season for Gilbert with his win at the Strade Bianchi. With less pressure heading into the bigger races, expect him to be as aggressive as ever as he tries to add another monument in the coming weeks. His form looks good enough for Milan-San Remo, and with the experience he already has in La Primevera, he should be in the top three when favorites are discussed.

Later in the year Gilbert will target the Tour of Flanders before switching up for a run at one of the three hilly classics. He has already won the Amstel Gold Race, so expect him to put everything into winning Liege-Bastogne-Liege this year. If the weather is poor in any classic then Gilbert's chances get even better, but he can do equally well in sunshine as he can in wet conditions.

Watching Philippe Gilbert thus far in 2011 bodes poorly for his competition. He has been at the front of just about every race he has contested thus far, and with complete support from his Silece-Lotto team the sky is the limit for cycling's one day king.

The Strade Bianchi: Hardman's Cycling Classic, Italian Style

The Strade Bianchi has got to be considered one of the coolest one day races on the pro cycling circuit not only for the fans, but for the one day stylists who attack it each season. The new Italian classic heads into its 5th year and already some of the world's best have put their names on the top step of the podium over the first four editions of the race. To date, the event has not been won by an Italian.

The 2011 edition of the race will once again feature an incredibly strong field and the list of contenders numbers is strong. The race seems to suit a variety of styles, as any rider on good form with strong will and good bike handling skills can assert himself on the tough, technical parcours of the 190 kilometer race.

Heading the list of favorites for the 2011 edition is former winner and all-around strongman Fabian Cancellara. The Swiss Machine hasn't had a whole lot of actual racing thus far in 2011, but expect him to be a player in the final kilometers of the race.

Other top favorites for the win include the BMC combo of Alessandro Ballan and Cadel Evans. Ballan has been largely unproven over the past two seasons, so what affect he'll have on the race is yet to be known. Evans though won on a similar course in last year's Giro d'Italia, as the stage racing star used deplorable conditions to his advantage in forcing a selection and then riding solo to victory for a strong stage win. Evans should be able to use his mountain bike skills on the tough white gravel roads to his advantage as he looks to take the season's first Italian classic.

HTC's Bernard Eisel will probably be the strongest rider for the American-registered team, but Mark Cavendish will also be protected for the duration of the race. Eisel is a cagey veteran capable of winning in tough conditions on a tough race course, so he should be around when the decisive tactics play out down the stretch. Cavendish meanwhile will likely be dropped as the terrain is not ideally suited to his sprinting style.

The Lampre team will be lead by a resurgent Damiano Cunego, as the Italian looks to become the first Italian winner of the Strade Bianchi race. Cunego is holding some strong early season form and it would not be a surprise to see him make a play for a solo victory as the race heads into the final 10 kilometers. A win at the Strade would all but re-establish Cunego as a week in and week out classics threat.

The Liquigas team brings a strange group to the Strade, led by the young and promising Daniel Oss. Oss is an unproven commodity in one day tests, but he has the skills to make an impressions. Still, he'll probably need some luck if he is to emerge the victor for 2011.

The Silence-Lotto team seem to have the strongest team on paper to contest the Strade this year. Philippe Gilbert, although less than stellar thus far in 2011, should come to the Strade ready to do battle. Gilbert is a tough as nails rider who loves bad weather and challenging race courses. It would seem the Strade is ideally suited for his taking. If Gilbert falters though, he'll be backed up by his teammates Andre Greipel and Marcel Sieberg. The two Germans are capable of riding with the best in a one day scenario, but each will need luck to stay with the top stars in the race. Gilbert is, even without top form, their best hope for a win.

The Garmin team was unable to wring a top result out of the first two Belgian races of the season, so they'll be looking for a top showing at the Strade to jump start their 2011 classics campaign. Tyler Farrar is a rare rider who can ride tough in one day classics and sprint with the best in the world. He is on good form and should be a big danger to the other riders in the race. His teammate Ryder Hesjedal is no joke in one day races either and in fact probably has the better chance of winning for the Garmin team. To not see Garmin at least on the podium at the Strade Bianchi would be a big surprise.

One other big name to watch is the reigning Italian champion Giovanni Visconti. Visconti has improved by leaps and bounds the past two years, but he still has to prove himself as a strong rider on courses that are technical. He also has not proved that he can ride strong in poor conditions. If he takes the 2011 Strade, he'll pave the way for a huge Pro Tour offer for 2012.

The Strade Bianchi is such a unique race that it rises above some of the other races that has preceded it. Between the white gravel and usually poor weather conditions, the Strade will reward the rider who has the strongest mind and body throughout the 190 kilometer race.

Wherefore Steven Cozza? Team NetApp's American Classics Hope Absent for Opening Belgium Races

Steven Cozza, one of the designated leaders for the NetApp team in the cobbled classics, was notably absent at the start of the Het Niewsblad race on Saturday, as the American was dealing with a tough head cold that kept him out of the race. His team was not invited to the Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne race on Sunday, meaning that Cozza missed out on contesting the season's first two big one day Belgian classics.

Not being able to line up for the Het Niewsblad is certainly a blow for Cozza, as the semi-classic would have provided him a great chance to show his form ahead of the bigger spring races in the coming weeks. In fact, of all the early season one day classics, the Het Niewsblad may have been his best chance at victory. Even so, there is still plenty of time left in the spring for him to make his mark.

Despite his absence from the opening week of racing in Belgium, expect "The People's Champion" to be front and center for upcoming races like the E3, Nokere-Koerse and even the Strade Bianchi race in Italy. All of these races are suited to Cozza's aggressive style, and as a protected rider he should be in with a chance to contest for a podium placing in the coming weeks.

Once the huge races like Flanders and Paris-Roubaix roll around though, don't expect Cozza to play a huge role as a protagonist in the finales of each race. Instead, expect to see him try to get into an early break away as he looks to establish himself and his team as aggressors within each contest. As much as Cozza has improved over the years, it will be tough for him to expect to stay with the likes of Cancellara, Boonen and the rest of the big favorites in the biggest cobbled classics.

Although Cozza probably won't earn a victory in the coming weeks, his time is coming. 2011 should see him learning how to be a team leader as he assumes the role of protected rider for the first time in his International career. The Californian learns fast and adapts to races quickly, so by 2012 he should be one of the dark horses for victory throughout the classics season. Until then, the name of the game will be learning and racing aggressively throughout the spring.