Road Bike Racing - who are the budding superstars?

Obviously, Lance can't win forever, so who do you guys see as being the dominant cyclists in the next 5 years. Do you think there will be another dominant rider like Lance in the next decade?
what are you thoughts?

http://www.denversearch.net/images/BuddyIconRevised.gif

Sounds like USPS is looking at Floyd Landis as their Next Big Thing.

A rider like Lance comes along once in a generation. Who knows if one of the up and comers will be his level... you couldn't tell Lance would be this good at the beginning either- DNF'd 3 TDF's I think.

Guys I like as up and coming:
Ivan Basso
Tom Boonen
david Millar
Oscar Sevilla
Alessandro Pettachi
Cadel Evans
Little Mig
Mirko Celestino
Brad McGee
Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano (at 28, I don't think we have seen the best from him yet)
I have a feeling Tyler Hamilton could be a GC contender in a year or 2.

I'm sure there are about 20 more out there! Alot of great talent out there.

Originally posted by RacerX
A rider like Lance comes along once in a generation. Who knows if one of the up and comers will be his level... you couldn't tell Lance would be this good at the beginning either- DNF'd 3 TDF's I think.

Guys I like as up and coming:
Ivan Basso
Tom Boonen
david Millar
Oscar Sevilla
Alessandro Pettachi
Cadel Evans
Little Mig
Mirko Celestino
Brad McGee
Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano (at 28, I don't think we have seen the best from him yet)
I have a feeling Tyler Hamilton could be a GC contender in a year or 2.

I'm sure there are about 20 more out there! Alot of great talent out there.

Basso has had an exceptionally good tour, and McGee's mountain work was a welcome surprise. Millar could be a podium challenger in a year or two if he can sort out his consistency problems. Galdeano's certainly a potential podium topper and I think his team mate Isidro Nozal is worth keeping an eye on. Do note that my predictions come with the warning that I was expecting Iban Mayo to do surprisingly well this tour...

I was thinking also of Mancebo, who is doing much better in the tour this year, and Nicholas vogondy, the french champs who is also a terrific climber, although he also had a terrible time on the Ventoux. They held the french champs in the alps this year and it looked like a tough course. There are also a couple of sprinters I noticed recently. Eddy Lembo, with Oktos, who had the yellow jersey in the tour of Switzerland, but bailed when they got into the big alpine climbs. I also think Patrice Halgand needs a better team. Apparently he's leaving Delatour and my feeling is CA will pick him up in the absence of Jonathan Vaughters.

Originally posted by wabbit
I I also think Patrice Halgand needs a better team. Apparently he's leaving Delatour and my feeling is CA will pick him up in the absence of Jonathan Vaughters.

I agree this will help him a ton, the team thing is so important. It takes so many people to make a great rider into a phenom, including sponsors as well as fellow riders. If you respect your team and the things it stands for it makes it so much easier to put in that extra effort. Lance has folks like the USPS and Nike on his side, both pinnacles of country and sports respectively. Not to mention his teammates are fabulous as well. I also like Ivan Basso and Little Mig.

I'm not sure if anyone will match Lance in the current generation... but who knows ... I think Hamilton maybe a good candidate. I think the damage he sufferred in the Giro is getting to him as they're in the mountains. I wouldn't count out Ullrich or Beloki/Galdeano from Once. Then again ...if the French stop being so French and allow some decent foreign teams to compete maybe Cippo will have a chance...

Originally posted by BikeManOfOz
I'm not sure if anyone will match Lance in the current generation...

yeah, i'm with you...when he's on form...no one can touch him...no climber, no time trialer...but cipo could definately beat him in a sprint :) hahaha

i WISH there was someone who could challenge him now, it would make for a much more exciting race...so many of my favorite italian riders all concentrate on the giro, and never really show good form at le tour. like Garzelli, Simoni, Casagrande. I'm not saying any of them could beat lance, but i'm sure it would make it more exciting.

Leipheimer is only, what, 23? He's not doing too shabbily, and should have even better years ahead.

Im sort of new to the whole racing on tv. Ive been hardcore since the begining of the Giro - I think Ive seen every stage of the Giro going through to the Tour today. Anyways, Tyler H hasnt really impressed me in the Tour, knowing what happened in the Giro, I can understand - but he doesnt strike me as a rider with a superstar career head - maybe Im way off. (To the above post) Did like how Levi had the strong finish in the stage a day or so ago. Quick learning question: Was it the points that Jaja was going for, those times when he would jump out to the big leads in the three stages or does he think he has a change to grab the stage that way? It appears the 3 of 3 times, he died at the end and was past?
I would also have to say, the Tour just doesnt have that flavor like the Giro with Cipo - being new the sport and the Giro 2002 being my first - he was a great way to start, he is fun to watch.

Re/Hamilton, I agree. I think he's good enough that he could snag a surprise win, but not when he's being watched by other teams as a potential race winner. Plus, the TdF follows pretty quickly after the Giro. It takes a really remarkable rider to snag a podium finish in both.

Re/Levi, if I understand your comment, I dunno. A lot of the riders have been commenting that their legs are coming to them after a couple of mountain stages. I wouldn't know anything about that. It's just the opposite for me.

I think JaJa was going for the KOM points, and stage victories as well. It's a long-shot gamble, especially solo-ing, or with few or weak break-away partners. Even at the end, he wasn't doing so bad, it's just that USPS, et al were so good. Then, after he was passed, he just didn't have the mental motivation, and his pace dropped.

This years TdF is especially lackluster. First, it doesn't really represent the best of the best anymore, since trying to favor the French teams. Plus, the winner is pretty much a forgone conclusion. There are plenty of good battles and challenges, but they aren't for the lead, so the media thinks we aren't interested. Other years have been better. But I agree in general. The Giro is as good or better than the TdF. It and we would benefit from better coverage, and saner drug policing.

At this point, I'd say Rumsas is probably the biggest surprise. He climbs well and TT's well. Finished 3rd in the GC, and probably would have finished second if his handlebars hadn't given him trouble in the last TT.

Carlos Sastre from CSC-TISCALI. He has a top 10 finish in his first TDF....

Originally posted by poululla
Carlos Sastre from CSC-TISCALI. He has a top 10 finish in his first TDF....

he did well this year, but don't forget...he's over 32 years of age! hehe.

Originally posted by Coppi51


he did well this year, but don't forget...he's over 32 years of age! hehe.

jeez, i must have really been out of it this morning...Sastra is only 27 yrs old. i was looking at another CSC-Tiscali member i guess when i typed it...oh well, hehe

Originally posted by roadbuzz
At this point, I'd say Rumsas is probably the biggest surprise.

Alas, behind almost every silver lining, there's a dark cloud:
http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/2836.0.html

Arghh.

wow, that's screwed up about Rumsas. do you think they would give the 3rd place spot to the 4th place man?