Denis Menchov’s victory in the Vuelta a Espana was most appropriate and well-deserved, considering what the Russian cyclist has been through the past two years.

Two years ago, Roberto Heras, riding for Liberty Seguras, won the Vuelta on the roads of Spain after his team isolated Menchov on the final big mountain stage and snatched the leader’s jersey away from Menchov … until Heras  had to give it up after the Vuelta for failing  a doping test. Heras, a former lieutentant of Lance Armstrong on U.S. Postal, had to surrender the Vuelta title, which then went to  the runner-up — Menchov,  who never really embraced the thought of winning the title by default.

Then, this year at the Tour de France, Menchov entered as  the leader of the Rabobank squad, only to have Michael Rasmussen take over the role after taking the yellow jersey  when the stages went uphill. Being a team player, Menchov embraced the role of riding in support of Rasmussen … until Rabobank fired Rasmussen in the last week of the Tour.

In dismissing Rasmussen, the team said he  had lied about his whereabouts while missing out-of-competition doping tests before the Tour, which while not a violation of anti-doping rules was still grounds for suspicion that followed Rasmussen after he got the yellow jersey. (He also had made an arse of himself by flicking his chicken arms at the disapproving crowd in the final Alpine stage, no doubt further embarrassing the team sponsor.)

Disheartened and dispirited by the Rasmussen affair, Menchov withdrew from the Tour de France the day after Rabobank sacked Rasmussen.

Winning the Vuelta may not completely salve the wounds left by this year’s TdF, but it puts  Menchov  in  prime position next year to battle defending champion Alberto Contador and defending podium finishers Cadel Evans and Levi Leipheimer for a podium spot, if not the win, in Paris.

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