Alpe d'Huez: The Decisive Moment of the 2008 Tour de France Arrives

What a stage!!! As usual, Alpe d'Huez provided another epic result at the Tour de France. CSC, the most complete team of this year's Tour, took total control of the stage, leading to a Carlos Sastre victory and another CSC team member in yellow. Sastre, in taking the overall lead, now has a lead of over 1 minute and twenty seconds to his teammate Schleck, Australian Cadel Evans, and Gerolsteiner's Bernard Kohl.

From the beginning of the stage, it was clear that CSC would take charge. And the first of Bjarne Riis's bunch to take control at the front was Stuey O'Grady. What an incredible cyclist! Riding tempo at the front on the way up the day's first climb, the CSC flat-land specialist kept his cadence high and his will strong as he paced his team leader Frank Schleck up the fabled Col de la Croix Fer climb. Fabian Cancellara and Kurt Asle-Arvesen did their work too, before the two Schleck brothers ran interference on behalf of Sastre.

Meanwhile, Cadel Evans was largely on his own as he desperately tried to keep Sastre at arm's length. He was able to keep the Spaniard under two minutes, and now must plan on taking at least 1:35 out of Sastre in order to take the overall win. Frank Schleck and Brenard Kohl, though ahead of Evans, don't have a chance to stay ahead of last year's 2nd place Tour de France finisher. And speaking of second place, Evans will finish either there at #2 or in 1st, the place he has been targeting since this time last year.

The final spot for the podium will be a battle too, as Schleck and Kohl hold about a minute lead to Denis Menchov. The Russian is probably the second or third best time trialist at the Tour, and should be able to close the gap on Schleck and Kohl, adding some extra drama to the penultimate time trial stage on Saturday. Also of note on the stage was that American Christian Vande Velde once again held his own in the high mountains. He should have excellent confidence heading into the final half of the year and into next season. He'll be a GC rider to watch in 2009 at the Tour.

Out of the Limelight, Basso Trains, Eyes 2009 Debut

Word out of the Tuscany region in Italy says that deposed Italian star Ivan Basso is putting in huge hours on the bike, six days a week. He has a familiar climb that he has used to guage his fitness throughout his career, and he has supposedly shattered his records while out training. Recently annointed "Anti-Doping Ambassador" by the UCI, Basso signed with the Italian Liquigas team a few weeks ago, effectively returning him to approximately the same point he was at before his exclusion from the Tour de France in 2006.

Basso has always been a huge talent, and has won at every level of cycling. Whether he doped or not is less of an issue than in the past, as it seems that the European peloton is making strides in the fight against doping. Basso will compete on a more level playing field against a cleaner peloton when he returns. He'll have good team support from his new Liquigas team, and he is looking as though he'll at least be a threat in the 2009 Giro. His dedication to training has never been questioned, only his judgement. Hopefully, the second time around in pro cycling will go better for Basso. Best case scenario over the final few years of his career (he'll be 31 when he returns): One Tour de France win, two more Giro titles, and one classic. Worst case scenario: Makes a bunch of money over the next few years, fades away like Iban Mayo did.

Deja Vu: CSC Again in Philly as Breschel Breaks Through

Matti Breschel, the 24 year old Dane of the CSC squad, has long been hailed as a future star of cycling. An affable, likable youngster, Breschel has ridden in support of his CSC teammates since he joined the team in 2005, and most expected that he would assist fellow teammate Matt Goss, second in the 2007 Philly race, to victory in Sunday's 24th edition of the American cycling tradition.

To everyone's surprise though, Breschel was the protected rider on the CSC squad, and he made good on the confidence placed in him by director sportif Lars Michaelson and the rest of the CSC squad. Coming seemingly out of nowhere, Breschel was able to hold off American Kirk O'Bee of the Health Net team as well as former Philly winner Fred Rodriguez of the Rock Racing outfit for a hige victory for his CSC squad.

In what was by far his biggest victory to date, Breschel put the cycling world on notice that he is fast becoming a world class all-arounder capable of taking victory even under the most difficult of circumstances. Temperatures for the race were in the high 90's, and the humidty was measured at 99%. Breschel however kept his cool, sitting in the main bunch throughout the race, waiting for his time to pounce.

CSC, once again, has taken a huge win when no one thought they had a shot at victory. They are such a tactically sound team that they always seem to place their riders in position to win. And more times than not, CSC riders get the job done. Last year, JJ Haedo was not thought to be a serious threat for the Philly title, but he bested Bernhard Eisel in the bunch sprint, after a masterful lead out from his fellow teammate Matt Goss.

Breschel is at the end of a two year contract with CSC, and will be looking for more significant money. If things don't work out at CSC, where would he most like to ride in 2009 and beyond? "Probably a Belgian team. They do things right and I like Belgium, the fans are great!" More likely though is that CSC boss Bjarne Riis will hold onto his fellow countryman, who is on the verge of more great things in the sport of cycling.

Giro Stage 18: Jens Gets His Day

Jens Voigt, the aging veteran escape artist of CSC, took a much deserved win yesterday in the Giro. The old schooler was Mr. Gruff only a day before, as he complained about riders taking illegal car pulls on earlier mountain stages. Other riders raising such concern would draw cynical glances, but not Jens. If there was ever a fair cyclist, it's Voigt.

The German all-arounder has taken the Criterium International title four times, and in each victory he has made the race. Unlike some race leaders who depend on stronger teams or riders to dictate tempo, Voigt, when on a good day, makes the race himself. It is this characteristic that makes watching him so enjoyable. He rides with a fiery confidence, is unflappable in pressure situations, and more times than not his fearlesslessness leads to success.

So was the case yesterday as Voigt powered away from an elite 12 man group composed of the big German Voigt, Bosisio, Nocentini, Cárdenas, Rodriguez, Lezaun, Spilak, Bennati, Bettini, Giovanni Visconti, Ardila Cano, and Nikolay Trusov. Of note here is that of the twelve riders of the day's break, only Lezaun (of the Euskaltal-Euskadi team) was a lesser known rider. It shows Jens Voigt's ability that he was able to outclass such a talented, select group of riders.

Voigt is known as a laid back cruiser, at least to his fans

Voigt is doing what he has done for more than 10 years: win races by being stronger mentally and physically than his competition. While uniforms and equipment have changed, Voigt's attacking style hasn't. Expect Mr. Gruff to growl again in about a month at the biggest race in the world, the Tour de France.

Tyler Hamilton: Cycling's Lonely Pariah Soldiers On

Tyler Hamilton is a former Olympic gold medalist. He won the world's oldest classic, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, in 2003. He won the prestigious Dauphine Libere stage race in 2000. He finished second in the Giro d'Italia in 2002, and took a stage win. He rode for and against Lance Armstrong during his reign of terror in the early 2000's. And today he finished 119th out of 156 riders at the Tour of Columbia, a stranger in a strange land. It wasn't supposed to turn out this way.

Hamilton rode the 2002 Giro with a broken collar bone, and finished second overall

Tyler Hamilton was long known to his fans and peers as a hard working rider with limitless talent. A former skier, Hamilton found a love for cycling at a young age and quickly rose up the ranks, eventually riding for one of the most successful teams in cycling, the US Postal Service dynasty. It was at Postal that Hamilton was able to learn under fellow American phenom Lance Armstrong. He studied the ways of the Texan closely, and in 2002 made the jump to a different team, in search of his own squad to lead.

In 2002, CSC-Tiscali was a young team searching for its identity under team boss Bjarne Riis. French veteran Laurent Jalabert was the team leader back then, and Hamilton was brought in to carry the torch in stage races as the team's GC leader. He blossomed into the role, and by the time Jalabert retired at the end of 2002, the team was Hamilton's to lead. And lead he did.

Today, the only thing impressive about Hamilton's cycling is his team kit

Under Riis' watchful eye, Hamilton went on an impressive run, taking LBL, a stage and the overall at the Tour of Romandy and a stage in the Tour de France in 2003. By 2004, Hamilton was being mentioned as a real threat to Armstrong's TDF dominance. It was not meant to be. Hamilton crashed in stage 6, and abandoned seven long stages later in stage 13. He would never get a shot at the Tour again.

It was late summer in 2004 at the Vuelta Espana, and Hamilton was looking like a strong GC threat. But news came down that he had failed a blood test, and tested positive for doping. He was immediately kicked out of the race and fired by team Phonak. After a lengthy appeal process, Hamilton was found guilty every step of the way. To date, he has yet to admit that he doped.

Today, Hamilton rides for the only team that will have him, Rock Racing. He works for other suspected dopers, Santiago Botero and Oscar Sevilla among them. Since he returned from his suspension, Hamilton hasn't had one respectable result. He was blown away at the Tour of Georgia, and is being outridden by second rate pros in South America. In what looks like the sad final chapter for Hamilton, he can be seen riding at the back of a bunch on climbs or taking long pulls at the front on the flats for whichever ex-doper he happens to be riding for that day.

Hamilton was allowed to keep his gold medal after his 'B' analysis was mishandled

The next chance for Americans to see Hamilton will come at Philly Week in early June. There, he'll get another crack at some of the world's best as three Pro Tour teams are confirmed. Maybe he'll be competitive, but probably not. After all, the dope is gone, and apparently with it Hamilton's talent to ride a bicycle fast.

Giro Off and Running with TTT in Palermo

Liquigas took the stage one TTT in 2007, and team leader Danilo Di Luca went on to win the overall

The Giro d'Italia, the season's first grand tour, will begin like it did last year: with a team time trial that will establish the initial GC. There are several favorites for the win, and the day should be action packed and exciting. So which teams are most likely to contend? See below for Euro Peloton's views . . .

Slipstream

The Slipstream team will not contend for the overall in the Giro d'Italia, but that doesn't mean they can't take the maglia rosa for a few stages. They bring a powerful line up to the time trial, full of big engines and experience. Two national champions (Millar, Zabriskie) will be on hand to take the time trial reins, along with two big roulers (Backstedt, Dean), an experienced top American time trialist (Vande Velde), and a former junior time trial champion (Pate). They have a very good shot at the win, providing they can perform as well mentally as they do physically. Considering the performance they put in recently at the Tour de Georgia, the 'Argyle Gang' should be considered the most dangeous team in the fight for the TTT title.

Former maglia rosa Pinotti is a respected rider recognized for his integrity and fair play

High Road

Like Slipstream, High Road probably won't be in the picture for the overall Giro title, but they have some excellent time trialists attending the Giro, and if they can send one of the top sprinters over the finish line first, they may be able to keep the jersey for a few stages. Look for Bradley Wiggins to lead the American registered team, as they attempt to put Italian veteran Marco Pinotti into the pink again, like they did in .

Astana

Why can't they? Everyone seem to want to put Astana at a disadvantage because they weren't notified ahead of time for the Giro. What's the big deal? Kloden is on great form, Levi was decent in Georgia, and Gusev is on the upswing following a broken clavicle at the Tour of California. Contado is Contador, the defending Tour de France champ. The four above mentioned riders are all excellent time trialists, and together are more than capable of putting in a great time against the clock. They'll go top five, minimum.

CSC

Bjarne Riis' Danish squad is young and inexperienced, but also very talented. The 1996 TDF winner (no matter what Prudhomme says) Riis always has his troops ready for battle, so expect CSC to put in an excellent ride in the TTT. They may not win it, but they'll knock on the door, as they do in every race they enter.

While the above four teams all have an excellent chance at victory, don't count out Danilo Di Luca and his LPR Brakes team. His teammate, "il falco," Paolo Salvodelli, is a better than average time trialist capable of long pulls at the front. Di Luca realizes the importance of the opening time trial, and will be urging his team on throughout. They may not win, but they won't lose by a ton either. The Giro d'Italia is on tap, the most beautiful stage race in the world!

CSC: Cycling Juggernaut

The most fearsome three letters in cycling today

CSC showed once again over the weekend why they are the best team in the world, winning both the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen and the Criterium International. Kurt Asle-Arvesen dominated the field at the E3 and the 36 year old Jens Voigt did the same in France to secure his fourth CI title. As team boss Bjarne Riss searches for a new sponsor, all of the early season wins can only help his cause. That CSC has been able to win so many quality events thus far in the season is not surprising, it is still noteworthy that they have dominated like they have.

At 36, Voigt rides with the enthusiasm of a rider half his age

As cycling heads into some of the most important early season races (Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix), the question on every fan's mind is whether CSC can win the two next monuments, making a sweep of the season's biggest targets thus far. Cancellara time trialed away from the competition at Milan-San Remo two weeks ago, and has laid low this past week in anticipation of Flanders. In fact, CSC won't even line up a team at the upcoming Three Days of De Panne stage race as they prepare as a team in secret ahead of De Ronde.

Cycling's master chef, Riis blends talent and tactics perfectly for big results throughout the season

Bjarne Riis, cycling's savant when it comes to motivating riders and team tactics, no doubt has his boys primed for a real run at the Flanders/Roubaix double. Last year's Roubaix champ Stuey O'Grady has been quite thus far in 2008, but make no mistake: the Aussie will be ready this Sunday at Flanders, and on April 13th at Roubaix. That CSC has two such talented riders on the same team, in the same race, will make it very tough on the rest of the teams participating. As the cycling calandar rolls into the meat of the season, so does the CSC Juggernaut . . . and they're taking no prisoners.

When the cobbles come calling at Flanders and Roubaix, O'Grady will be ready

CSC's Asle Arveson Conquers E3 Prijs Vlaanderen

Arvesen takes top honors at the E3, derailing Boonen's chances at a fifth straight win in the semi-classic

Tom Boonen came in as one of the major favorites for the Belgian semi-classic E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, but at the end of the day, it was the CSC team and Kurt-Asle Arvesen who took top honors for the one day race. Arvesen had good support from "Tony Sparticus" Fabian Cancellara, who rode with Tom Boonen to try to stay away from the field.


In the end however, it was Arvesen who was abe to get a gap and ride away from Collstrop's David Kopp and Silence-Lotto's Greg Van Avermaet for the win. The CSC team has been a force thus far in the 2008 season, and the Danish juggernaut was able to keep up the good momentum going leading up to the most important race of Flemish Cycling Week, the Tour of Flanders.

Arvesen's win bodes well for team CSC ahead of the Three Day of De Panne stage race and the Tour of Flanders. All of CSC's riders are riding well, and the team should be more than ready to do battle at Flanders and at Paris-Roubaix. Too, team boss Bjarne Riis is working behind the scenes to secure a title sponsor for 2009, and all of the recent wins should help the Danish manager's cause in finding a new source of sponsorship.

The favorites for Flanders seemed to stay in the background, as Hoste finished 13th, Cancellara 16th, Astana's Serguei Ivanov 18th, Italian's Pozzato and Ballan 36th and 38th respectively, and Stuey O'Grady and Juan Antonio Flecha 63rd and 55th. All of the above riders finished together in the trailing group though, showing that all are on decent form ahead of Flanders, the Belgian monument.

After several significant one day races, team CSC looks all but unbeatable as the season progresses. Whether it's Cancellara riding away from a group or another CSC rider on the attack, the red, black, and white squad is a fearsome site in any race they enter. The scariest part of the situation is that last year's Paris-Roubaix winner O'Grady hasn't even chosen to chow himself at the front of the bunch, and both Schleck brothers have kept a low profile this far in the season as well.

Criterium International 2008: The Favorites

The 2008 Criterium International parcours

The 77th Criterium International, the two day, three stage “mini Tour de France” starts today in France. Last year’s winner, Jens Voigt, will try for a fourth overall victory for his CSC team, leaving him one short of the record five wins by Raymond Poulidor in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Voigt will have some real firepower backing him up, as former winner Bobby Julich will be on hand, as well as the Schleck brothers, Andy and Frank.

Voigt's fearless tactics are well-suited to the Criterium International

Looking to unseat Voigt will be a host of contenders looking to show their form ahead of the upcoming classics and the year’s first Grand Tour, the Giro d’Italia. Still others will use the race merely as preparation for the ultimate prize, the Grand Boucle, the Tour de France. CI is a great chance for riders to test themselves in as the race features one flat stage, one hilly stage, and one time trial stage. If a rider comes good overall at CI, they can feel confident that they’ll show well in their other season objectives.

Fans will get a glimpse of Valverde for one of the first times this year

The contenders for the 2008 edition are many, some who have had some good early season results, and some that have been M.I.A. thus far in 2008. First up is Caisse d’Epargne’s “Green Bullet,” Alejandro Valverde, second overall in last year’s race. The Spaniard, dominant only two years ago, has been unheard of in 2008, and will hope for a good CI ride to announce his form ahead of the hilly Wallonian classics. Lampre’s “Little Prince,” Damiano Cunego, will try his luck again at CI in 2008 after a good 2007 that saw him take victory in the Tour of Romandy, a prestigious fall classic. Cunego will be targeting the overall at the Tour de France, and a good ride in the Criterium International will help his morale heading into the meat of the season.

Cunego will race the "mini Tour de France" before the real TDF in July

Rabobank’s climber Robert Gesink will be present to do battle in stage two, but the young Dutchman probably won’t have the chops to contend for the overall. Francaise des Jeux’s Sandy Casar will be motivated on home soil, and Kim Kirchin of the High Road squad is always dangerous in a stage race with hills and a time trial.

Two-time defending American time trial champ Zabriskie is a contender for 2008

The American Slipstream team will have a strong contingent in France as well, with time trial specialists David Zabriskie and David Millar flying the flag for the “Argyle Gang”. If either can stay with the leaders on stage two, they’ll be in with a real chance for the overall in the final day’s time trial. Zabriskie had a great Tour of California from a climbing perspective, staying with Astana’s Levi Leipheimer and Gesink for almost the entire Sierra Road climb in stage 3 of the Tour of California. If he can find the same climbing legs in France, he may bag his biggest win to date.

Astarloza will give his best effort for the Basque fan base

Finally, for dark horses, consider Mikel Astarloza of the Euskaltel-Euskadi Basque team. Astarloza is a good climber and a decent time trialist, and if the weather cooperates, he could do some damage in the short stage race. Another underdog is Columbian climbing ace Mauricio Soler of the South African Barloworld team. Soler is a fearsome climber, and if he can take a minute or more on stage two, he may be able to limit his losses enough in the final time trial to net the win. More likely though is that Soler will use CI to continue to build his form for the July Tour de France.

Unstoppable Cancellara Wins MSR---Flanders, Roubaix Next?

Fabian Cancellara must be considered the number one favorite for the remaining spring classics until another rider shows definitively that the Swiss time trialist can be beat. Cancellara won Milan-San Remo in convincing fashion by simply riding away from everyone on the Corso Cavallotti this Saturday. In an Eddy Merckx-like move, Cancellara jumped away from a small group with about 3 kilometers left in the race on Saturday, and no one could catch him as the CSC ace arrived, hands raised, in San Remo as the winner of Italy's biggest one day race.

Cancellara has grown from a time trialer to an all-arounder over the last few years

Cancellara has the rest of the peloton running scared, as the Swiss has been able to win on raw power and fearless tactics. His new nickname, "Tony Sparticus," is as appropriate as it is comical. There was, however, nothing funny about Cancellara's attack on the Corso Cavallotti Saturday that clinched the win for the 27 year old.

Time trialing as the Swiss champ two years ago

With Cancellara's two bigest targets (Flanders, Roubaix) yet to come for 2008, the time has come to consider whether he can put together a season with multiple classics victories on varied courses. Always a favorite on the cobbles, a win in Milan-San Remo went against all conventional thinking, as breakaway victories in the longest classic are extremely rare. That Cancellara was able to go away and stay away speaks to his enormous power and determination. He'll be a marked rider in Flanders and Roubaix, but it won't matter if he can hold the incredble form he has until the Flemish monuments.

He represents the raibow jersey well

If Cancellara manages to win either Flanders or Roubaix, his early season will go down as one of the best, if not the best, in the history of modern cycling. He has now won both major one day races in Italy (he won the Pachi Monte Eroica two weeks ago) and the first major Italian stage race of 2008 (Tirreno-Adriatico). He was within striking distance of overall victory in California, after having won the prologue and the first leader's jersey of the budding American stage race.

Cancellara rode for the mighty Mapei team in the 90's

Meanwhile, the rest of the peloton will have to go back to the drawing board to figure out how they'll manage to outfox and outride Cancellara, who looks positively unbeatable in every race he enters. Already his season has been an overwhelming success, and we're not even into April yet, which is a scary thought in itself. If he keeps going like this, a 20 win season with a few classic victories is very much within reach for the best time trialist in the world.

Down the Stretch: Tirreno-Adriatico, Paris-Nice Stage Races Near Their Finish

With the Tirreno-Adriatico and Paris-Nice stage races aproaching their finish, let's take a look at how each race will look come the end of the weekend. We'll start in France at the "Race to the Sun" and then examine the "Race to Two Seas" contenders.

Big name sprinters like Tom Boonen opted for Tirreno-Adriatico over Paris-Nice due to the UCI-ASO power struggle

What a week it has been in France. High winds, tons of rain and tough winter conditions have characterized the French stage race, and the list of GC contenders has changed from day to day. The Norwegian, Thor Hushovd, took the first yellow jersey after a strong prologue showing, before the young climbing sensation, Robert Gesink of the Rabobank team, earned the jersey on the slopes of the fearsome Mont Ventoux. Aussie Cadel Evans won the day on the "Giant of Provence," but Gesink got the yellow jersey, and sits 30+ seconds ahead in the race for the overall.

Steegmans loved the rainy conditions last week and took advantage with two stage wins at Paris-Nice

The remaining stages of Paris-Nice are difficult, and there should be plenty of chances for the field to attack Gesink and his Rabobank team. There are only a few riders left in the GC picture, as most of the pre-race favorites are well out of contention. Gerolsteiner's Davide Rebellin, coming off an excellent ride on Ventoux, is still very much in contention, and will probably try to attack a few times over the weekend in hopes of weakening Gesink. Fellow Italian Rinaldo Nocentini of the AG2R team will also be on the prowl, looking for opportunities to steal time from the lanky Dutchman Gesink. Both riders are just over 30 seconds behind Gesink, and each have the characteristics to win on the final two stages, which are both hilly.

Cadel won atop Ventoux, signalling his good early season form, but is out of the GC situation

After the Italian duo comes Yaroslav Popovych of the Silence-Lotto team. He lost valuable time on the Ventoux stage, but is the best climber of the remaining contenders at Paris-Nice. Gesink has been super strong thus far in the season though, so it will be hard to wrestle the leader's jersey away from him. All signs point to a landmark victory for the youngster, as he climbs (no pun intended) higher and higher among cycling's elite.

The paris-Nice overall didn't work out for Millar, who got sick and abandoned

Meanwhile, over in Italy, the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race winds down ahead of the year's first classic, Milan San Remo. The racing has been lively in Tirreno, and current leader Niklas Axelsson holds a slight lead over Enrico Gasparotto of the Barloworld team. Neither Axelson or "Gaspa" will win the overall however, as a crucial time trial on Sunday will no doubt determine the race's overall winner. There are many time trial specialists in good position ahead of the crucial fifth stage, and each will lay it on the line in hopes of securing the prestigious early season stage race title.

Not everyone has been happy in Tirreno, as Ricardo Ricco demonstrated on Friday

"The Killer," Danilo Di Luca, lurks in fifth place overall at only 32 seconds back, and looks to have good form. He is a decent time trialist and when on form can compete with the best. Expect a good ride on Sunday from the embattled defending Giro d'Italia champ. Young Thomas Lövkvist, the current Swedish time trial champion, should put in a good effort and keep himself towards the top of the classification for team High Road, and Gerolsteinier's Markus Fothen is a good time trialist and should show well on Sunday. The biggest name to watch on Sunday however will be the two-time defending world time trial champion Fabian Cancellera of the CSC team. The big swiss rider has been great all year and should have a good chance at taking both the stage and overall lead in Tirreno-Adriatico in Sunday's time trial. With his recent win at L'Eroica, Cancellara would love nothing more than to take a stage and an overall victory at Tirreno ahead of his bigger objectives for the year, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

Cancellara will be eager to try to win the time trial and overall at Tirreno-Adriatico

Both stage races this weekend should provide fans with some action-packed racing and good indications for the rest of the season. Watch Paris-Nice to see who is climbing well ahead of the Wallonian classics and check Tirreno-Adriatico for an indicator of the favorites for next week's Milan-San Remo sprint fest. Some of the best in the world are mixing it up in the early season, as the year's major objectives draw closer and closer.

CSC to Pull Sponsorship on Bjarne Riis After 2008

The red and black of CSC will be gone after 2008

The news came down in the late afternoon in the US yesterday that team CSC will not be sponsoring Bjarne Riis's team in 2009. The American-based Computer Sciences Corporation are pulling their sponsorship due to "a shift in priorities." Team boss Riis was cautiously optimistic that his team would secure a sponsor. "We've had a long and excellent collaboration with CSC and when it comes to an end after this season we can look back upon eight years that have been very fruitful for both partners. I know that we are ready to go out and show the world that we are here to stay. We have an exceptional product with worldwide exposure that we can offer to a new sponsor. We believe we have the best team in the world, both the riders on their bikes and the staff supporting them behind the scenes."

Bjarne must be at least a little bummed that his title sponsor is gone

With the exit of the tech giant, Riis will have to go on the search for a new title sponsor. CSC has an aggressive internal doping program and a line up of some of the strongest riders in the world, so Riis should have no problem finding a sponsor. Whether he'll be able to find another American-based sponsor is another proposition. Cycling isn't nearly as popular in America as it is in Europe, so Riis may find it easier to strike a deal with a European sponsor.

Riis's teams are known for their team work, organization, efficiency, and attention to detail

So why does all this matter? Because if Riis's title sponsor is based in Europe and not America, he may not be able to consider a winter training camp in California, or a strong domestic presence in other big American races like the Tour of Georgia, Missouri, and the Philly Week series. American fans, long used to seeing world time trial champion Fabian Cancellera, super sprinter JJ Haedo and classics strongman Stuey O'Grady once or twice a year, will suddenly find Riis's team gone, competing and training elsewhere. Sure, Riis will always want his team at the Tour of California, but he won't have reason to race elsewhere in the states like he has in the past.

Staying with red? If Riis lands Oracle, he could at least keep the same color motif, while gaining a cooler tag line for his team. Picture it now: "Riis Cycling: Powered by Oracle"

It is still early to get too worried about Riis taking his talented team elsewhere to compete and train, as the California Oracle corporation should be a consideration for the Danish-registered team. The software company was ready to become the title sponsor for Johan Bruyneel's Discovery team, before "Sir Lancelot" Armstrong got cold feet and walked away from the sport of cycling and his former teammates. If Riis can strike a deal with Oracle, he'll be back in business, and still based in the US, to the delight of American cycling fans everywhere.

Miserable Paris-Nice Weather Claims Contenders Early

The "Giant of Provence" waits for the field on stage 4 of Paris-Nice

Over only two stages, many of the top contenders for the overall Paris-Nice title have fallen out of the picture for the competition for the overall. Whether from crashes or tactical mistakes, many of the heavy hitters are down and out early in the "Race to the Sun."

Frank Schleck is the closest of the pre race favorites at 2:56 back

Frank Schleck (2:56), Cadel Evans (3:07), Alexandre Botcharov (7:13), Christophe Moreau (7:14), Damiano Cunego (7:18), and Sandy Casar (14:56) all trail leader Geert Steegmans by significant margins. So with the shake up in the classification, who are the new favorites for the overall title?

Millar has worn the climber's polka dots in the Tour de France, and will try to show off his climbing prowess in stage three of Paris-Nice

CSC's Karsten Kroon sits at only 23 seconds off the lead, and should have great support for the remainder of the race. Although he isn't a pure climber, Kroon can get over the steeps and should be in with a chance the rest of the week. David Millar of Slipstream, who made no secret of the fact that he intended to try to win Paris-Nice, is sitting comfortably in 7th place at 30 seconds. Like Kroon, he isn't a first class climber, but may be able to survive the mountain passes with the other remaining contenders. Davide Rebellin, like Millar and Kroon, is a decent but not great climber, and should be able to stay with the CSC and Slipstream riders when the road turns upward. He trails on the GC by 44 seconds, and is riding great early season form.

Kroon, one of the most likable riders in cycling, is in with a chance for the Paris-Nice 2008 title

While the above three riders are all about equal in terms of their climbing ability, there is one name toward the top of the classification that could ride away with the Paris-Nice title starting Thursday on the Mont Ventoux: Yaroslav Popovych. The former Discovery super domestique is on good form, and with his teammate Cadel Evans slipping away from the top of the leader board, "Popo" should have the full support of his team. He'll be tough to unglue on the biggest climbs, and for the remaining contenders, he may be too fast to even follow.

Popovych won his share of races for Discovery, and will hope to bag the Paris-Nice stage race for his new sponsor, Silence-Lotto

Just behind Popovych is the youngster Robert Gesink. Fresh off his second straight best young rider designation in the Tour of California, the lithe climber should have no problem following Popovych on Ventoux, but whether he'll have the stones to attack is another argument entirely. If he does, the young Dutchman could set himself up with the biggest victory of his young career.

Gesink is a monster on steep climbs, and may be the only rider left in the GC hunt that can follow Popovych on the steep ramps of Mont Ventoux

Finally, Alexander Efimkin, the young charge of the Belgian Quick Step team, will be keen to keep the team's momentum going after Geert Steegmans' two wins in the first two stages. At only 26, Efimkin is short on experience, but he'll surely follow wheels and hope for instinct to take over when the time is right. He sits at 55 seconds off the pace. While the pre-race favorites are all but out of overall contention, anything can happen. The eventual winner of the event will still have to make the race and attack the field. Expect the fire works to start tomorrow between the two best climbers remaining in the overall hunt: Gesink and Popovych.

Upcoming: 65th Paris-Nice, March 9-16, 2008

The 2008 Paris-Nice race route

Over the past few weeks, the rift between ASO, the organizers of Paris-Nice, and the UCI has been well documented across print and online media. That said, Euro Peloton will instead focus on the racing that is about to ensue on Saturday. The Paris-Nice course lay out for 2008 should make it one of the most dramatic editions of the race in years. Excitement is in store for all, as ASO presents a mini Tour de France in March. Indeed, the only piece missing from Paris-Nice is a long time trial (and the Astana team), but with the amount of climbing that the field will tackle, the lack of a race of truth is understandable.

St. Etienne, the site of many great moments in the Tour de France, will welcome the peloton home after a hard day in the saddle in stage three

The 65th Paris-Nice stage race embarks from Amilly in France, and this year's edition is a particularly hilly version, as the feared and famous Mont Ventoux climb will present itself to the peloton in stage four. And it won't be just one day of climbing, but several, as stage three takes the riders over a category one climb on the way to Saint-Étienne, and stage seven travels over three category one climbs for the final stage circuit race that begins and ends in Nice. It will be a race to the sun by way of the mountains, as the winner will most certainly be a strong climber.

Many prominent pros past and present feel the Ventoux is the hardest climb in cycling

After a prologue time trial to establish a GC, stage one will give the sprinters in the race one of their only chances at victory. Look for the big Norwegian, Thor Hushovd of Credit Agricole, new Liquigas rider Daniele Bennati or Slipstream American Tyler Farrar at the front after a mostly flat day. Stage two is a bit hillier, with four categorized climbs over the final 60 kilometers. Stage two looks custom made for a breakaway. Look for lava-hot Phillipe Gilbert of Francaise des Jeux to escape with a handful of others. Former French champ Nicolas Vogondy, Anthony Geslin of the Bouyges Telecom team, David Moncoutie of the French Cofidis, Stefan Schumacher of Gerolsteiner, and Juan Antonio Flecha all could make it into the break. The big guns won't mind if the above type riders get away, as they will be dropped early on the next day's stage.

Nice is really nice, needless to say

It is on stage three that the race to the sun will turn. The pack will face a long hard day, as a stiff category one climb over the Col d'fut d'Avenas only 20 kilometers from the finish, will thin the leading group. Look for the contenders to ratchet up the pace to see who is weak, hence reducing the list of contenders going into the decisive next day up the Mont Ventoux. Expect pre-race favorites like Davide Rebellin and David Millar to hang tough in stage three, but the sprinters for sure will be driving the Autobus to the finish.

Stage four will expose those riders that are not at top fitness

Stage four should make for some very compelling riding, as some of the best climbers in the world will test each other on the moon-like landscape of the Mont Ventoux. Some of the big guns to watch for the stage will be "Il Piccolo Principe" Damiano Cunego, who is building his form for the Tour de France, CSC's Frank Schleck and Lotto's Cadel Evans, who are also targeting the Grand Boucle, Gerolsteiner's Bernhard Kohl, who has made Paris-Nice one of his season objectives, FDJ's Sandy Casar, always a game climber, Euskadel Euskadi's Samy Sanchez, who loves the high passes, Rabobank's Robert Gesink, 2007 and 2008 best young rider at the Tour of California, and French champion Christophe Moreau, who is always motivated on home soil. Pre-race favorites Davide Rebellin and David Millar will no doubt be dropped during stage five, ending their overall hopes.

The Gargoyle: Kohl rode hard in California with an eye on Nice this year

After two moderate stages, the final stage of the event will once again put the heat on the non-climbers. Three category one climbs will stretch the field again, and force the race leader to defend against hostile adversaries. In all probability, the leader going into the stage will have to defend multiple attacks, as the time gaps to the four or five remaining contenders should be small. Expect a tense stage to the end, before an eventual winner is crowned in the sunny city of Nice, France.

Stage seven is tough, as the three cat. 1's will slow the already tired field on the way to Nice

For surprise GC contenders, keep an eye out for Caisse d'Eparge's Luis Leon Sanchez and Oscar Periero, Credit Agricole's Alexander Botchorov, who showed well in Mallorca, Jose Angel Marchante and Lotto's Mario Aerts to be active yet unmarked throughout the race. These three can all climb, and may get the green light to go for theirs if their team leaders are suffering. And don't forget about Bobby Julich. He has one the event before, and can climb with the best when on good form. CSC never enters a rider unless they're up to the challenge, so assume that the Danish squad will come to the table with a few different cards to play.

Euro Peloton's picks

1st Frank Schleck

2nd Robert Gesink

3rd Cadel Evans

A special thank you from Euro Peloton to "New York Fan" for your continued support! Our sport is made better through passionate fans like yourself.

JJ Haedo: Early Season Sprints King

Haedo got his start racing in support of Mark McCormick at Colavita

Juan Jose Haedo, the 5th year pro riding for the CSC team, seems to own the early season year in and year out. Starting in 2006, when he took two stages in the inaugural Tour of California and was recognized immediately as an emerging talent, Haedo has had more speed than some of the world's best early on in the year. Today, with one full calendar of European racing under his belt racing for one of the best teams in the world, the young Argentinian heads into 2008 looking poised the make the final jump to world-class calibre sprinter, along side the likes of Boonen, Hushovd, McEwin, Pettachi, and Friere.

Haedo takes stage one ahead of Gerald Ciolek in the 2008 TOC

Haedo got his feet wet in Europe for the first time as a pro last year, and the results were encouraging. After his usual two wins in California in 2007, and the points classification jersey, Haedo picked up a win in the Rund um Köln, won by such greats as Erik Zabel, Jan Ullrich and Erik Dekker. Last season was a good first effort for Haedo, and his confidence was further bolstered with a huge win in the Philadephia International Championship, as he showed his ability to limit his losses on climbs while biding his time for a sprint. Philadelphia is known as a tough course, one that demands maximum effort to complete, much less win, and Haedo's performance reveals the limitless potential he has.

His 2007 TOC win over world champ Bettini: Pure poetry

Haedo recently completed his third straight successful Tour of California, as he took the win in stage one, becoming the record holder for most stage wins in the history of the eight day event. Then, just yesterday, Haedo demonstrated that his form is still good with a solid win over three-time world champion Oscar Friere Gomez at the Clasica de Almeria. After this latest victory, Haedo will look to ride his good form to more victories at the upcoming Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia. He'll also build up over the next few weeks for Milan-San Remo, the season's first Classic. There, he'll face some of the biggest names in the sport, as MSR is known as a sprinter's dream. While Haedo may not take the win, expect to see him in the top ten, at minimum, if his form is good and his luck holds. Like Robbie McEwin, Haedo can win on his own if he has to, but with the support of his CSC teammates, he could well ride away with the 2008 "La Primivera" title.

His first win a the TOC: 2006, stage one

Tour of California Grades: Pro Tour Teams

With the Tour of California gone for another year, Euro Peloton takes a two part look back at each team to see who had the best and worst performances during the eight day event. Below are our TOC grades for the nine Pro Tour teams. Tomorrow will follow the remaining continental teams from the 2008 edition.

Astana: A

The Astana team came to the Tour of California with one goal: Bring Levi Leipheimer to Pasadena with the leader's yellow jersey on his back. And the Kazak team delivered in spades. Levi won the TOC with an almost preternatural ease. He was never really in trouble at any point in the race, and dominated an extremely talented field on the flats in the time trial and in the mountains on the steep climbs. His team was sublime, controlling breakaways throughout the Tour, and neutralizing dangerous attacks on each stage. They'll take momentum into their other objectives for the season, whatever those may be.

Levi shrewdly managed the race and made it his throughout, thanks in large part to the excellent team supporting him

Bouygues Telecom: D

With exception to a late Thomas Voeckler attack in stage five, the Bouyges team was nowhere to be found for almost the entire Tour. Although they were a part of a few select breakaways here and there, they were consistently dropped when the pace racheted up, and failed to even contend for a win the duration of the Tour. Even so, they were a fan favorite amongst true cycling fans, so you can't give em' and F.

Little Tommy Voeckler was a fan favorite throughout the Tour

Credit Agricole: D

Like their French counterpart, the Credit Agricole team was seldom seen throughout the Tour. Thier top rider on the GC was Chritophe Le Mevel, who distinguished himself in a few breakaways, but like Bouyges they didn't really contend on any of the stages. Even their team leader, Patrice Halgand, dropped out after stage five. Maybe they'll have better luck in Georgia in a few months.

CSC: A

Unlike last year, CSC didn't have any of their riders on the final podium. But they did manage to have one of their riders in the yellow jersey, as Fabian Cancellera won the opening time trial prologue and wore the jersey for stage one. Sprinter JJ Haedo went good again the the TOC, scoring a win in stage one, and a second on stage six. Jason McCartney's third place in stage seven capped a great week for the CSC team, who delivered two of their riders into the top five on the final GC.

Cancellera gave his team their first ever yellow jersey in the TOC

Gerolsteiner: C

Gerolsteiner had the most difficulty with the virus that swept through the peloton for the duration of the week, as the team finished with only three of it's riders. However, young German sprinter Heinrich Haussler showed himself at the front of the bunch in stages one and two, before he took sick and had to abandon while the leader of the sprint jersey competition. They garner a C grade due to the fact that the virus really neutralized any chance they may have had to affect the race in it's second half. Hopefully the mineral water sponsor will extend for 2009, and the team will return stronger for next year's edition.


High Road: B+

Bob Stapleton's team had to struggle to get their win, as George Hincapie outsprinted three of his fellow Americans for the stage seven win. They thought they had the win in stage six, but their young sprinter Mark Cavendish was relegated due to an illegal car draft that he received from his team direct