Team standings predictions:

Let's go reverse order shall we

Relegation candidates

Four teams relegate to the Continental Tour and we saw last year that following the late disbanding of White Bear it was a combination of promoted sides Starbucks and Energie Diesal (now Cerne) and the financially ruined Lafarge squad who took up these spots.

Sadly again we have financial problems, though of a differing kind with Warner Brothers barely active during transfer season failing to add to any real talent to that of superstar Simon Spilak. It's hard to see how that alone will keep them up in the stiff competition in the Protour.

Of the newly promoted teams I feel we can rule out Santander, but the other five will start the year with that cold fear in the air. I do feel Pendleton's and UBS are rather looking too hopefully on leader Zabriskie and Schumacher for results their other top names look a little weak in protour company. Meanwhile I think Wiggle have a bit of depth and a manager with some protour experience and both Bacardi and Milka have enough points scorers there to hold on.

Perennial fairly low team finishers Carmeuse went with a risky and expensive Taaramae capture, a rider who currently will struggle, this leaves them as Pendletons and UBS overrelient on too few a riders, who do not have enough races to stand out.

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17th UBS
18th Carmeuse
19th Pendletons
20th Warner Brothers

Just out of the top ten

Previously mention newly promoted teams Wiggle, Milka and Bacardi I expect to finish here. I will add to that both Nestle and B&O. Nestle I feel made a pretty good capture of Boonan but are still stuck with one of those also ran stage racer types in Karpets, though they are certainly a better squad than last year. B&O could be in for a year dangerously close to the relegation zone and are a fair degree worse than last year in one of those so called transitional phases, a young squad and if they scrape through this season they will be better for it.

I also feel Webeffect will finish in this zone who had enough firepower in Sella and Kashechkin to stick around with their brightly coloured jersey in the Protour for another year, but their squad looks a step backwards overall.

11th Nestle
12th Milka
13th Wiggle
14th Webeffect
15th Bacardi
16th B&O
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A good year but not vintage 6th to 10th

I do think CrueTrue has made improvement's this year but not really the startling move forwards with Team Spyker Cars and they will be in the market again next year when the older riders get a bit leggie. Domina Vacanze will be peppering the stage races and I reckon Andy Schleck will have a better all round year but not enough to push this team really high.

Santander, Cafe de Colombia and Wikipedia have arguably three of the top five riders in the world in Madrazo, Cunego and Phinney. However focussing overly on one big star doesn't seem to get the team that high on the team standings. Certainly none of the three have confirmed classics presences (other than Cunego himself). Still they will do great things this year so will be in for a real thriller of a year.


6th Wikipedia
7th Cafe de Colombia
8th Santander
9th Domina Vacanze
10th Spyker


The top five

It's going to be tighter this year in my opinion but not quite for champions Sony Ericsson they will put up a fight but probably needed to bring in some new blood. Pearl Adidas have done exactly that and had a very consistent year last time, I am taking a bit of a punt putting them high, that is down to baking Bakelants to be one of the stars of the year.

Not a lot to choose at the very top Jack Wolfskin's seem to always be looking overfondly at Robert Gesink. He will respond I am sure a poor Tour performance last year but I cannot see him winning the team standings for Wolfskin. The team time lot will give them a fair boost in grand tours and their riders do seem to show some plucky determination in the mountains

Vesuvio having added Swift to everyone else are surely going to go closer, and they are up against a strong all round Festina squad who have no real weaknesses. I think Vesuvio will just edge it on the final day in Lombardy!


1) Vesuvio
2) Festina
3) Jack Wolfskin
4) Sony Ericsson
5) Pearl Adidas