This would explain a lot

Reigning World TT Champ (by about a minute and a half over 2nd place), from 2009; then only manages a 16th place at ATOC (1:45 behind). Hum?

He has certainly peaked and bottomed out during his career. With expectations high that he might do a double at the Worlds last year he said in a cyclingnews.com interview "People expect a lot out of me, everything, and not only at the Worlds. I try not to overwhelm myself because I am not a machine."

In a March 2007 interview with PEZ he said, "I’m normal like everybody, not a machine; I have a lot of emotion, so I needed time to take it all in and to start new,..."

Bernhard Eisel was in the lead foursome at this years Tour of Flanders heading onto the crucial Molenberg but they were caught and then blown away by Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) and Tom Boonen (Quick Step). “I thought, I’d better let this motorbike come by but when I turned around and looked it was Cancellara,” Eisel said. Did he say motorbike?

So let it be kown that by his own admission Fabian is only human, though it is his machine that is suspect (as nicely summarized here). And perhaps similar to "The Push to Pass Button" on Indy cars, this may also a limited boost for those timely accelerations, attacks, or uphill assists to keep you in the game or provide a strong surge against your closest rivals.

What price victory & fame?