The biggest cats in the peloton?

Though already loaded with talent, fans of the developing Luxembourg based professional road squad shouldn't get ahead of themselves in assessing its winning potential, writes Philip Gomes.

While Australian cycling fans are focused on the relatively modest development of our homegrown UCI ProTeam aspirant Pegasus Sports another ambitious entrant is quickly developing into a potential powerhouse without even turning a pedal

The Luxembourg based, Schleck led project (Leopard) continues its long march through the pro peloton, snapping up a number of high-quality riders in advance of their inaugural 2011 season.

It has been fascinating to watch this team develop and early excitement by cycling fans is justified given some of the names linked to the developing team.

And while others endlessly speculate about potential sponsors and possible team name, I'm more interested in what will happen when the rubber hits the road.

The Schlecks, Andy and Frank, Jens Voigt, Daniele Bennati, Brice Feillu, Jakob Fulsang, Anders Lund, Robert Wagner, Fabian Wegmann, Maxime Monfort, Linus Gerdemann and Dominic Klemme are all signed, sealed and delivered, with Australia's own Stuart O'Grady all but confirmed.

I don't know about you but even before completion this collection of riders already looks like a Grand Tour winner to me.

Of course we've been here before, in fact January, with the newly launched Team Sky squad. Proving that a year is a long time in sport and that we all have short memories.

The expectation was that Sky would sweep all before them in 2010 but the reality of actual racing soon saw them battling for wins. And by the time the Tour de France was over a small reassessment was underway.

Not that the team Sky season was unsuccessful. Rational assessment suggests it was.

The team racked up an assortment of stage wins, category classification wins, and general classification wins like the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

A consistent performance that was perhaps not properly reflected in their final UCI team ranking of 15th.

But despite being in the mix at many races they missed bagging a big one. So based on the preseason hype their season could be considered a bit of a let down.

Still, the British based project continues with its stated goal intact after a solid opening season, developing a potential Tour de France winner within five years. Only the next four will tell.

The stakes for the Luxembourg project are much higher though, this looks like a team in a hurry and one that won't consider their 2011 season as a success without winning a Grand Tour - or two, something their newly minted sports director Kim Andersen alluded to in an interview with Danish media.

"There are obviously high expectations for us. I cannot get around that. There must be expectations, but at the moment I'm relaxed about things," Andersen told the Danish site spn.dk

"My philosophy is that of course there is a lot of pressure on us, with more to come, but we must be careful not to let it get to us. If you work 100 percent and coach riders properly, it will come, even if it might not happen in the first week.

"When we talk about the Tour de France, it is clear that we have some riders who will target the overall win," Andersen said. "But I believe that we have a team that is so strong that we could win in many areas throughout the season."

No doubt, but I remember hearing that same sentiment expressed last year about Team Sky. Again, time and actual racing will tell.