Endless talk and punditry centres on the overall contenders: here’s are a few thoughts on some riders who won't win the Tour de France, but might one day light up its roads.

In fact, setting aside 'one day,' beneath the headline acts, a new generation of riders is asserting itself in the international peloton, and they could have a decisive role in this year's Tour de France.

I mentioned several of them in the Contenders piece: Robert Gesink and his mountain lieutenant Bauke Mollema; Roman Kreuziger of Astana; and Sky's brilliant youngsters Edvald Boasson Hagen and Rigoberto Uran, on whom Bradley Wiggins will depend so heavily.

In fact, Team Sky have no less than four rider who qualify for the Best Young Rider category, the others being the all-rounder Geraint Thomas – another crucial buttress for Wiggins' race this year, and the sprinter Ben Swift, who earned his call-up by winning five races this year, including stages at Romandie and Tour de Suisse.

Swift and Thomas go way back – they have been racing together since they were eleven, and the Welshman has said, touchingly, that he will be especially motivated in the sprint lead-outs, given the depth of their friendship.

In fact, young 'uns are involved everywhere. Italy's Adriano Malori (Lampre-ISD), still 23, was lanterne rouge a year ago – last finisher, 170th, just under four and a half hours slower than Contador. But he got round, so valuable experience gained. Malori is no anonymous helper, either: the 2008 World Under-23 time trial champion is the reigning Italian champion against the clock, and will play a key role in Alessandro Petacchi's lead out train.
 
Ivan Basso's Liquigas campaign relies on the talent of three notable 24-year-olds. Powerhouse Daniel Oss will drag him along on the flat (I fancy Oss for a transitional stage win somewhere along the line: his power is truly amazing), while Kristjan Koren, one of a crop of talented Slovenians that includes Grega Bole (Lampre-ISD) and Janiz Braijkovic (RadioShack), and the Pole Maciej Paterski, will help him in the mountains.
 
As far as GC is concerned, here are four tips:
 
Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-HighRoad)

The best of the younger English-speaking riders is undoubtedly Tejay Van Garderen of HTC-HighRoad. Third in last year’s Criterium du Dauphine and second in the Tour of Turkey, Van Garderen completed his first three-week stage race in Spain last year, winning the team time trial, getting sixth in a stage and finishing 34th overall, while helping his team-mate Peter Veilts to the lowest shelf of the podium. He'll be working for his team-mate Tony Martin, but expect great things: a brilliant climber, even better against the clock, he has that greatest of gifts, consistency, and rarely disappoints.
 
Benat Intxausti (Movistar)

So much for the English speakers. If Basque is more your thing, eyes out for 24-year-old Benat Intxausti, who emerged as a formidable rider at the highest level in March and April last year, when he finished 10th overall in the Criterium International, then 3rd overall, Vuelta al Pais Vasco, April 5-10 (which became 2nd after Valverde's backdated suspension), before taking his first professional victory in the Vuelta a Asturias time trial on April 30 last year. After a season with Euskaltel-Euskadi, he left for Movistar to join his team-mate and training partner Xavier Tondo. On 23 May, the morning before a ride, Tondo was killed in a freak accident at home. In this most dangerous of sports, we have seen riders turn grief into the fuel for success before: it would be moving indeed if Benat Intxausti did the same this July. For more, see Benat's delightfully home-spun website at http://www.benatintxausti.com/

Rein Taaramae (Cofidis)

He rode the Tour last year but achieved little. After a brilliant Spring (eighth overall in the initial general classification of Paris - Nice, March 7-14 – which presumably became seventh when Valverde's results were excised, 3rd overall in Volta a Catalunya (22-28 March), 43secs behind Joaquin Rodriguez), he over-trained and came into the Tour tired.
 
This year, the engaging, talented Taaramae (his name's pronounced 'Rain Tara-May,' by the way) has learned from his error and seems to have timed his training well. Best Young Rider & fourth overall in Paris-Nice which ended on 13 March, 1m 10 secs behind the winner, Tony Martin (Ger, HTC-Highroad), then third overall in the Critérium International on 26 & 27 March, 30 secs behind the winner, Franck Schleck, proved that last year's spring results were no fluke. Since then, he's been low key: I'd love to see a good ride from perhaps the best Baltic rider at the Tour.
 
Now, great news for Tour de France fans: even without Thibaut Pinot or Romain Sicard, the former World Under-23 champion, neither of whom ride the Tour this year, French cycling is on the up. And that means bigger crowds, a great atmosphere and, long term, more money for everyone. They won't have a winner this year, but future candidates are emerging, and that's is what the race needs. If the national public has no stake in it, it is hard to see how the race can survive, long term.

Jerome Coppel (Saur Sojasun)
 
One of the sporting models acknowledged by Saur Sojasun’s outstanding 24-year-old leader Jerome Coppel is Britain's Bradley Wiggins. Both men began their careers as outstanding time trial specialists (Coppel was French Under-19 and Under-23 time-trial champion, and twice a bronze medallist in the World U23 time-trial championships), although, like Wiggins, he is blossoming into an excellent stage racer. Fourth on Alpe d'Huez in last year’s Dauphine (where he as fifth overall) was his breakthrough ride. This year, he has been consistent: he was fourth overall in the Ruta del Sol 20-24 February, three secs behind the winner, Markel Irizar (Spa, RadioShack), second overall in the Vuelta a Murcia (4-6 March), just 11 secs outside the time of the winner, Alberto Contador (Spa, Saxo Bank Sungard), and 5th overall in the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon from 13 to 17 April, 47 secs off the time of the winner, Xavier Tondo (Spa, Movistar).
 
This will be the first Tour de France for Coppel and the Saur-Sojasun team, and he will go into the race as a team-leader. It’s a unique opportunity for him to experience the race and the pressure that goes with it, although his role may lead to a conservative ride, rather than fireworks.
 
So much for GC. Stage-wise, expect to see plenty of the other outstanding young Frenchman, 23-year-old Cyril Gautier. The European Under-23 champion in 2008, Gautier is an aggressive climber who loves a breakaway. He and his even younger compatriot Thibaut Pinot – not riding the Tour this year, although he’ll be a star in the future, have no doubt – were brilliant in last year’s Criterium du Dauphine and made the headlines in L'Equipe.
 
No great wins for Gautier his year, although he rode hard to finish 11th in Dwars door Vlaanderen/A travers la Flandre on 23 March, won by Nick Nuyens after Nuyens and Geraint Thomas had attacked the peloton with 20km to go. Days later, he took 11th again on the Col de l’Ospedale in Stage 1 of the Criterium International around Corsica on 26 March, won by Franck Schleck, and then 12th the next day at Porto Vecchio.
 
Maxime Bouet (AG2R-La Mondiale) and Arthur Vichot of FDJ will set out to enthuse the French public this year in the style of Sylvain Chavanel and Thomas Voeckler. And with a couple of fast young finishers in FDJ’s Anthony Roux – an outsider for Stage 1? – and AG2R-La Mondaile’s Blel Kadri, there should be plenty for the home fans to make some noise about.

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