Rogers a real contender

I'm going to stick my neck out and make a boldprediction on the hopes and fortunes of Australia's own Michael Rogers.

I realise there's four months to go before the start of the 2009 Tour de France, but I've always been one to take a gamble.

This being the case, I'm going to stick my neck out and make a bold prediction on the hopes and fortunes of Australia's own Michael Rogers.

I'm tipping Rogers will be the best placed Aussie on the General Classification - better still I reckon he can possibly go all the way and win the race!

Big call, I hear you say - but is it really?

Given his early season form the man affectionately called "Dodger" cannot be overlooked as a serious Tour contender.

Sure there's still a long way to go before the starter's flag is dropped on the streets of Monaco for the Tour prologue on July 4th, but if Rogers is going to make a statement on the world cycling stage, it has to be this year.

He's overcome the health issues of the past 12 months and is simply content with life after the birth of his twin daughters in September last year.

When Michael was a non-selection at last year's Grand Tours I asked him at the time whether he was contemplating an early retirement as a racer to concentrate on his family life first.

He simply responded in the words and tone of Arnold Schwarzenegger from a famous Hollywood blockbuster, "I'll be back." Too right he is.

He collected gold and silver medals at the Australian Open Road Championships in January and followed that performance with a top 6 overall finish at the Tour Down Under.

All this when his only preparation was on a wind trainer during the cold northern winter months before arriving in Australia in early January.

He had a brilliant Tour of California and to climb the podium at the end of a gruelling eight-day race is confirmation he is improving with every event.

Even more encouraging is his race programme in the lead-up to the Tour de France - it doesn't include an appearance in the Giro in May.

Unlike Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Carlos Sastre and Denis Menchov, to name a few, Rogers has opted to avoid Italy's national race in a bid to be in tip-top form for Le Tour.

He feels he can do without the "training" and risk of injury which comes with such an event.

And with the backing of an impressive Team Columbia-High Road - arguably the world's best combination currently going around at the moment - he may well feel this year may be his best opportunity at conquering the world's most prestigious race.

For years Michael Rogers has shown his value as a talented and tough Grand Tour rider.

I'm hoping the boy from Canberra will finally crack it for a place in the history books come July 26th when the Tour de France reaches the finish line in Paris.