(Updated April 24) When six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong announced on Monday that his pro career would end with this year's Tour, many asked: “Who's next?”
That's a good question, considering the leading contender to take Armstrong's position at the top of the Tour de France podium has been Tyler Hamilton. Unfortunately, Hamilton was banned from professional cycling for two years the same day Armstrong announced his pending retirement. VeloNews called it “Black Monday.”
For purely selfish reasons, I want the US to field a whole host of Tour de France stars. Why? Without a contender, I doubt we'd be able to find a network that would care to televise more than a one-hour segment on the Tour de France, or any other race.
Let's list some of the top candidates:
Bobby Julich: He has won two major Euro races this spring for his CSC team — Paris-Nice and Criterium International. He has finished on the Tour de France podium before (3rd in 1998), but at 33, might be quickly nearing the end of his career.
Floyd Landis: A former Armstrong teammate on US Postal, Landis, 29, was part of the blue train that would help power Armstrong over the mountains in Tour. He's never won a stage in a major race before, and … Wow, this just in… Landis won the Tour de Georgia's time trial on Thursday in a field that included his former boss.
Levi Leipheimer: Riding for Gerolsteiner, the 31-year-old has finished in the top 10 in two of the three Tours that he's raced in. He's looking for another good finish this summer.
Tom Danielson: In light of the results of Tour de Georgia, perhaps we should add this 27-year-old from the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling team. Picked up from Fasso Bortolo for his abilities as a climbing specialist, the Durango, Colorado, resident climbed to the top of the podium in the Georgia race, besting the likes of Armstrong, Landis, Leipheimer and Julich.
Tyler Hamilton: I know he's been suspended, but maybe he'll beat the rap on appeal.
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