GEORGE HINCAPIE
Team: Discovery
Age: 34
Height, weight: 6-3, 175 pounds

Pro since: 1994
Strengths: Time trials, rolling terrain
He'll win if: He wins the time trial and Discovery contains the breakaway attempts. The rolling hills and shorter time trial favor a powerful, bigger rider, such as Hincapie. His second-place finish last week at the U.S. pro road race championship hints that he's on form. If he can stay focused for the week, he'll have a great chance.
Recent achievements: Second place, 2007 USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship; first place, 2006 USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship; first place, Stage 15, 2005 Tour de France.
Fun fact: Hincapie will ride next year for T-Mobile, a team based in Germany that is led by American Bob Stapleton.

LEVI LEIPHEIMER
Team: Discovery
Age: 33
Height, weight: 5-7, 140 pounds
Pro since: 1997
Strengths: Climbing, time trials
He'll win if: He wins the time trial (stage 3) and Discovery chases down long breakaways. Leipheimer is on a roll, beating the field in the U.S. pro road race championship by more than a minute on a solo breakaway. If he can bring the form and momentum to Missouri, he could be the winner.
Recent achievements: First place, 2007 USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship; third place, 2007 Tour de France; first place, 2007 Tour of California.
Fun fact: Leipheimer and his wife, Odessa Gunn, have formed a foundation called Freedom Hill to benefit animal-rescue groups and shelters.

ALBERTO CONTADOR
Team: Discovery
Age: 24
Height, weight: 5-9, 137 pounds
Pro since: 2003
Strengths: Climbing
He'll win if: Missouri sprouts several mountains with altitudes in five figures. Rolling hills and shorter time trials favor a bigger, more powerful rider than Contador. His slight frame is much easier to haul up a long, steep climb. Too bad Missouri has none of those.
Recent achievements: First place, 2007 Tour de France; first place, 2007 Paris-Nice.
Fun fact: Contador's career was on hold in 2004 after he suffered a brain aneurism that required immediate surgery.

NATHAN O'NEILL
Age: 32
Team: HealthNet-Maxxis
Height, weight: 5-10, 160 pounds
Pro since: 2001
Strengths: Time trials, stage races
He'll win if: He wins the time trial in Branson and/or can get in a breakaway.
Recent achievements: First place, 2004-2007 Australian time trial championships; gold medalist, 2006 Commonwealth Games time trial.
Fun fact: O'Neill got his first bike for his 13th birthday so he could ride to school.

DANNY PATE
Age: 28
Team: Slipstream-Chipotle
Height, weight: 6-0, 155 pounds
Pro since: 2000
Strengths: Climbing, time trials, track
He'll win if: He shows the verve he displayed earlier this month, finishing second in the U.S. pro time trial Championship and fifth in the U.S. pro road race.
Recent achievements: Second place, 2007 USA Cycling Professional Time Trial Championship; fifth place, 2007 USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship.
Fun fact: In his spare time, Pate likes to work on vintage cars.

RUBENS BERTOGLIATI
Age: 28
Team: Saunier Duval-Prodir
Height, weight: 5-10, 162 pounds
Pro since: 2000
Strengths: Time trials, rolling hills
He'll win if: He puts in a good time trial and Saunier Duval brings a team strong enough to contain breakaways.
Recent achievements: Fourth place, 2007 Tour de Georgia.
Fun fact: Bertogliati wore the yellow jersey for two stages of the 2002 Tour de France.