Once again, thanks so much for all the great comments My preperations for 2013 are in full play (the schedules are basically finished) and it shouldn't take long. To bridge the break, I'll obey johannes-w's wish. Here's the new team outfit, presented in Dom's last 2012 blog entry:

FreitasPCM wrote:
Really like the jersey for 2013. And I hope Dominik can continue his great results.

I'm glad that you all like the jerseys, as do I

I'm still working on the previews for 2013. Quick question: I think I'll firstly do the other teams and then UniCredit and Dominik. Or do you think it'd be better the other way around? Or maybe first UniCredit, then the others and then Dominik, like I did at the start of last season?

4th	Paris - Nice	Stijn Devolder
4th	Ronde van Vlaanderen	Stijn Devolder
5th	Paris - Roubaix	Stijn Devolder
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Total Wins:	19
Pro Tour:	17.
CQ Ranking:	16.

Conclusion: Skil's one and only goal was to stay in the World Tour which they achieved, so the season can be considered somewhat successful. The big man in the teamw as Stijn Devolder. The Belgian had an amazing spring. The rest of the team has room for improvement, although the sprinters performed well and 19 wins are pretty good.




Conclusion: Argos tackled their main weakness, the climbing squad: With Sprick, Kern and especially Mollema, they signed some very decent riders for the mountains. Langeveld and Martens should be strong additions to Devolder for the classics and compensate Kroon and Zaugg well. A very good transfer period for Argos.





Conclusion: Argos has a decent squad on all terrains. Veelers, Van Hummel and Kittel should bring in some sprint wins, Langeveld and Devolder are a force to be reckoned with in the classics, and firstly, they have decent climbers as well - if they use their chances well, the team should be save for another year in the World Tour.

Stage Win	Tour de France	Cadel Evans
Stage Win	Tour de France	Taylor Phinney
1st	GP de Montreal	Mauro Santambrogio
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Total Wins:	7
Pro Tour:	15.
CQ Ranking:	19.

Conclusion: Only Mauro Santambrogio's strong autumn results saved BMC from relegation to Continental Tour. The rest of the team disappointed, despite two stage wins in the Tour. Evans didn't win anything important (except that stage), Quinziato, Ballan and Hincapie were nowhere in the spring classics. And Manuel Cardoso could contribute not more than one to the only seven season wins.




Conclusion: BMC reacted to the bad season and signed two top stage racers in Ivan Basso and Levi Leipheimer. Both had a mediocre season but Basso showed two years ago what he can do: In the Liquigas jersey, he came in third in the Tour de France. Cadel Evans would be a major loss if he hadn't performed that bad. In general, I'd say the team got a bit stronger.





Conclusion: Ivan Basso and Levi Leipheimer could do well in the stage races, Matthias Frank is a decent climber as well. For the classics, the team is rather strong in terms of depth but lacks of a real top star. BMC has one of the weaker teams and might again have to fight against relegation.

Stage Win	Tour de France	Samuel Dumoulin
Young Riders	Tour de France	Rein Taaramäe
7th	Tour de France	Rein Taaramäe
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Total Wins:	29
Pro Tour:	22.
CQ Ranking:	10.

Conclusion: Cofidis had a dream season. They dominated the continental rankings and only two teams scored more wins. Consequentally, they got promoted. Especially the Tour de France, their home race, was fantastic. Rein Taaramäe finally had his breakthrough and Samuel Dumoulin scored the important stage win.




Conclusion: Cofidis reacted to promotion and signed some very strong riders. For the classics, Björn Leukemans and Greg Van Avermaet will be a strong duo lead. Ardila will support the climbing squad around Moncoutié and Taaramäe. And with Kevyn Ista, only one of the better supporters left.





Conclusion: For a new World Tour team, Cofidis is pretty strong. I expect some good results especially from Rein Taaramäe and Björn Leukemans. And those results will be needed, since the remaining in World Tour can't be taken for granted.

1st	Vuelta al Pais Vasco	Samuel Sanchez
1st	Clasica San Sebastian	Samuel Sanchez
3rd	Tour de France	Samuel Sanchez
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Total Wins:	22
Pro Tour:	10.
CQ Ranking:	9.

Conclusion: We couldn't have expected more from that team. Although it was once again a one-man-show by Samuel Sanchez, at least in the big races, but Euskaltel managed to achieve all main goals: They won the home races in the Basque Country and two podium spots in the Grand Tours. 22 wins are also very respectable and they were never close to relegation.




Conclusion: Benat Intxausti is an enormous strengthening for the team and Aitor Galdos is a good addition to the weak sprinting fraction. The leaving riders can be compensated by many upcoming talents and established climbers.





Conclusion: Sammy Sanchez is still the major rider in this squad but he is supported by several teammates who will also be able to shine. If Sanchez can repeat his performances from 2012 and if Mikael Nieve finally breaks through, Euskaltel once again shouldn't have to worry about relegation.

Conclusion: In José Rujano and Fabio Duarte, two of the world's strongest climbers unite in this great squad. Supported by Tiago Machado, Robert Kiserlovski and others, they make up one of the best squads for the mountains. But that is also the biggest weakness: The squad is very one-dimensional. They lack of a real top rider in sprinting, cobbling or time trialing. Yet, they should make a big impression and quickly find their place in the World Tour.

1st	Tour Down Under	Franco Pellizotti
3rd	Liège-Bastogne-Liège	Joaquim Rodriguez
3rd	Vuelta a Espana	Joaquim Rodriguez
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Total Wins:	17
Pro Tour:	5.
CQ Ranking:	4.

Conclusion: I'm not sure what to say about Katusha's season. On the one hand, they were one of the most consistent teams and had good results in most of the important races. But only good, not great results. The very big wins were missing. The 5th place in the World Tour ranking just cannot be the aspiration for such a squad.




Conclusion: Ivan Basso disappointed with nothing but an 8th place at the Giro. So Katusha decided to replace him with Denis Menchov who did nothing but an 8th place at the Tour de Suisse. Well... Cobo (6th Vuelta) and returnee Kolobnev (3rd MSR) should be good additions while the other leaving riders won't hurt too much.





Conclusion: Once again, Katusha provides one of the strongest and most complete teams. Especially in the classics, they should be prevalent. If nothing else happens, they will again fight for the top places in all rankings.

2nd	Giro d'Italia	Michele Scarponi
2nd	Volta Ciclista a Catalunya	Grega Bole
Stage Win	Vuelta a Espana	Vitaliy Buts
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Total Wins:	12
Pro Tour:	13.
CQ Ranking:	13.

Conclusion: A very bad season for Lampre is only saved by Michele Scarponi's second spot in the Giro, behind an overwhelming Vincenzo Nibali. Apart from that, there wasn't much. The placements in the rankings reflect that.




Conclusion: Andre Greipel is a major signing and, along with Andrea Guardini, will strengthen the sprinting squad of Lampre. They easily make up for Bennati's leaving. Marko Kump is one of the biggest cobbled talents and compensates Grega Bole. All in all, the team got stronger over the winter.





Conclusion: Michele Scarponi is a top knotch stage racer and with Kump and Greipel, they have strong riders for the sprints and the cobbled classics. But the team really lacks of strength in terms of depth which is why I suppose we will again see them in the mid-table of the rankings.

1st	Ronde van Vlaanderen	Fabian Cancellara
2nd	Paris - Roubaix	Fabian Cancellara
1st	Tour de Pologne	Igor Anton
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Total Wins:	24
Pro Tour:	2.
CQ Ranking:	2.

Conclusion: After a really bad first season, the second year of existence was better for Leopard. Fabian Cancellara finally achieved that very big win in Vlaanderen and along with Sylvain Chavanel, they were prevalent in the cobbled classics. Andy Schleck also had a good week in the Ardennes. Then again, the Grand Tours weren't as good. Though a fifth and a sixth place in France and a fifth place in Spain are respectable, it didn't totally match their expectations. Also, Frank Schleck was nowhere to be seen during the whole year.




Conclusion: Sylvain Chavanel and Igor Anton were responsible for a major part of the team's success. Now they leave to become absolute leaders in other teams. Vansummeren and Hermanns are only small replacements and won't be able to bring in as good results as the former.





Conclusion: Although the team got weaker, Leopard still has one of the better squads. If the Schleck brothers finally outperform and Cancellara repeats his performances, they will be among the top teams of 2013 again, although it'll be hard to keep the positions in the rankings.