After an utterly dormant Giro d'Italia and some uninspiring Classics riding, Discovery Channel are getting back to what they do like nobody else: throwing waves of GC guys at a one-week stage race. VeloNews' Andy Hood checks in with the Disco Boys, who reveal that Tom Danielson is primed for the overall. Hincapie is in attendance, and unmentioned but surely a GC candidate is Alberto Contador, who has answered the bell at every week-long race he's attended this year.
Not answering the bell, in all likelihood, is defending champ Levi Leipheimer: in his VN interview he confirms that this time around, it's strictly Tour prep.
Doesn't sound like a guy primed to win. Last year he had to prove he was a top threat. He sent his message... but then had a mixed Tour, fell out with Gerolsteiner, and came back home to Discovery. I doubt we will be able to tell much about Levi's chances at the Tour from what we see in the next week.
That makes Danielson the favorite, versus Kashechkin, Leonardo Piepoli, or maybe Cadel Evans, who could use a result. And with Contador the wild card.