Menchov is among the leading contenders this year but his record in the Tour de France is actually pretty average, with just one top ten finish (2006) in his seven attempts.
He pulled out last year in disillusionment after team-mate and race leader Michael Rasmussen was booted out of the race.
However he showcased his talents just a month later when winning the Tour of Spain, his second victory in the race after he was promoted to first in 2005 following the disqualification of Roberto Heras.
That display in the Vuelta underlined that he should be a factor in the Tour de France as he took the lead after nine stages and never looked back, excelling in the mountain stages in the Pyrenees.
And that sort of winning form is pretty rare in this year's Tour de France - Damiano Cunego's Giro d'Italia victory in 2004 about the only triumph that's in the same league - but the question now is whether Menchov can replicate that display.
The mountains have occasionally found out the Russian in the past and they'll make or break his bid again this year, especially as there are some real brutes such as Alpe d'Huez and the Hautacam.
Menchov is concentrating virtually all his efforts on the Tour this year, missing out the Vuelta on account of the Olympics and he warmed up with an encouraging fifth-placed finish in the Giro d'Italia, just over three-and-a-half minutes behind Alberto Contador.
However he's one of the riders who probably hasn't been done any favours by the route for this year's race which has substantially cut down on the length of the time trials.
And with that in mind he's surely going to struggle to still be in close enough contention by the time the final time trial comes around.
