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Michael Rogers fourth place in the Tour of Romandie further cements his return to form, after a challenging period in which he has struggled for health and fitness.
With much focus on the emerging talents within the GreenEdge team, it is easy to forget Rogers, who is a three-time world champion in the time trial discipline and top ten finisher in the Tour de France.
In the 2007 edition of the Tour de France, Rogers held the overall race lead with 50km to run on the eighth stage, however crashed heavily on a descent. Despite forging ahead with a broken shoulder, he was forced to withdraw from the race before the stage finish.
This appeared to be a crucial moment in the career of Rogers. At the time, Rogers was one of the leading riders in Australian cycling. Rogers had shown form in the grand tours, finishing ninth in the general classification at the 2006 tour.
In a 2010 interview with Velonation, Rogers spoke of his battles with health, motivation and fitness: “Perhaps after that I lost a little ambition. Then I lost a lot of time in the last few years, I was ill; I’ve had injuries, personal problems.
“I’ve put that all behind me and rediscovered my ambition; I’m looking to the future now and it’s exciting for me.”
Rogers responded to these difficulties with a strong 2010 season, where he enjoyed success in the Vuelta a Andalucia and Tour of California.
However, the glandular fever that had hounded Rogers returned in 2011, to keep him out of the 2011 Tour de France.
Returning to Australia, Rogers claimed a third place in the National Time Trial Championships, only marginally behind young guns Luke Durbridge and Cameron Meyer.
Rogers followed this performance with a largely unheralded fourth place in the Tour Down Under general classification, including a strong ride on the fifth stage, which culminated in a finish on the challenging Willunga Hill.
Rogers has had success a the Tour of Romandie previously, however his fourth placing after the first stage of the 2012 race appears to reinforce his strong form.
Rogers is a talented rider and seasoned campaigner who has been cycling professionally for well over a decade.
At the age of 32, 2012 could be a year that sees Rogers once again play a significant role in a major race such as the Tour de France.
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