As announced I was writing on a PCT preview for the 2013 Man Game season. I used the same system for all teams. In case you are surprised by some of the marks: These are very subjective and might not work 100% when comparing between all teams as the difference is often very small and so the same rating must not necessarily mean they are exactly the same strength there. In especially the overall rating is not 100% equal to their promotion chances. It`s more the impression of their balance and depth, which means an "average" of their individual strength. In general these will be very close as most teams have a similar average but there will also be a ranking preview in my 7th post. So stay tuned until then.
airBaltic - Endura is the former Cyclevox team, which finished in 19th last season. They were able to keep their 3 best point scorers in Vaitkus, Mandri and Konovalovas, which is important to build a team around a solid core.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Sandy Casar
Mark Cavendish
Ricardo Van der Velde
Matt Rowe
As you can see on the notable transfers they lost some strength in the mountains but got two above average sprinters for the PCT with two of the best British sprinters.
Leaders
Mark Cavendish
Tomas Vaitkus
Ignatas Konovalovas
Climbers: Trent Lowe is their top stage racer and will be supported by Richardson and Rajala. But none of them is capable to challenge the big climbers in PCT. (2/5) Puncheurs: Konovalovas is their top rider here. He doesn`t belong to the strongest but with his good time trial skills he could deliver some more than decent results. Mandri proved last season what a fighter he can be and should score some important points. (2/5) Timetrialists: There is not much behind Konovalovas here. And he is unlikely to get many top 10 results here as well. (1/5) Cobbler: None of them is a realy cobbler. Vaitkus might still be their best chance and he will only survive the cobbles if the pace is very slow and there are only short sections. (1/5) Sprinters: Surely their stongest part. Cavendish and Rowe are more than solid and should deliver a few wins and top results. Also Vaitkus and Docker are pretty good and might steal a win or two in a sprint finish and in especially in harder races. (4/5) Talents: They don`t really have to be afraid of their future riders as they have lots of high quality talents mainly from the baltic area. In 2-3 years they can play a far better role on this level. Most interesting here maybe Andris Smirnovs and Andris Vosekalns, who might be the next stars from Latvia. Watch out: Renè Mandri is a rider, who can always surprise. He could be their constant point scorer. Overall: It will be hard for them this year as they are not very balanced. They need another strong year from Vaitkus so that he can take the pressure from Cavendish and Rowe a bit. (2/5)
Amex Pro Cycling is one of 10 teams that got a PCT license after being in D2 last season. Last season they impressed by being 2nd in their division as also having the individual winner in Anthony Colby in their squad.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Anthony Colby
Bernhard Eisel
Carlos Alberto Ospina
Danilo Kupfernagel
Adonis Cardoso Espanola
Matti Breschel
Tyler Farrar
All their best point scorers had to leave the team. Last year`s individual D2 winner Colby will even be a free agent this season.
Leaders
Bernhard Eisel
Danilo Kupfernagel
Matti Breschel
Climbers: Different to last season their focus is no longer on the mountains. Barredo is still their best but might concentrate on the hilly races mainly. (1/5) Puncheurs: With Barredo and last years Fleche Wallone winner Sylvain Chavanel they have some big names in their squad. But none of them is really able to deliver top results and might disappoint the high expectations in them. (2/5) Timetrialists: Patrick Gretsch is a decent time trialist but lacks in most backup stats. Same counts for Sebright. So maximum a few good result but not the best riders GC-wise. (1/5) Cobbler: The team found their new focus in the cobbles. Eisel, Taillefour and Breschel form a pretty good cobbler trio. Their biggest advantage is that they have also strong finishers in Eisel and Breschel. (4/5) Sprinters: Kupfernagel is a quality sprinter and might win a few stages on easier stages as his climbing is below average. With Farrar and Keough they also got some of the top American sprinters, who can get some top results. And don`t forget Eisel and Breschel, who can always deliver. (4/5) Talents: They don`t have the best talents. Robert Bush can improve into a very nice rider. Also Egger and Dieteren might become more than solid. Watch out: Michael Kurth is a great rider to have. He can pretty much everything and is a great support in cobbled and flat races. Overall: Similar situation as airBaltic but they have the advantage of having some quality cobblers next to their sprinters. Season planning will be key for them, then they shouldn`t have problems at all with relegation and might even become one of the surprising teams 2013.(2,5/5)
PFG-Armavia was the weakest teams in last year`s D2 even though they had a big point scorer in Burlutsky.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Ivano Lo Cicero
Sven Nooytens
They kept Burlutsky but actually he will only be one of their weaker riders in PCT and can`t present more than a very few better signings.
Leaders
Ivano Lo Cicero
Sven Nooytens
Climbers: They have a good row of mid level climbers but none of them will score a lot. Girdlestone and Banihammad might still be their best. (1/5) Puncheurs: Their strength in the hills is even weaker. Wang and Pranata won`t stand a chance against most other teams and even a top15 would already be a success. (1/5) Timetrialists: Racault, Braico and Liu are their best against the clock. But this won`t be enough for a top10 result in C1 races. (1/5) Cobbler: Nooytens is the top cobbler and might get some points and maybe even some top10 results this season. He could be their best point scorer but he won`t have much support at the end of the race, so beating the better riders seems impossible. (2/5) Sprinters: Lo Cicero looks like a solid signing on the first view. But looking closer he won`t be that much of a help as he struggles on most climbs and won`t have the energy at the end of the races to beat other sprinters. Still I expect him to get some top10`s and maybe a very few podiums. But he needs to do everything alone as he won`t have much support. (2/5) Talents: You would expect a lot of talents when seeing the weakness of their leaders. But you are wrong here. Most of their riders are at their maximum although their age is pretty low. Grmay and Shapira will become solid climbers, but no winning riders. Watch out: Pranata and Sai-Udomsin might be their surprising scorers. Both will try to be in the breakaway very often and might even be one of the stronger riders then. Overall: Maybe the weakest team in this years Pro Continental Division. It will be very hard to avoid relegation.(1,5/5)
Team Bintang is the former Emu-Export team, which finished 12th last season. They were mainly a climber team and might continue this way.
Important riders out
Important riders in
John-Lee Augustyn
Jose Alarcon
Daniel Navarro
Sergio Ghisalberti
Losing two climbers, getting two including last years CT dominator Jose Alarcon isn`t a bad change.
Leaders
Jose Alarcon
Magno Nazaret
Mikhayil Krasnoperov
Climbers: Maybe the best climbing team in this division. Jose Alarcon was dominating last season and might again this season. Also Nazaret and Krasnoperov can be expected to climb for top results in the mountains. The lack of time trialing strength might be compensated by the massive support in the mountains. (5/5) Puncheurs: Ghisalberti and Zeits might be their hopes here. They don`t belong to the very best and might not score a lot but are solid riders. (2/5) Timetrialists: The team doesn`t have top time trialists which will hurt them in races with team time trials a lot. (1/5) Cobbler: The focus on the mountains makes them one of the weakest teams in this area. They probably avoid these races completely. (1/5) Sprinters: De Fauw is their only rider being worth mentioned here. Still he is one of the weaker sprinters in the PCT and won't score a lot and won`t have any support.. (1/5) Talents: Their young riders are no future winners. Spending all the money in Alarcon didn`t allow them to spend anything into future talents. Watch out: They don`t really have a watch out rider. But maybe I can mention Saul Raisin and Zeits here, who might get some unexpected results on a good day. Overall: They go all in with 3 top climbers and a huge support for these. They have a chance of promotion when all of them prove to be elite scorers. But the competition is harder this year and a more balanced team might be needed. It might work with another great season by Alarcon, but it can also totally fail with another stuck in the middle season. (2,5/5)
Bouygues Telecom is one of only 2 teams coming down from the Pro Tour and surely don`t want to stay longer than necessary in the PCT.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Fabian Cancellara
Tony Martin
Steven Caethoven
Cancellara was the victim of the reduced budget. The quality obviously became lower but as all former PT teams they still have a lot of it.
Leaders
Rein Taaramäe
Jaime Suaza
Jurgen Roelandts (Theo Bos)
Climbers: With Taaramäe they have a possible GT podium rider. Definitely one of the strongest stage racers in this division. Also Suaza is a solid climber who lacks some quality in the shorter climbs so does Solis. (4,5/5) Puncheurs: Levarlet and Cherel are their riders for the hilly races. In especially first developed into a very useful rider and might get some good results. (3/5) Timetrialists: The new Tony Martin is a beast on his TT bike. Surely he will deliver some very good results. Also Mottin and Taaramae are excellent in this discipline and will form a good trio in TTT`s. (4/5) Cobbler: Even after losing Cancellara they have some strengths here with Jacobs and Lhotellerie, who need to step up now. (3/5) Sprinters: Jurgen Roelandts belongs to the top sprinters in cycling. He combines a very fast end speed with the ability to come over hills better than others. Surely will get a few wins this season. Weylandt will be his biggest support while Theo Bos can be discusseda bit controverse. The team can only hope not to work for him. (4/5) Talents: Warren Barguil is one of the biggest talents. It will be interesting to follow his developing. Also Georgia`s Bablidze should become a good rider in future. Watch out: Cherel and El Fares could deliver some results with late attacks or out of a breakaway. Overall: Taaramae is the best reason to be a promotion candidate. Together with Roelandts they have a very strong point scoring duo with some backup from other riders.(3,5/5)Edited by roturn on 18-01-2013 11:24
Team Bpostfinished 17th in last years debut season. Their focus was mainly the cobbled classics with a huge focus on Belgium riders.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Nikolas Maes
Dominique Cornu
Michiel Elijzen
Romain Feillu
Jelle Vanendert
Mathieu Drujon
Losing a top cobbler but getting huge support in time trials and sprints and still being one of the best cobble teams in the PCT seems like a good transfer season.
Leaders
Dominique Cornu
Pieter Vanspeybrouck
Cyril Gautier
Climbers: It`s the teams weakest area. De Greef won`t have much support and reaching the top10 would be a huge success in any mountain race. (1/5) Puncheurs: Vanendert is gone but Gautier got some nice training and belongs to the better puncheurs in this division. So we can expect some top10`s in hard races by him. Not sure if he can win a classic, but maybe in a stage in a stage race (3/5) Timetrialists: Cornu will be one of the elite time trialists in the PCT. He is also capable to survive some hills to get solid GC results. Other than him there is not much support for TT`s. Only Vandousselaere seems solid enough to help. (3/5) Cobbler: Vanspeybrouck has everything to win the big classics this year. There won`t be many riders as good as him and he is one of the big favourites. Also Albert can be expected to top5 in these races. In Vansummeren and Broers they have 2 solid helpers. Only Maes leaving is hurting them a tiny bit.(4,5/5) Sprinters: Feillu and Drujon are excellent additions. Both will be able to deliver some top results and who knows, maybe even a few wins. They survive the easier hills easily and should be fresh at most finishes. (3/5) Talents: Boeckmans will be a hell of a sprinter in a few seasons. He can already help as leadout this year. Same counts for Stallaert actually. Watch out: Vansummeren is not only a solid helper on most terrains. He can also go for his own chances as proven last year. Always a dangerous rider for late attacks or breakaways. Overall: The lack of climbers, top class sprinters or the missing option next to Gautier in the hills might cost them promotion. But they will be close to it I guess. Cornu, Vanspeybrouck, Albert and the sprinters can all score a lot of points.(3,5/5)
Cisco Cycling Teamis the former Ferrari squad and finished 21st last season. They are more focussed on Kazakhs and Asian races in general in 2013.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Przemyslaw Niemiec
Aleksandr Efimkin
Tiziano Dall'Antonia
Aleksandr Dyachenko
Emanuele Rizza
With decreasing Caruso still on the team and no remaining sprinters they actually look weaker than last season no matter the arrival of Efimkin, who might help but for a far too high price imo.
Leaders
Aleksandr Efimkin
Gianpaolo Caruso
Aleksandr Dyachenko
Climbers: Caruso started to lose his power and will struggle in the tough competition this season. Dyachenko and Osella will be his support and might go for own chances as well. (3,5/5) Puncheurs: Efimkin will be one of the best puncheurs in PCT but he is already 32. Behind him Taborre and Salerno need to step up and deliver as well.(4/5) Timetrialists: Gruzdev and Clesen are their only mentionable riders here. Not the best and too less support. (2,5/5) Cobbler: Absolutely no focus on cobbled races. They shouldn`t participate in any of these. (1/5) Sprinters: From 3 mid level sprinters they went to 0. Only loanie Vesely will present their jersey in the sprints. (and hopefully doing well, as I liked him, when he rode for me last season) (1/5) Talents: Their best talents are only on loan. Only Sterbini is supposed to be an elite time trialists in the future. Watch out: Taborre and Salerno can always surprise in hilly races and I expect a lot of them this season. Overall: It`s not the most balanced team with focus only on climbs and hills and even there not within the strongest depth. Efimkin should save the team from relegation but they will have yet another average season only. Also the big amount of loanies might hurt the season planning. (2,5/5)
Team CSC-Orbea finished 22nd in 2013 with a main focus on climbers, which didn`t change at all.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Mauricio Soler
David Abal
Roman Maksimov
Koldo Gil
Climbing domestiques
Sergio Barrio
They called for Abal far before the transfer season and they got him for a fair price. Therefore they lost almost all domestiques within the transfers but became more Spanish therefore.
Leaders
David Abal
Igor Anton
Rui Costa
Climbers: Abal is one of the better stage racers and forms a great duo with Anton. Both should deliver some points in the hardest mountain races although the competition is pretty tough. Still only 3,5P as there is not backup except for Gil.(3,5/5) Puncheurs: Rui Costa was one of the biggest surprise rider last season. And he should have another solid season in 2013. He should be a good scorer and will have decent support in Gil and Barrio, who is actually a nice addition on a good contract.(2,5/5) Timetrialists: Abal, Costa and Kaisen are their main time trialists. And except for Kaisen they should focus on combination races. So not the best chances for pure flat races with a time trial. (2,5/5) Cobbler: Like many Spanish teams they don`t care about the cobbles. But just like Flecha there is always a Spaniard feeling well on cobbles. Altur will be one of the best in a few years. (1/5) Sprinters: Eloy Teruel is the last sprinter left in the team and he will already have to fight for a top10 in many races. (1/5) Talents: The mentioned Altur, Fraille and Domene are some of the best Spanish talents out there. Add Ruiz to this list and they have solid riders for the future. Watch out: Barrio is an interesting rider. Solid puncheur with less backup stats. But who knows how he will perform? Overall: Obviously the team is in some kind of rebuilding to become more Spanish in general. But this way the lost almost all domestiques and have absolutely no depth now behind their leaders. Also the lack of sprinters and cobblers might hurt them. If Abal and Anton are unlucky or crash, this might end horrible for them. (2,5/5)
Evian - MIAT is coming up from the D2 and is a mix of lots of Nations in 2013.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Danilo Napolitano
Jose Serpa
Blaise Sonnery
They went all in for Napolitano in the transfers and even added Serpa as solid climber.
Leaders
Jose Serpa
Danilo Napolitano
Climbers: Serpa is still a great climber no matter his age. But he was surely overpaid seeing that he is losing energy year for year now. Landa and Sarmiento are his only support, not that much. (3/5) Puncheurs: Puusepp and Rocchetti are their own puncheurs and also the support is not ideal. They won`t be seen often in the final of the hilly stages. (2/5) Timetrialists: One of the weakest time trial team. There is absolutely no support for Serpa in any TTT mountain race. (1/5) Cobbler: No focus on the cobbles for Evian in 2013. (1/5) Sprinters: Napolitano is 32 and will start to decrease after this season still on a high contract then. But for 2013 he might be the next dominator with Bennati in the PT. But different to Puma last year he won`t have 1-2 elite leadout and Manarelli, Sonnery, Averin, Guardini must be enough. Sonnery can also climb pretty well and might surprise. (4/5) Talents: The biggest talents are on loan mainly from Festina, which might hurt the team. But with Petit they have an elite sprinter in 2 seasons. And also Guardini will be winning stages then. With Bardet and Diaz they have more talents for the future. Watch out: Blaise Sonnery is a combination of sprinter and uphill rider. Maybe he can surprise and grab a stage win or two. Overall: Napolitano and Serpa are the only real point scorers and although they should do pretty well they are already on their maximum and are no future material. And except for these two there is not much in especially outside the sprinter area. Also the many loans might hurt them as they won`t be able to train all of their own talents to the max I guess. (2,5/5)
Hollister Pro Cycling was actually pretty close to promotion as 10th last season.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Yasmani Martinez
Vitor Rodriguez
Sylwester Szmyd
Ion Izagirre
Carlos Betancurt
The losses can be compensated and with Izagirre and Betancurt they get more depth in the hills.
Leaders
Allan Davis
Robert Kiserlovski
Aleksandr Serebriakov
Climbers: Kiserlovski got stronger than last year and should do well even with the good competition in PCT. Szmyd and Martinez are replaced by Rodriguez and improved talent Monsalve. Also Ochoa Quintero will be a great helper in the mountains. Expect them to be one of thsoe teams setting a train in the mountains for Kiserlovski. (4/5) Puncheurs: Betancurt and Izagirre are solid puncheurs and have even room to improve. Also Proni must be mentioned in this area. And just like in the mountains the good depth will help them to score a lot of points. (3/5) Timetrialists: Dempster is their power horse in TTT`s and might even get the chance to go for his own in some races. Also Izagirre is a decent time trialist. But they won`t win a TTT as the depth is not as good here. (2,5/5) Cobbler: No focus on the cobbles for Hollister in 2013. (1/5) Sprinters: Davis is one of the best sprinters in this division and should win a few stages. Also Serebriakov is capable of doing so. With Brea and Aguilar they have solid support. (4/5) Talents:Monsalve, Betancurt, Izagirre and also Pantano Gomez must be named as all of them will become great riders already in 1-2 seasons as they collected experience. With Chamorro and Beltran they also have guys for the long time. So they should become even stronger in future. Watch out: Alessandro Proni will surprise this season. He will always try to attack and when he has a gap it`s hard to bring him back. Also Wilson Marentes will play a good role. Overall: Incredible depth in the mountain and hilly area. This will help them a lot even though they don`t have the very best. Just like RedBull last year, they will always have more than one point scorer. In the sprints they will do very well. Depending on their race planning they could make promotion this season. (3/5)Edited by roturn on 18-01-2013 13:21
ING Cycling-Project is the former Pirelli team, coming in 12th last season.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Jurgen Van den Broeck
Jose Angel Gomez Marchante
David Zabriskie
Dennis Van Winden
Ismael Kip
Van Den Broeck is a huge loss. But the riders in definitely give them lots of quality.
Leaders
Jose Angel Gomez Marchante
David Zabriskie
Nicholas Roche
Climbers: Gomez Marchante replaces Van Den Broeck. This is a bit weaker than last season but still pretty strong. Together with Castano it`s a great duo. Saldarriaga, Montana and Van Huffel will be their main support and in some occassions Roche will do well in the high mountains as well. (4/5) Puncheurs: Roche is an elite puncheur this season. He should score a lot of points. Main problem here is the bad depth as he won`t have much support. (3,5/5) Timetrialists: Zabriskie and Van Winden belong to the very best. First one can even deliver good GC results due to his good backup stats. But these two will be the only real help when it comes to TTT`s. (4/5) Cobbler: No focus on the cobbles for ING in 2013. (1/5) Sprinters: Bazayeev showed his worth last season and should be a solid sprinter. Kip is a nice addition for 70k even if he won`t score very much in harder races. Thire and Di Nucci will take an important role in the sprint train.(3/5) Talents: Fabio Aru is more or less their only talent. On their way to promotion they go all-in and don`t really spend money on developing. He at least should become a very solid rider. Watch out: Loanie Edward King might get some freedom in breakways and could shine there. Same counts for Ianetti. Overall: They really want to promote I guess. With this team this is definitely possible and with a bit of luck the training into Roche pays off. (3/5)
Jaguar - Eritel is the former Rapha Condor team, coming in 2nd last season with top 10 point scorers Bellis and Froome. In 2013 they will become more Eritrean on the African side but keep their British taste.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Jonathan Bellis
Ian Bibby
Adam Blythe
Sam Bennett
Peter Kennaugh
Zakayo Ndbri
Last years top 3 Jonathan Bellis might be their biggest loss. With Blythe and Kennaugh they lose some depth. But with coming back Bibby and Bennett they have improved players.
Leaders
Ian Bibby
Chris Froome
Alex Dowsett
Climbers: It`s the Ian Bibby one man show. The Brit is a solid stage racer but probably not as good as the elite in the PCT. Still he will take a few points more than Ndbri last season.(3/5) Puncheurs: Even without Bellis they will form one of the strongest puncheur duo. Both, Froome and Dowsett got some training and will score a lot. In especially first belongs to the very best. The support could be better but is not that bad. (4/5) Timetrialists: Tennant and Stannard are elite men against the clock. They will surely give Bibby an advantage in TTT`s and can also go on their own. In especially first is capable to climb over hills. (4/5) Cobbler: Different to last season, where Blythe often disappointed they won`t focus on the cobbles this season. (1/5) Sprinters: Also this area got weakened a lot by the loss of Kennaugh. Bennett will be their only shot and he won`t do that well against the top sprinters. But as SN proved quite a lot of times already he knows exactly how to plan a season, so maybe he can grab a win. He will be far stronger next season I guess. (2/5) Talents: Bennett, Teklehaimanot and Teklit will all have room to improve to become more solid riders. Also they have a few Afriacan talents like Afewerki, Cisse, Berhane, Tewelde, Reguigui...so the future of African cycling is pretty much safed and going straight forward. Watch out: Bassirou Konte could become a very solid point scorer this season. He is a good allrounder who looks for the attack. Wouldn`t be surprised if he wins a stage in 2013. Overall: Just like last season a very good team with the main focus on the hills and time trials. Actually I think not as strong as last season with the bigger focus on Eritrea but with Froome and Dowsett they have elite scorers, which might even bring them into the top5 again. Bibby adds something they did not have last year. Only the missing sprinter is hurting them but future does look pretty good for them. (3/5)
LukOil-Rostelekom is one of two Russian teams in PCT and promoted from D2, where they couldn`t really convince last season.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Vladimir Karpets
Vladimir Efimkin
Maxim Iglinski
Gorka Izagirre
Coming from D2 they had to totally rebuild. With the signings they went in especially for climbers from Russia and neighbours to keep a Eastern European focus.
Leaders
Vladimir Karpets
Vladimir Efimkin
Maxim Iglinski
Climbers: Pretty strong team in this area. Karpets, Efimkin and Iglinski are all experienced and should deliver some nice points for them even though they don`t belong to the very best and are already at the end of their career. Izagirre will be a luxury doemstique. Also the other helpers should do well in the mountains. (4/5) Puncheurs: They have a good depth in the hills but no leader as most of them will more or less completely concentrate on the longer climbs. Still they might get a few results here as well. (2/5) Timetrialists: Except for Karpets they don`t have a great time trialist. At least they have some support to reduce the loss in TTT`s. (2/5) Cobbler: No focus for LukOil in the cobbled races. (1/5) Sprinters: Mironov might get a top10, which is already a sucess. No focus on flat races in general. (1,5/5) Talents: Bogataj, Pibernik or Lobov could be solid riders in a few seasons. But they don`t have the biggest talents. Watch out: Yauhen Sobal is coming from the D2 and is a nice allrounder. He will surely try to do well in hilly races and might even get some freedom from the team there. Overall: More than solid in the climbs but maximum average everywhere else. Actually a bit similar to Bintang but with less strength. The leaders will help them to avoid relegation but it won`t be a top result for them due to their missing balance. Also they need to rebuild again next season as their leaders will be weaker. (2,5/5)
Meiji - Cannondale was 2nd last last season and had to improve a lot. Several other Asian focused teams did hurt them more than last year, where they had some kind of monopol on these riders.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Jack Bauer
Peter Stetina
Matthew Lloyd
Tommy Zaini
Jianhua Hi
Sascha Modolo
The transfer season was a success for them definitely increased their strength to avoid a result like last year and without changing their focus a lot.
Leaders
Jianhua Hi
Sascha Modolo
Yusuke Hatanake
Climbers: Much stronger than last season. With Ji, Stetina, Shimizu, Sano and Signorini they have solid mid level climbers. With a smart race planning they will score them a few points although none of them is an elite scorer. (3/5) Puncheurs: Zaini might have been overpaid but on the other hand riders like him were pretty successful last season. Although Hatanake should do well in some hilly races. (2,5/5) Timetrialists: Kwok leading a row of average time trialists. They won`t win TTT`s and maximum reduce the time loss. (1,5/5) Cobbler: No focus for them in the cobbled races. (1/5) Sprinters: Arashiro, Modolo, Manan, Park and Nateghi are solid sprinters, which will be seen in the top10 regularly. Winning a stage might be difficult but not impossible. (2,5/5) Talents: Kinoshita will be one of the best Asian cyclists in a few seasons. He is overpaid right now but should be worth it in a few seasons. Also Hiratsuka and Mutsumine will be good riders in the future with Kwok obvioisly still improving into a great time trialist. Asian cycling on a good way. Watch out: Zaini can become their key rider. If he finds a good rythm he could be a solid point scorer although the competition will be huge for him. Also Santambrogio can surprise with several good results. Overall: Far better than last season. Still they don`t have an elite rider but the depth is good enough and might help then in the relegation fight. (2/5)
Metinvest-Emirates is a former D2 team from Ukraine with a strong National focus.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Jaroslav Popovych
Haijun Ma
Nolan Hoffman
Vitalij Popkov
Coming from D2 they did a great job to get good riders for PCT without losing their Ukrainian focus and got some of the very best Ukrainian stars like Popovych, Lagkuti or Popkov.
Leaders
Jaroslav Popovych
Nolan Hoffman
Vitalij Popkov
Climbers: Popovych proved to be a top level stage racer with his two top10 in the Vuelta and Tour last season. He will lead the team in almost every mountain race their participate. The support is good enough but none of them will really be a leader by himself. (3,5/5) Puncheurs: Popkov and Pakthusov will be their leaders and should get some results when the competition isn`t that hard. But none of them is really a solid point scorer and so also the good support won`t help a lot. (2,5/5) Timetrialists: Lang, Ma and Lagkuri are excellent backup for Popovych. They definitely must be watched in any TTT and also for decent individual time trials. (3,5/5) Cobbler: No focus for them in the cobbled races. (1/5) Sprinters: Nolan Hoffman could do very well this season. He is not the fastest but comes better over the hills than most others, which is his biggest advantage. I would be surprised if he gets less than 2-3 stage wins actually. Vasylyuk is a similar sprinter but a bit weaker. Still expect him to do pretty well this season. Brambilla, Vitoria and Capecchi are excellent lead-out men who might even go for their own chances sometimes. (3/5) Talents: Grosu is one of the greatest talents around. He will develope into a high quality star. Also Karnulin, Zmorka or Sepulveda will become good riders. Ukrainia surely on the way up in cycling. The future after Popovych is looking pretty good. Watch out: Vitoria and Capecchi could become very nice riders for this team. If they don`t have t work too much for Nolan Hoffman they might try to win from breakaways or late attacks. Overall: They did a good job in the transfer season by securing Ukrainian star Popovych and built a nice team around him. Also their sprinters are more than solid due to their ability to survive most hills. Their first season in the PCT might end somewhere in the middle to bottom but I can`t see this team having problems with relegation.(2,5/5)Edited by roturn on 18-01-2013 12:54
HTC Nieuwsblad dominated the D2 last season and will try to defend the crown of best D2 team in the PCT now.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Florentino Marquez
Jerome Baugnies
Kenny De Haes
Marc De Maar
They got in good and most important pretty young leaders to build around in the future as also a bunch of top talents. Well Done.
Leaders
Jerome Baugnies
Marc De Maar
Florentino Marquez
Climbers: Marquez is a nice rider to have. He belongs to the strongest climbers and even with his weaker backup stats in comparison to others he should do pretty well. Only the support could be better. Berard will have to do the main part as also young talent Morton. (3/5) Puncheurs: They don`t really have a leader here. De Maar and Armee might get a free role trying to reach something. Most likely we will see both of them attacking quite a lot. (2/5) Timetrialists: De Maar is their best and so he is their best chance to give them points in hilly races including a time trial. But none of them will score a lot in time trials. (1,5/5) Cobbler: Next to Bpost and Amex the strongest cobbled team maybe. Baugnies the clear leader and he will make life difficult for Vanspeybrouck. These both will be the top favourites in these races. He has nice support in De Haes, De Maar and Vanbilsen but not as much as Bpost has. (4/5) Sprinters: Van der Lijke will be their only real sprinter and his isn`t on his maximum yet. So not really a team to find in the sprints. (1/5) Talents: Maybe the team with the biggest amount on top talents. Vanbilsen and Van der Lijke are already solid riders and have much room to improve even more. Morton will become one of the best stage racers in some years, so is Goos. Serry, Barbin and Boswell are a top class future puncheur Van Asbroeck a quality sprinter. So all areas are pretty much covered in 2-3 years, when this team will be one of the strongest in general. Watch out: De Maar and Van der Lijke are great allrounders. Both could surprise on several stages. Overall: Incredibly work by Alakagom finding a good mix of quality riders and a huge amount of talents. And the leaders are even young, so that they could still be on top level when the talents are maxed. Their leaders should deliver a position at the middle of the rankings and year for year they will surely climb. (2,5/5)
Pivovarna Laško Cycling Team come from the D2, where they did have a good season as 4th in 2012.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Stijn Devolder
Hassen Ben Nasser
Yauheni Hutarovych
Grega Bole
They transfered for all areas and covered most of them although nowhere having the very best.
Leaders
Stijn Devolder
Hassen Ben Nasser
Yauheni Hutarovych
Climbers: The future Tour winner Devolder is no longer a high quality climber due to his age. Still he should deliver a few points here and there. The support could be better but he will have 1-2 riders until the final climb. (2,5/5) Puncheurs: Ben Nasser had some good results last season and belongs to the one dimensional puncheurs in cycling. He will lead most hilly races and might get a few results. Zsolt Der is a nice backup but not more than mid level. (3/5) Timetrialists: None of their time trialists is a winner. But they have enough to reduce the loss in TTT`s. (1,5/5) Cobbler: Devolder is also a solid top10-20 cobbler but actually he shouldn`t be used there for more than 2-3 classics as he might be more useful in other races. Still using him in the more hilly Northern Classics could pay out for the team as he might deliver more points there than in stage races. (2/5) Sprinters: Hutarovych should be good enough for several top10 and some top5`s. Same counts for Bozic and Borraja. Bole can even win some races by surviving the hills before the final sprint although there seems to be far more from this kind of riders this season. (3/5) Talents: Marko Kump is a huge talent. Already a good rider he will improve to one of the best. Tratnik is the 2nd rider to mention here. The Slovenian will become a good puncheur in future. Watch out: Marko Kump and Grega Bole are a nice duo for hilly stages with flat finish. Both can be expected to win a few stages then. Also I think that Adam Hansen will do good on his last peak season. Overall: They don`t have leaders, that will score a lot I think. But they have a good depth and cover all areas, which is always good. And in especially Kump and Bole will be important for them as both can score more points that you might expect. Next season will become much better I guess when they get a better leader than Devolder and an improved Kump.(2,5/5)
Prio - Porto is the former Cerne team finishing only 27th in 2012 and still keeping their Portuguese focus even when there are more teams having this focus in 2013.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Luis Leon Sanchez
Ruben Plaza
Francisco Ventoso
Oscar Avelino
Jose Mendes
The leaders are still Spaniards but the depth did improve from last season.
Leaders
Ruben Plaza
Francisco Ventoso
Oscar Avelino
Climbers: Plaza switched teams with Luis Leon Sanchez. Actually I think this is a weakening as Plaza already reached his limit and is not as strong as in 2012 where he had some notable results. Nicacio is still their 2nd climber who also reached his limit now. (3/5) Puncheurs: Mendes is their strongest puncheur and should bring them some points although he is no winning rider. Ventoso is one of the best puncheur/sprinter combinations and should have a better season than the last delivering them a lot of points. (3/5) Timetrialists: Only their two leaders are good time trialists. Oliveira will be their only real help. (2/5) Cobbler: Marc Machado looks like a solid cobbler. But he has no backup stats which will be needed in C1 and HC races I guess. Except for him maybe Ventoso could snatch a few points in easier cobbled races. Sending him to 1-2 classics could pay out or totally fail and ruin his limited race days. (2/5) Sprinters: Avelino is a nice signing. He could win some races but more likely he will end in the top10 more often (as he is too similar to Vantomme ). Caldeira and Santos will reach almost the same I guess and form a good Portuguese sprinting trio. Their best chance to win sprints should be Ventoso, who needs the stage to be harder to get rid of some sprinters. (3,5/5) Talents: Oliveira will still improve to become one of the best Portuguese riders. Also Afonso and Ferreira look promising. Watch out: Vital will score here and there due to it`s fighting spirit and good climbing skills. Overall:They found a good mix of cheap talents and solid leaders this season and should do better than last season. The sprinters really need to perform. Plaza and Ventoso need to use all their experience. Then they should have problems with relegation. But one of the teams of the 2nd half I think.(2,5/5)
Alstom-RBC had a good C2 season in 2012 with French sprinter Said Haddou almost winning the indivual ranking there next to several stages.
Important riders out
Important riders in
John Gadret
Jeremy Roy
Ryan Anderson
Geoffrey Soupe
The team was able to find some well known riders while keeping their French-Canadian focus.
Leaders
John Gadret
Jeremy Roy
Geoffrey Soupe
Climbers: John Gadret is one of the most experienced French climbers in this business and even though he is not longer the high quality climber of some years ago he can surely do well in some races. He will have some support by in especially Ivars, Morabito and Salas. (3/5) Puncheurs: Roy is an excellent leader for the hilly races. He is capable to top5 in several of those and should deliver many points. With Ryan Anderson they have a great guy nextto him, who can take advantage of his decent sprint skill after a hard stage. Durasek and Boily will be important as helpers. (3,5/5) Timetrialists: Ivars and Meier are the main time trialists. Also Roy and Durasek are not bad there. The depth is average and they don`t have a real leader here. (2/5) Cobbler: Ryan roth is their only real cobbler and he will have problems against the best riders. Maybe a top15-20. More would be a surprise. (1,5/5) Sprinters: Haddou is still there but will surely struggle a lot in this division. Soupe will have better chances as he climbs much better and also Tzortakis can be expected to top10 here and there. Winning a sprint will still be difficult. (2,5/5) Talents: Their biggest talent Lecuisinier is only on loan. A pity for them as he will be one of the very best in some years. Still they have some talents on their own. Houle and Boily will become one of the best Canadians and great riders. Also Soupe is not done yet and will become a great sprinter. Also Boivin looks very promising but needs a bit longer than Soupe. Watch out: Hugo Houle has still a lot to learn but can already surprise in his debut season. Together with Anderson he is forming a strong Canadian duo in the hills. Overall: To be honest. I am really a fan of this team. They had a great idea with the Canadian focus and got lucky there was so much talent this year. Also they added some nice French riders that will immediately help them to survive in PCT. In 1-3 seasons they can even fight for promotion I think as their talents are more than promising. (2,5/5)
Repsol-Cativen were 3rd in the D2 last season and due to other disbanding teams they had the South American market without much opponents.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Andrei Kashechkin
Mauricio Soler
Roberto Ferrari
Rafael Andriato
Like a typical South American team they added lots of high quality climbers to shine in the mountains but also found room for solid sprinters.
Leaders
Andrei Kashechkin
Rafael Andriato
Roberto Ferrari
Climbers: Kashechkin is actually quite a bargain when comparing with other riders. He will really help them in their debut PCT season. He will be followed by lots of mountain goats such as Ardila Cano, Soler, Agudelo, Ortega, Vasquez and Briceno and look a bit like the former Aker team from last year. Expect them to be one of the strongest mountain teams in this division although Kashechkin might be the only one lasting until the end. (4/5) Puncheurs: Acevedo might have the leader role in lots of hilly races due to their focus on mountain races. He won`t be able to reach a lot but a few points from time to time. (2/5) Timetrialists: They don`t have much time trial strength next to Ortega and Kashechkin, who actually are also just average. (1,5/5) Cobbler: Typical climber team without any focus here. (1/5) Sprinters: Ferrari and Andriato are a nice duo who could get several top10`s and maybe a bit more sometimes. Nielsen will be their 3rd rider here but without having much to expect from him. (2,5/5) Talents: Rodriguez Galindo will still have room to improve to a better rider while Salinas, Kebede and Quevedo will start to improve after this season. Watch out: Honorio Machado can become a good factor for them. His ability to combine hills and sprint skills will be good in several races. Overall: Except for the sprinters a really nice mountain train team. But due to them it`s more than one dimensional. They don`t have the depth as other teams and might lose lots of points in the hilly and cobbled races. (2,5/5)Edited by roturn on 18-01-2013 11:38
Rothaus - Aegon was 20th last season and was mainly led by new World Champion Lars Boom and disappointed by Maxime Vantomme.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Ben Hermans
Jonathan Bellis
Ryder Hesjedal
Simon Geschke
Last year`s 3rd in the individual ranking, Bellis should really help them to strengthen the hill squad.
Leaders
Jonathan Bellis
Lars Boom
Maxime Vantomme
Climbers: Not much appearance by Rothaus in the climbs. Ruijgh will be the one man show and actually had some notable results in 2012.(1,5/5) Puncheurs: Bellis obviously makes the team stronger although his 2012 opponents are stronger in 2013. Boom and Geschke are their next options. Biggest advantage will be Bellis`and Geschke`s fast sprint. (3/5) Timetrialists:Lars Boom is still a good time trialist. Van Aelbroeck, Velits, Tendero and Zabalo gives them more depth but none of these are expected to top5 there. (3/5) Cobbler: Their focus won`t be on the cobbled classics. But Boom proved with his win in E3 Prijs last season that he can perform on a high level there. Also Vantomme can survive the flat races with a maximum of 2-3 short sections. (2/5) Sprinters: Vantomme was trained a bit in hills instead of being fired after last season. Will he perform better now or disappoint again? Stat wise you would expect him to top5 in several races and get a few wins. Cucinotta and Geschke might reach the top 10 as well.(3/5) Talents: Olivier should develope into a great Dutch stage racer and is the team`s biggest talent. Sbaragli and Schachmann will very solid riders. Watch out: Geschke is a rider who can score quite a few points. He survives most hills and has a nice sprint then similar to Bellis. And Passeron has proven last season that he is good for lots of good GC results due to his breakaway success. Overall: Still a team in the middle of the rankings due to the high amount of top puncheurs and time trialists in this division. Vantomme needs to perform much better, then they might be able to do better. But they need also a climbing and/or cobbled team to make promotion. (2,5/5)
Sram-Riboxx Cycling Team is the former Trilux team and ended as 16th last season.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Michael Kessler
Linus Gerdemann
Gregory Rast
Timothy Duggan
Arnaud Coyot
Gerdemann is added as stage race leader after a year out of cycling.
Leaders
Linus Gerdemann
Fabian Wegmann
Heinrich Haussler
Climbers: Gerdemann is their only real stage racer. Sousa and Hudecek might get a few results but not more. (2/5) Puncheurs: Wegmann had a pretty good last season and even though he became a bit weaker he should still deliver some stage wins and good results. Duggan will add some more depth and replace Kessler here.(2,5/5) Timetrialists: Bontenackels will be the teams best time trialist but except for him and Gerdemann there is only enough to limit the loss in TTT`s. None of them will top5 in these races. (2,5/5) Cobbler: Eichler and Haussler might lead the team in some cobbled races. But only in the easier ones, otherwise they will lose contact pretty early. (2/5) Sprinters: Haussler was trained and should get a few stage wins when used in the right races. He might be the team`s best point scorer next to Wegmann and both of them need to deliver to avoid relegation. Also Mezgec is a very nice addition as he should do very well in many stages to top10 and help Haussler. (3/5) Talents: Warbassem Koch and Vasyliv will all be very good riders in 2-3 seasons. They should really try to build a team around these 3 in the future. Watch out: Gatis Smukulis had some nice moments in 2012 and should be ready to repeat these. He is a very good alrounder who loves the late attack. Overall: Actually one of the weaker teams. A lot depends on Haussler and Wegmann. Gerdemann really must to overperform if he wants to bring in more than a few points. I don`t think they will relegate but it will be close. (2,5/5)
Swedbank - PEAB finished as Saab - Scania as 18th last season which might have been less than expected.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Marcel Wyss
Johnny Hoogerland
Matti Breschel
Ben Hermans
Francesco Chicchi
Michel Kreder
With a stronger focus on Dutch riders the team will try to improve.
Leaders
Thomas Lövkvist
Johnny Hoogerland
Michel Kreder
Climbers: Lövkvist is a nice stage racer but even with last years weaker competition he wasn`t able to fulfill all expectations. This year will be even harder. Eltink and Bjelkmark will try to add the depth. After this there are no helpers at all. (2,5/5) Puncheurs: Hoogerland and Hermans are their best puncheurs. But just like in the climbing part they don`t belong to the best and have not much support, which will lead in a smaller amount of points. (2,5/5) Timetrialists: Lindgren is the only possible top 10 time trialist and this won`t be easy. In a TTT you can expect them to land somewhere in the middle when having the best possible squad. (2/5) Cobbler: After Breschel is gone they only have weaker guys for the cobbles, who might not perform very well there. Giaux and Hushovd might need a perfect day to get into the top10. (1,5/5) Sprinters: Kreder and Giaux definitely add some strength to ageing Hushovd. Van Hummel, Westling and Ahlstrand might be solid lead out men. Expect several top 10`s but not many wins or podiums by them. (2,5/5) Talents: Ahlstrand is on the way to become a huge sprinter. Maybe the next Swedish Superstar. Also Ludvigsson, Blikra and Bertilsson will help them in a few years. Watch out: Kasper Klostergaard is a good helper and perfect guy for a breakaway. He will often be one of the stronger guys in the group and take care for some nice results. Overall: It is well balanced in all areas but is missing the depth as they rarely have more than half a squad being really perfect for this kind of race. The sprinters, Lövkvist and Hoogerland really need to have a good season, otherwise it can end very bad for them. (2-2,5/5)
Team UPC - Boehringer-Ingelheim was on top of my list in last year`s D2 preview but they couldn`t fulfill my expectations. Maybe I am better this season.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Kai Reus
Tom Veelers
Michiel Elijzen
Kai Reus and Tom Veelers will have good value for this team.
Leaders
Kai Reus
Tom Veelers
Michiel Elijzen
Climbers: Enough said when Kai Reus is the team`s best climber. They won`t have any focus here. (1/5) Puncheurs: Kai Reus will also be the team`s best puncheur and together with his nice time trial skills he can reach a few good GC`s but they won`t score in the hilly classics. (2/5) Timetrialists: Reus and Elijzen is a nice duo and might fight for the podium in the Duo Differdange. Reus for sure and Elijzen in some races might also have a shot for the GC. But behind them there is not much backup. (2,5/5) Cobbler: Veelers will lead the cobbled squad with some ambitions. He can do very well here but it`s questionable if his support is strong enough to challenge the three big cobble teams in PCT? Traksel, Oelerich, Knees or Kavsek are at least decent support. (3/5) Sprinters: Next to Veelers, who could also finish well in a sprint it`s Gavazzi and Lorenzetto with the best chances as both perform well on hillier terrain. Traksel, Van Poppel, Hopman and Priamo are solid sprinters and nice lead-out riders. In general this will be the area where they will be seen the most and often with a nice sprint train.(3/5) Talents: Teunissen will be the Dutch cobble star in a few seasons. He has the talent to win the big PT classics. Also Schoonbroodt will be a very good cobble-hill combination. Groenewegen, Danny Van Poppel and Zhupa all belong to the biggest talents world wide and will be the next generation of top riders. It`s quite a surprise how UPC managed to get all these talents for such low wages. Watch out: I think Knees and Priamo will be able to fight for good results with some attacks. They have actually lots of riders and opportunities to shine in small groups. Overall: Even though Reus and Veelers are solid point scorers it won`t be easy for them as they won`t score a lot in the climbing area. Also in the sprints they don`t have a big star. One of the weaker teams, who might have to hope for their leaders to overperform. But even if they relegate, they have a great future with their talents and will be in the better half of PCT in 2-3 seasons. (2-2,5/5)
The Oz Cycling Project finished last in last years Continental Tour. The Australian team had to rebuild the team quite a lot.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Jack Bobridge
Michael Rogers
Luke Durbridge
Giovanni Visconti
George Bennett
Jean-Christophe Peraud
In especially the loaned out riders will be missed this year. But the riders in have definitely quality.
Leaders
Michael Rogers
Giovanni Visconti
Jean-Christophe Peraud
Climbers: They still doesn`t belong to the top climbing teams. But have more depth than last year. Lewis, Rogers, Peraud or Kilun will score a few points from time to time. But reaching the top10 in a mountain GC will be a success already. (2/5) Puncheurs: Visconti, Lloyd and Jiao are their 3 hopes here. None of them will win many races but they are capable of some nice results and will deliver a few points. (2,5/5) Timetrialists: Rogers is a big addition. He will be one of the best time trialists in this division and should win some stages. Olman and Ford are looking like great time trialists as well but have no backup stats. More likely Peraud, William Ford and Laidler are expected to perform here. Solid TTT train. (3,5/5) Cobbler: Visconti and Cooke are their two cobble riders. Although none of them will be able to challenge the best it might pay out if Visconti gets the chance to ride 1-2 of the easier classics with lots of hills. He might overperform and bring nice points there. (2/5) Sprinters: Rasmussen, Cooke and Drapac will be their main sprinters. Biggest problem is the weakness in any kind of climbing. Except for very flat stages they won`t be there at the finish line. Better chances then for Keukeleire and Scully. No real point scorer in this area. (2/5) Talents: Besada will make the next step this season on his way to a solid puncheur. Same counts for Chen and Scully in the sprints. Watch out: William Ford was riding well last season bringing in some nice wins. He will definitely try the same this year. Overall: With the addition of Rogers, Visconti, Peraud and Lloyd they got some nice experience. If it will be enough to avoid relegation? I really don`t know. It will be very close I think. Next year when the stronger loanies led by Bobridge are back it will look better for them. Maybe he could have saved them from relegation. (2,5/5)Edited by roturn on 18-01-2013 11:39
Tinkoff Bank - Rosneft OJSC quite disappointed as 15th last season when actually being a promotion favourite.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Mikhail Ignatiev
Timofey Kritskiy
Vladimir Efimkin
Aleksej Kunshin
Ilnur Zakarin
Ignatiev wasn`t able to score as much as expected and goes back to Wiggle while Kritskiy improved very well.
Leaders
Timofey Kritskiy
Aleksandr Kolobnev
Sergei Kolesnikov
Climbers: Kritskiy is one of the best stage racers in the PCT and has nice backup by Kolesnikov and Kunshin. Kiryenka, Kolobnev, Zakarin and Ignatenko will be solid support. (3,5/5) Puncheurs: Kolobnev, Rovny and Zakarin are all solid but won`t win many races. Still the depth could pay out as proven by Jayco last season. They have solid support and will be in front of several races. (3/5) Timetrialists: Kritskiy, Kiryenka and Ovechkin are the main TT specialsts. They have enough support to do well in TTT but only Kritskiy will be able to fight for stage wins here. (3,5/5) Cobbler: Kozontchuk is the only cobbler. He could get some points for the team but not sure if he will actually participate in any. (2/5) Sprinters: Krasnov, Trusov, Korzh and Galimzyanov are all top10 sprinters. Winning or podiums depend on the opponents and daily form. (2,5/5) Talents: Zakarin, Korzh and Vorobev will continue to improve. Pomoshnikov, Chernetskiy and Sulimov all belong to the next Russian generation and will secure the Russion focus for them in the next years. Watch out: Ivan Rovny and Pavel Brutt will surprise with several top results this year. Both want the win and I think will get at least one each. Overall: I think the team is stronger than last year and maybe even ready for promotion. In the uphill area they will keep contact with the best for quite a long time. The sprints have a good depth although they miss the big leader. Quite impressive if seeing their strong National focus with only 3 Belarus riders. (3/5)
Vespa - Aprilia Racing should have done better last season imo. Pozzovivo and Ginanni did not perform as good as possible.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Matteo Carrara
Dario Cataldo
Isaac Speirs
Jacopo Guarnieri
Mattia Gavazzi
Mauro Richeze
Cataldo and Guarnieri will definitely help them this season while the losses are compensated.
Leaders
Domenico Pozzovivo
Francesco Ginanni
Jacopo Guarnieri
Climbers: Pozzovivo still belongs to the best climbers as proven in several cases in the last years. But competition is harder and he might struggle sometimes this year. So it`s good to have good support in Cataldo and Bosisio, who will also go for own results. (3,5/5) Puncheurs: Ginanni will always fight for the podium in the hilly races. He might be the team`s best point scorer and will score a lot. He will have decent support to reach his goals. (4/5) Timetrialists: The TT support could be better. Ascani will get some decent results and Pozzovivo manage to reduce his loss. But the depth is not very good here. (2/5) Cobbler: No ambitions here. Quinziato would celebrate a top20 I guess. (1/5) Sprinters: Guarnieri is a nice addition as he will score points constantly which was missing last season. Unfortunately for them he is only on loan on his way to one of the very best. Richeze and Gatto can do several top10 on their own and will be great support as lead-out. (3/5) Talents: Cimolai will continue to develop into a solid sprinter. But the talent part could be better obviously. Watch out: Krizek and Bono will perform well in breakaways trying to grab a few points. Overall: The team is ready for promotion. But they need their leaders and co-leaders to perform at their best. If they miss promotion it might be a hard time for them in the next seasons although both leaders have still a few years on a high level.(2,5-3/5)
VolksWagen - Mapei will surely try to fight for promotion once again.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Kai Reus
Martijn Keizer
Marco Marzano
Jaime Alberto Castaneda
Lucas Schädlichi
Marcel Sieberg
Damien Gaudin
Flügel will show us his full power. Keizer replaces the loss of Reus and Marzano.
Leaders
Martijn Keizer
Aleksandr Flügel
Vadim Ratiy
Climbers: Ratiy and Keizer form a very nice duo in the stage races. Different to last season they will have better support in Brenes, Delgado and Zurita. Even without Marzano definitely stronger than in 2012. (4/5) Puncheurs: Flügel made the final step and will be a huge factor for them. He already performed on a very high level last season and should be a valuable point scorer. Kessler was added as backup, what gives them more depth. Behind them the support could be a bit stronger. (3,5/5) Timetrialists: Keizer is an excellent time trialist. But the loss of Schädlich and Reus will surely hurt them. Brändle is a very nice addition and will reduce the loss together with Müller in TTT`s. (3/5) Cobbler: Gaudin and Sieberg will be a nice duo for the cobbled races. It won`t be enough to beat the best teams but gaining a few points is good. (3/5) Sprinters: Castaneda is a nice sprinter but he won`t have much success due to his bad climbing. Still he scores a few points and has a great lead-out in Sieberg and young Zabel. (2,5/5) Talents: Brändle was a great signing. The Austrian is already a solid rider and will improve hugely. Also Brenes, Preidler, Anacona, last years U23 runner up Zepunkte, Haugard, Zabel, Schorn and Predatsch will reach their top level soon. Watch out: Brändle might be able to replace Reus this season. He won`t be as strong but will deliver and most important continue to improve. Overall: Incredibly to see such a strong team and how talented this team is. In 2-3 seasons it will be one of the strongest in the whole cycling. This year it might be close with promotion again but they are still young and next year they will surely be better. (3/5)
Vueling Airlines is the former Spyker Cars team and one of the two relegated PT teams. Will they be on the way back?
Important riders out
Important riders in
Stijn Devolder
Peter Kennaugh
Vladimir Gusev
Even with ageing stars out they look more than solid.
Leaders
Patrick Sinkewitz
Thomas Dekker
Peter Kennaugh
Climbers: Thomas Dekker will be one of the top3 stage racers this season. He should score lots of points and be very good in the individual ranking as well. Sinkewitz might concentrate more on the hilly races and so the support for him could be a bit better than 2-3 solid climbers. (3,5/5) Puncheurs: Sinkewitz is starting to lose strength but yound Schreurs is already coming to overtake his role. Together they will be a dangerous duo with decent support. (3,5/5) Timetrialists: Dekker is their only rider capable of winning a TT. Bak, Scheunemann and Viennet will be important fo avoid big time losses in TTT`s. But definitely not the strongest depth here. (3/5) Cobbler: Gusev is gone. Kamyshev their only real cobbler. I doubt he will score a lot and won`t get many opportunities. But his future is looking bright. (1,5/5) Sprinters: Kennaugh is coming from Rapha and will immediately be on of the best PCT sprinters for them. Together with Reimer and Pedersen they might score quite a lot on flat stages. Reimer can even win after a harder stage. (4/5) Talents: Reimer will be huge next season. Also Quintana, Van der Sande, Kadrie, Viennet, Vichot and Geniez are making another big step. Edet and Andersen are solid young talents for the long term. Watch out: Blel Kadri and Bak will convince in the breakaways and late attacks. Also Reimer is a very interesting rider. Overall: I guess they will ony stay one year in the PCT and will be back in PT next season. It will be hard as their are several teams with this goal but this team looking strong enough. (3/5)
Team WWE, 23rd in last years CT will still convince with their attacking style.
Important riders out
Important riders in
Franco Pellizotti
Mauricio Ardila
Wow. That`s an old team. But with keeping the decreasing core and adding more decreasing riders they might be stronger than last season.
Leaders
Andre Greipel
Franco Pellizotti
Mauricio Ardila
Climbers: They have quite a few solid point scorers here in Pellizotti, Ardila, Paulinho, Txurruka, Kessiakoff or Diniz. The depth is very good but none of them is really good enough to win or podium or younger than 31 except for the last one. Depth might have to do it here.(3/5) Puncheurs: Pinaeu might lead them here to deliver a few points. Next to all the climbers it will be Voeckler. Most of them need their attacking style to get good results. Just by hanging to the stronger PCT puncheurs it will be difficult. (2,5/5) Timetrialists: Sutherland and Roulston are the teams best against the clock. That`s not much and won`t be enough for a top result in TTT`s or ITT`s. (2/5) Cobbler: Jeandesbosz as their only mid level cobbler won`t get many opportunities to shine and most like won`t have a chance then. (1,5/5) Sprinters: Greipel is still a very good sprinter and might bring in several points and maybe even being their best point scorer. Vingerling and Damrow are only average and won`t score a lot but a few top 10`s for the first. (3/5) Talents: Dombrowski is exactly what this team needed. A young climber who will become one of the best in the future to replace all the old veterans. Even though he has an evil wage for a pretty useless rider right now, he will be worth it in the future. But spending money on one rider hurts them as they don`t really have other mentionable talents and with lots of their riders being worthless in 1-2 seasons this might hurt them the most. Watch out: Thomas Voeckler might be ageing but is capable to be in front of the peloton in almost every race. Should be within some successful breakways. Overall: Very good depth in the mountains and a nice sprinter in Greipel. But I doubt they will have much success until Dombrowski starts to increase. They really need to do well in the mountains to avoid relegation. I guess the depth there should be enough for another mid level position. (2,5/5)Edited by roturn on 18-01-2013 15:52
This might and most probably will be very wrong.
The top teams are very close together I think and planning and luck will make the difference. Same counts for the teams from 11-26, which might be totally mixed different. Always hard to predict with so many close teams, when not knowing their race planners.
Edited by roturn on 18-01-2013 11:39
Great read. It really does seem that there is no standout team, so the PCT battles are going to be great to watch all season. Similarly at the bottom end, Armavia are pretty sure to relegate imo, but beyond them it is very open.
Interesting to see how your ranking predictions compares with others.
Hopefully, I'm getting some luck my way. I am worried that I might relegate. Dombrowski's wage is way too high if he was a level 4 talent. He's on level 1, luckily, so it'll probably be worth it in the long run. Also: Diniz is not a new rider. Dombroski, Pellizotti and Ardila are the only signings I did.
It will be a very close thing for my team this year, but that will be the case for several more. And as you said I have nice talents. I'm not that worried about relegating, although I'd prefer if we stay up.
Thanks. It was pretty hard to rank the middle teams. Probably I wasn`t very fair to UPC or ariBaltic as they can also end in 15th or so. But somehow I had to rank them and so they went down quite a lot.
For me the obvious ones are Armavia as last and I guess Bouygues as 1st. But everything in between was just very close.
Example Bintang. Their climbers will score a lot, so they are surely a promotion candidate. On the other hand they have nothing else but their climbing trio, which might cost them important points and with the PCT being far closer this year it might even be hard for them.
Last season I guess even my team with Boom, Bellis and an performing Vantomme could have been enough for promotion. This season it will be impossible.
Edited by roturn on 18-01-2013 12:23
Fantastic job Roturn, really nice and complete preview. You placed us as 16th and we are aiming for something around place 20, so we have pretty much same opinion, it will be really close as you said, so i will be happy as Alakagom, 25th or better.
I also spoted some mistakes, which are normal in something this big. Lukoil and Meji has switched their talents, watchout and overall parts, that one that should be at Lukoil belongs to Meiiji i hope. Edited by Avin Wargunnson on 18-01-2013 12:51
Great preview, really enjoyed to read not just the one for my team but the rest as well... I would be thrilled to end third, but as you said yourself then luck will probably be the decisive factor for who is going to relegate/promote.
Reread through mine again and found a tiny error. In the Puncheurs section at the end it says Barrio is a nice addition on a minimum loan. I bought Barrio outright from UBS-BMC.
