BBC Sports has published a very good article discussing who the next great cycling star might be. While their best odds go to Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich (5-2 and 7-2, respectively), it was nice to see some of the other names being tipped. In particular, I was glad to see Yaroslav Popovych make the list.
The most interesting bit can be found in the “Did You Know?” section for Popovych. In particular, the author notes that Vino was courted by Discovery – until Popo demonstrated outstanding form in the Alps. I guess everyone was impressed with his attack on the Courchevel.
One thing is for certain, Vinokourov will be in the hunt for a podium spot in Paris. But he won’t be riding for T-Mobile. Today, he announced that he will join Roberto Heras and Liberty Seguros starting in 2006. This should make things very interesting for Liberty Seguros. Vino is a very strong-willed competitor. I wonder if he will be able to accept the current team dynamic or whether he may assert his own leadership. In any event, Liberty Seguros should have an extremely strong team next July.
-CyclingRoo-