I ride Continental 4000s. Michelin Pros have never had a good wear rate for me, as I find I'm changing them every 2K or so. I don't think they have as much stick as the Continentals, either.
But that doesn't answer the OP's question. The trick, I've found, with changing tubes comes to strong thumbs and a lot of patience to regain your strength toward the end. One lever helps a lot.
1) blow a bit of air into the tube before mounting tire.
2) mount one bead (or side) at a time.
3) think about buying a set of tubulars.
