An exciting series of profiles makes up the first real task for the climbers on the 2021 Continental Tour's calendar. Before we can get to the mountains however, the are a handful of days for the sprinters.

Stage 4 offers a break from the flat monotony and - if it is anything like previous seasons - an opportunity for the GC contendors to get in an opening jab. Don't expect any huge time gaps, but twice Thibaut Pinot won Stage 4, and twice Thibaut Pinot won overall. Then its back to another flat day, albeit with a slight uphill tilt at the end; an opportunity for an enterprising puncheur perhaps?
Then we have four straight days of the best terrain in cycling - the mountains! First they climb against the clock up to the Iglesia de Boca de Monte, reaching an elevation of 2400m. That will set the order in the GC for the next few days. They involve six major ascents across three days, with four of those coming in a single monstrous stage.

The sprinters will most certainly be in tears by the time we reach the final day, where the timetriallists that managed to survive the previous few days have a chance at a stage victory in our 17km timetrial. It is also the final opportunity for some shuffling of the GC order, and those whose legs give out on them have been known to drop like a rock.

As Pinot has proved, it is possible to win in Tachira even without the best TTing, and the winner is likely to be decided in the mountains. The points jersey is a toss up between the sprinters and the climbers, depending on how competitive each category is and the potential breakaways that emerge. Let's dive in to what each team is bringing to the table.

Leopold Konig is ProContinetal team Assa Abloy's best chance at a solid GC placing. He is a capable climber, and good enough on the TT bike to survive the final day's individual time trial. He certainly comes with an impressive pedigree, but unfortunately his best days are behind him. Perhaps a chance for a last gasp at glory for the aging Czech?

The other man to watch is Thomas Bonnin. Not much younger than his Czech counterpart, Bonnin might have his eyes set on the polkadots. Lacking the TTing credentials to launch a serious challenge at the general classification, we might instead expect him to search out a stage victory from the break.

Lacking a solid leader, the domestiques won't have much work to do here.

A very attractive mix of riders here, with plenty of potential to produce some good results.

The obvious GC candidate is Almeida; the Portugeuse youth has the potential to turn into a superstar, and in his second year of professional riding he has been handed a perfect opportunity to show it. He should be given the leading role on this team, and with the support of Antunes and Benito he should have a realistic shot at acquiring the white jersey.

Afonso is an interesting selection; perhaps aimed at Stages 4 and 5. Unfortunately, he isn't quick enough on the flatter roads to secure victory in the latter; and his inability to manage extended ascents won't help his chances in the former. An outside chance at achieveing something, but I don't have high hopes.

The final piece of the puzzle is Tzortzakis. The fact of the matter is that the Continental Tour isn't known to boast a huge depth of timetrialling ability. Although his career has more oft been that of a TTT piece than a leader in his own right, this is an opportunity for the Greek to really show his mettle.

One leader looking to show glimpses of his future potential, as he goes about adding the first few results to what will no doubt be an impressive set of palmáres. The other a lifelong domestique being gifted a rare opportunity to chase victory. They won't often be at the front, but Binance will be an interesting team to following in Venezuela.

This is certainly a formidable squad that BWT Hyundai have assembled here, although it feels much more one which will rely on quantity rather than necessarily quality - which can always lead to issues with infighting.

The first thing to take note of is the presence of one Max Losch. Calling the Luxembourger an elite sprinter would be an outright lie, but considering the rather scant display on offer here (as we will see the further we get into our preview) this might well be a great opportunity to produce some solid results. Barbier offers a very powerful leadout option, and if Kiskonen can act as the third-man in that train. Hopefully this one will be more powerful than those their sponsor produces.

Then there is Sakalou, Robov, and Barta. Here I fear infighting. If this trio were all on different teams, I would rate them relatively highly. Sakalou is a great outside option for a stage victory, with his strong punch. Robov might make an attempt at Stage 4/5, being able to manage both longer climbs and flatter sprints. Barta is my preferred option though, he s a true stageracer, and must be considered one of the favourites for the white jersey. That is unless he gets sucked into domestique duties.

Plenty to watch for here, especially the question of who will be leading the team in what stages. Losch an outsider in the sprints, Barta a favourite in the U25 classification, and a number of other pieces posing a threat to stage wins.

This is a development team through and through. Expect some of these names to be turning heads in a few years. For now they will be riding in support of the mediocre Patrick Olesen. The Dane lacks the confidence to attack his way to a stage win, and doesn't have the climbing pedigree to follow others into challenging for the GC - instead he will be looking for a position somewhere down in the lower places.

A bunch of old men and one Kevin Colleoni. Carrefour - ESPN are here to pick up some significant points in depth, and maybe challenge for a certain jersey. Thomas Faiers managed to get on the podium here a couple years back; he won't be leading here, so let's take a look at who he is riding support for.

The GC piece is Jakub Novak; a similar, if slightly superior, rider to his countryman Konig. He isn't quite enough of a mountain goat for me to believe that he will mount a serious challenge for yellow, but if he can hold off shipping too much time up the climbs he should be able to gain a fair amount back come Stage 10. He has some very solid supporting pieces in Bizkarra and Faiers.

The (marginally) more interesting rider is Anthony Lavoine. The aging sprinter is likely is his final year as a servicable sprinter, it would be a shame if he spent it without a single victory. Although he is not individually the favourite for the green jersey he has one of the most impressive leadouts in attendance. If Bercz and Dakteris (who managed a stage win last season) can wear out his rivals, Carrefour's home rider might yet see himself wearing green at the end of this.

Alexander Krieger was something of a surprise victor of the German National RR Championship at the end of last season; although given he came in with hot form from his victory at Course de Solidarnosc, perhaps it shouldn't have been that much of a shock. He is here leading a team which could give Carrefour a run for its money in terms of depth. All that is missing is someone to challenge for the yellow jersey.

Stage hunter and possible polkadots wearer is Pieter Serry. His greatest opportunity will come in Stage 4, where he just might be able to make it over the numerous climbs with the best of the best, and then look to jump them at the finish. Alternatively, he might ship some time in order to set the stage for a series of days in the break, looking to find the move that sticks. An aggressive climber with an impressive punch, he is one to keep an eye on for sure.

Hoping he makes it over the mountains is Victor Campenaerts. He is the favourite for the final stage, but after multiple days of climbing one has to question just how fresh the Belgian will be. If he even makes it there that is, his manager will no doubt bite their nails to stubs waiting for Campanaerts to beat the time limit.

Whoever may have thought Gjensidige is just Odd Christian Eiking is sure to be proven wrong by the triple threat squad they have assembled here. This multinational team is sure to compete for victory in every single stage, and three of the five classifications.

Fighting for the GC is the duo of Jaime Roson and Jonathan Salinas. It is not entirely certain which hispanophone is going to be elected the team's leader; and it may be that both find themselves high in the Top 10. Roson is the stronger climber, but will lose significant time to Salinas in the Stage 10 ITT. This presents the possibility of some interesting infighting - as Roson looks to put as much time as possible to Salinas in the mountains. Support riders Martin and Aasvold make them a likely favourite for the team classification as well.

Taking point in the opening stages will be Oscar Avelino. The aging Portuguese rider is a something of a power sprinter, drawing some comparisons to Asbjorn Kragh Andersen. Hopefully Avelino won't cause his manager as many headaches as AKA did his; but he probably won't be at his best here, needing to surg wheels due to a lack of support.

The final piece of the puzzle is the duo of Gregory Daniel and Gabor Fejes. While both will play important roles as domestique pieces across the first week, their time to shine will come on the final day of racing. Daniel is a contendor for the victory, and Fejes can challenge for the points scoring positions as well.

A beautiful example of a national project, and another triple threat squad. Unfortunately Glanbia cannot boast of the same depth as some of the other squads which have been assembled; but they certainly are not any less for it.

Their candidate for the yellow jersey is Dan Martin. This legendary Irishman has already managed a podium in Tachira previously, as well as a stage victory and a green jersey in that same edition. He was riding for a team from his home nation then as well; on the same team as Bennett in fact. Perhaps the planets are aligning once more, and this aging star has another big victory in him yet.

Less of a household name but still well respected by those who pay attention to the MGUCI's lower levels, Sam Bennett is the team's front man on the flat. He has managed to acquire the green jersey and an impressive three stage wins in his previous attendances, although they occurred a good few years ago. In fact, one came in the same edition that Martin scored his runner up finish. If the pair can recreate that performance then their manager will be a very happy chappy indeed.

The Irish didn't manage to secure Stage 10 back when Bennett and Martin were last tag-teaming, but now they are faced with it as a very real possibility. The duo of Downey and Oram (the only foreigner in the squad) are both favourites in their own right. The main obstacle in their way, a certain Belgian previously mentioned, might not even make it over the mountains; which would pave the way for a very satisfying 1-2.

Did somebody say teams classification? Five strong climbers are just what the doctor ordered! The quintent are most likely lined up behind Argentinian Daniel Ricardo Diaz. who should be capable of challenging for the yellow jersey. If he can properly utilise his strong depth to close down any dangerous moves, and drive off any more competent TTers, he should be good enough against the clock to secure a very solid placing.

Also worth a shout is Micheal Vingerling. The dutchman may somewhat be left out to dry, as the team should be place their focus on the GC challenge. Despite that, he still has the quality necessary to be a potent force in the fight for green.

Another manager who has elected to bring a puncheur. Mutsumine might not be more than a domestique at any other level, so perhaps it isn't that much of a risk; but I still maintain that Stage 4 will be contested by the GC favourites and Stage 5 by the sprinters, leaving nothing for the pure puncheurs. Maybe I'll be wrong, knowing me I'm not altogether that likely to be right.

Before we move on to the centrepiece, Dion Beukeboom is also of note. If he makes it to the final day he is a shoe-in for a Top 10, but as with many others that is a rather big if. The dutchman can not climb, and there are many many metres he will need to ascend if he is to finish this race.

Regardless of the outcome for Beukeboom, Los Pollos should get a good result from leader Daniel Munoz. In his final year of U25 competition the Colombian must be considered one of the favourites for the white jersey, as well as a potential candidate for the highscoring GC positions. A run at the yellow jersey itself is unlikely looking at his poor TTing and lack of physical strength, but not a half-bad candidate for a C2 leader.

Another excellent example of a team with a real emphasis on their national identity, and nearly as strong a competitor as their Irish counterparts.

The first piece of the McCormick puzzle is Luke Keough. The American sprinter is one of the fastest men coming down to Venezuela, and he has solid leadout train in Granigan, Rathe, and Walscheid. It might not be the strongest present, but it should put him in good stead for his attempt at green.

The second piece is the hardworking Sepp Kuss. Perhaps best recognised for his heroics in his home tour, Kuss is presented with an excellent opportunity to exploit a relatively weak looking field. Unfortunately, Kuss does not excel on the TT bike, so look to see him trying to put time in his competitors as he seeks out a high scoring GC placing.

Supporting Kuss in that endeavour are McNulty and Granigan. Both are a year or two away from contending for U25 classifications, although McNulty is showing the promise of a future star. Expect the pair to battle for a place in the U25 Top 5 behind the favourites.

Another excellent example of a regional focus, this time disturbed by super(expensive)talent Thomas Pidcock. The two names I want to focus on are Costa Seibeb and Keagan Girdlestone.

Costa Seibeb is a madman. He is the sort of super aggressive puncheur that is built just to prove my assertions about Stage 4's outcomes wrong. He is more of an outsider than a realistic favourite should the day actually fall to the puncheur-hybrids, but something in my gut is telling me that he could well be the one to pull of a surprise.

Girdlestone is yet another rider who will be aiming for the U25 classification. Unfortuantely for the South African, there are concerns that the directeur sportif might award leadership to the man from the other side of the continent: Youcef Reguigui. Reguigui is an excellent rider, and should prove more than capable of a Top 20 placing, but he doesn't have that extra benefit of chasing the white jersey. Here's hoping Girdlestone isn't comprimised by domestique duties and is able to provide another element in what looks to be an exciting contest.

A development team through and through, but unlike Carlsberg they might actually have a shot at winning something. GC leader Nepomnyachsniy isn't afraid to seek out glory, even at his advanced age. I wouldn't say he's likely to win anything - just that there is a chance. Similar can be said for Akhmaevi in regard to the final stage, and maybe (maybe) Einhorn will find the right wheel to surf.

The only thing that is certain to come from this squad is that you won't see Leknessund in their colours next season if my transfer budget has anything to say about it.

Piter Campero is the centrepiece of the squad Sauber has sent to Tachira. In the battle of the car manufacturers he should have more than enough quality to see off whichever leader Hyundai elects to support. More importantly, its an opportunity for the Bolivian to improve on his Top 10 from three years ago. He has a nice supporting core of Asian climbers, and isn't horrendous on the TT bike. He isn't a favourite for the yellow jersey, but might just squeeze in as a contender.

Also worth a mention are Nawuti Liphongyu and Zhihui Jang. The former might score some points in the Stage 10 ITT if the prior days are hard enough to eliminate some of the more prestigious favourites. The latter will be looking to surf the right wheel into the Top 10 on the flat early stages.

I'm not entirely sold on the squad Tajford have brought to South America. Although Sebastian Henao is an solid rider, I struggle to see him mounting a serious challenge for the GC. Mediocre physicals and his lacking capabilities when it comes to the TT bike mean that he is unlikely to make it into the Top 10. More probably, he will holding out for Stage 4 falling for the puncheur-hybrids; or hoping he makes it into a long distance move that makes it all the way.

Similarly, Philip Lavery is an excellent baroudeur - but that's it. He doesn't have the ability to grind his way over the longer climbs that will be necessary to succeed in Stage 4. And given the length of the climbs that follow, the same issue will plague him should he attempt a win from the break. It is possible that he might achieve a win, but I'd put my money more with Henao - and even then not much of it.

Another ProContinental team sending their youth to South America to gain some experience. This Tryg squad is probably most similar to the Carlsberg one which I earlier disparaged. The single decent rider is not a unique trait, but that they are a mediocre climber who is reluctant to attack is an idiosyncracy shared between the two Danish teams.

Bjorn Tore Hoem has managed to make the Top 20 in Tachira twice before. First, 17th at +12'09 to Pinot in 2018. There he rode for himself at the head of an Equinor (now Gjensidige) team that will far surpass him this year. Last year he managed 15th at +10'13; again from Pinot. This time however, he was riding as a domestique for the now departed dual leadership of Cort Nielsen and Lunke.

Whether riding for others pushed him further than he would normally be capable of, or if he has actually managed to improve as a rider, will be determined as he searches for yet another Tachira Top 20.

Quite by accident I have managed to saved the best to last! You may have noticed that I have been assessing each of the teams present in alphabetical order. It just so happens that our lucky last also happens to be the favourite to win this year's edition of the Vuelta al Tachira.

Volcanica - Fox are headed by the talismanic Andrei Amador, who is the strongest stage racer present in Venezuela by quite a margin. Amador can climb, and Amador can TT, and despite his age Amador can do it day after day. The only concern is his somewhat lacking punch, but even that has been covered. Amador will have the assistance of Brenes and Herrada in the mountains, with the former more than capable of matching the pace of all attendees bar his team leader. I'm not sure if Amador will match Pinot's 2018 performance - where he finished nearly 7 minutes ahead of his nearest competitor - but I don't doubt he will secure victory here.

The other name worth mentioning is Gabriel Marin. He is a fair bit younger than Amador, and his career has nothing approaching a similar level of prestige. Nonetheless, the lacklustre sprinting field that has arrived in Tachira presents an opportunity for a second angle of attack for this Costa Rican squad.

I understand that if your team isn't participating in a race it can be difficult to become invested. That, or if your riders aren't performing up to scratch. Or any of a myriad other things. With that in mind, I present some storylines to watch for as the race develops

Thibaut Pinot has been a dominant force in the Continental Tour's stage races across the past three years, and Tachira was not free from his influence. Although Benat Intxausti was able to deny him the pleasure of victory in 2019, Pinot was unchallenged in 2020 and 2018. As well as two GC wins, Pinot also collected two green jerseys with the assistance of an impressive six stage victories.

That is obviously not something that Amador can replicate in just a single season, instead he might try to outdo another of Pinot's impressive achievements in Venezuela. Only two riders have managed to win the Vuelta al Tachira by more than two minutes. Emanuele Sella by 2'38 over José Rugano in 2015, and Thibaut Pinot by an incredible 6'49 over Lawrence Warbasse. Given that all signs point to the Costa Rican legend scoring himself another victory, it is possible he might challenge this seemingly impossible margin - although it is still possible he will crumble to a surprise challenger.

Andrei Amador is a cut above the rest of the attendees in Tachira, but that doesn't mean that there is no race to be had. There are multiple possible characters to follow in the fight for the other two spots on the podium.

There are the fading stars of Daniel Martin (35) and Gregory Brenes (33). The Irishman is the more famous of the pair, but Brenes has the added excitment of having to work for his teammate.

Then there are the two young guns: Jaime Roson (28) and Sepp Kuss (27). Roson is new to the Continental Tour, but his punch should make for some exciting racing if he manages to hold onto the favourites until the closing metres. Kuss stepped up to become the face of McCormick last season following the departure of Dan Holloway, he is hoping to build on a season of mixed success with more consistence performances.

Finally, there are the long time outsiders looking to take advantage of a weaker field: Daniel Ricardo Diaz (32) and Piter Campero (30). Diaz has two placements at Tachira; a 10th place in 2017 being followed up with 12th in 2019. Campero managed 10th in 2018. A podium for either of them would be massive, especially as they edge toward the tail end of their careers.

They may not all be destined to win the Tour de France, but this quintent have plenty of potential that iwll be realised in the coming years. For William Barta this might be one the final opportunities he has to add to his palmáres. Most scouts seem to indicate that the American has approached his maximum development, and while he will contest the white jersey here he has not proved himself capable of challenging for outright victories.

Keagan Girdlestone and Daniel Munoz are at a similar stage of development, with another level of performance yet to come from both. Munoz, the older of the pair, is the best climber of the group but may lose out do to his poor timetrialling. Girdlestone is a better timetraillist, but lacks that little bit extra when it comes to grinding up the long climbs.

Joao Almeida and Brandon McNulty are the youngest, and have the most potential left in them yet. Almeida joins Barta as the likeliest to be able to keep up with Munoz on the steep ramps, but still has some work to do on his TT bike. Unlike Girdlestone and Barta, he can't rely on the final stage to gain some time back. McNulty is definitely the outside choice right now, but he is also the one with the brightest potential. It may just be he needs another year or two before he wins himself a jersey or three.

Last year, sprints were just a tad random in the Continental Tour. Hopefully, the trains are a bit better organised this year and actually manage to deliver some results. Not knowing how sprints are going to look it is possible that any of these names could prove themselves the best sprinter of the bunch. We have power sprinters (Avelino & Lavoine), we have punchy sprinters (Losch & Ranneries), and we've got some leadout trains that look very solid on paper. To add some spice to this competiton, the sprinters will also need to worry about whether a dominant GC contender will secure enough points from their own endavours in the mountains to take green for themselves!