You may recall my girlish fascination (to put it mildly) with Ivan Basso (who I still think is un figo), but then he got a 2-year suspension. Then I began to have a fondness for Alessandro Petacchi, whose raw emotions when he’s riding have always been charming to me. (Anyone who cries when he wins Milano-Sanremo is cool in my book.) But now even he’s looking at some suspension time after using a smidge too much of his asthma drug. What is a girl to do these days, with all her favorite Italian riders falling from pedestals left and right?!?

So, I’m on the lookout for a new guy to follow in the peloton. It’d be a big plus if he were also Italian, but I’m losing hope on that front…

I’m a huge fan of both Jens Voigt and Dave Zabriskie, but I don’t get weak in the knees when I think of them… And I’ll admit that it’s easier to get really giddy about a rider when he’s got that special combination of both athletic prowess and cuteness. (What do you want, I’m a girl!) So, help me figure out who can take Ivan’s place for the next 2 years while he serves his suspension. Any suggestions?