Carl is a key pick-up for the team as our first ever Pacific Islander to ride for Xero!
He follows in the footsteps of Ronald Sue in making his way to the professional peloton but we think he might be the best Fijian cyclist ever! He'll be a key domestique
on cobbles and flats, have chances to attack for himself. He's also not bad on a TT bike or up hills which will make him valuable to the team this season.

Anthony joins us from Strava after a great year for them in the PCT. He's an amazing attacking puncheur who will also get the chance to show of his panache right at the front of the race, hopefully winning it. He's an exciting and popular rider and brings experiences with some of the biggest teams in pro cycling down to the CT. He's looking forward to riding with us as leader of the hills department in 2017. he has skills on the flat and a mean kick to go with his hilly skills and is always up for an attack.

He's here! New Zealand's top climber and our top transfers target is finally racing for a home team (sorry Oz) and for himself, with his first leadership job after learning from his years at three great teams in Oz, Project: Africa and last year, Aegon, from whom we purchased him. He's one of a number of great climbers in the CT this year but he's a Kiwi representing his home team and we always punch above our weights. George is an attacking rider who loves a stage race, a long race, a hilly race, a mountain race. He'll be a great leader for our mountain department and an interesting wildcard in hilly races. Welcome George!

Best Race 2016: 2nd Clasico San Cristobal | Best Rider 2016: Tom Diggle

Anthony Roux
30 | Maxed | 90,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
74	65	78	62	78	71	70	52	57	75	82	65	62

Tom Diggle
29 | Maxed | 100,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
67	65	77	70	74	70	70	51	64	70	71	64	70

Geremie Nzeke
27 | Maxed | 105,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
67	72	76	61	72	67	67	63	66	68	75	74	63

Tom Davison
27 | Maxed | 55,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
72	69	73	69	70	70	69	60	65	69	71	70	73

Matthew Lloyd
34 | Maxed | 50,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
64	70	73	61	65	69	68	50	61	66	72	61	61

Marvain Tognama Kossouhorou
31 | Maxed | 50,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
72	71	73	70	70	73	68	64	72	70	72	64	71

We've always aimed to build a strong CT hills team and whilst the depth still isn't where we wanted after two seasons and our plans this year didn't work out perfectly the quality is there and despite the departure of Efimkin and the age of Matt Lloyd I think with the depth additions of Egi and Igor from the mountains squad and George in a lieutenant role where possible we've managed to improve. Then obviously Anthony is a fantastic guy and leader to have heading up the squad and pairing up with Tom Diggle. With the departures of some big names and despite the addition of some more in the CT, I think we'll score better here than 2016.

Best Race 2016: Barcelona Classic, 3rd | Best Rider 2016: Simon Clarke

Simon Clarke
31 | Maxed | 55,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
72	63	62	62	72	71	74	57	79	78	80	61	62

Marvain Tognama Kossouhorou
31 | Maxed | 50,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
72	71	73	70	70	73	68	64	72	70	72	64	71

Dylan Kennett
23 | 1.00 XP | 50,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
70	58	64	69	72	71	68	62	72	71	67	68	73

Carl Ngamoki-Cameron
29 | Maxed | 50,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
71	63	67	65	73	72	67	71	71	72	68	73	66

Rei Onodera
22 | 1.00 XP | 50,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
68	63	66	69	69	68	64	61	64	68	61	67	66

With the unfortunate departure of Tom Scully this is the one terrain that we have a worse squad than 2016. However we also know that it's in no way our focus and having a leader around 50th in the CT rankings from a focus nation is pretty good on that front. Simon doesn't have a good leadout for the last 3km but is a pretty adept train-hopper. Guys like Marvain, Dylan and Carl should do him well to get him there.

Best Race 2016: Tour du Faso Stage 1 8th | Best Rider 2016: Lol

Stijn Vandenbergh
33 | Maxed | 55,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
75	55	66	67	74	71	66	77	61	62	74	65	67

Hamish Schreurs
23 | 2.00 XP | 85,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
68	54	66	52	69	72	67	71	68	69	64	62	61

Carl Ngamoki-Cameron
29 | Maxed | 50,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
71	63	67	65	73	72	67	71	71	72	68	73	66

Clearly the biggest improvement we've had over the last transfers,
with the addition of two domestiques and Stijn as our leader. As a predominantly climbing/hilly team so far in our MG life cobbles were at the lower end of the to-do list. Stijn isn't a proven race winner but is an absolute beast of a rider and a powerhouse and should collect many points we were going to miss out on, and teams similar to us will as well. Hamish and Carl have also found success going to the mainland and riding cobbles and Jams is pretty accomplished there too and will be the attacking threat now the pressure of leading isn't on his shoulders.

Best Race 2016: Tour of Bulgaria, 2nd | Best Rider 2016: Jonathan Salinas

George Bennett
26 | Maxed | 125,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
67	78	76	65	75	74	79	58	65	73	55	63	65

Jonathan Salinas
27 | Maxed | 75,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
69	77	73	71	74	74	70	56	59	72	64	66	71

Igor Antón
34 | Maxed | 100,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
67	77	72	69	70	74	71	50	51	74	73	60	69

Egidijus Juodvalkis
29 | Maxed | 50,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
64	75	73	61	69	70	71	54	67	68	68	58	61

Geremie Nzeke
27 | Maxed | 105,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
67	72	76	61	72	67	67	63	66	68	75	74	63

Well, we did what we set out to do here: George Bennett as our top home leader, another co-leader in Igor Antón and a lieutenant in Lithuanian NC Juodvalkis. Like other terrains, the levels of competition in the CT this year has taken another flying leap with such quality riders as Eastman, Valls, Suaza, Penasa and Bardet among the ranks. Whilst we don't have the power going up mountains as some of those names we do have our triple threat with George, Igor and Jonny and I think we're still looking very strong, even if we are missing some more depth around Egi.

Jamalidin Novardianto
23 | 2.84 XP | 55,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
72	61	68	68	69	74	71	69	67	75	74	68	71

Unknown max stats *spooky music*

Jordan Schleck
21 | 2.83 XP | 50,000 | Riding for Statoil Pro Cycling

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
61	69	67	52	67	66	73	53	52	68	54	56	60
64	77	74	53	70	70	79	53	52	74	63	59	61

Nils Schomber
23 | 1.52 XP | 50,000 | Riding for Statoil Pro Cycling

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
68	54	57	67	61	69	63	50	69	69	62	64	74
73	53	57	74	66	72	67	50	72	72	62	64	81

OR

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
73	53	58	74	66	76	68	50	69	69	65	64	81

Rei Onodera
22 | 1.00 XP | 50,000 | On Loan from Meiji - JR East

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
68	63	66	69	69	68	64	61	64	68	61	67	66
75	64	69	78	74	73	71	61	64	68	66	68	75

*hypothetical future stats as he's not ours full-time

Hamish Schreurs
23 | 2.00 XP | 85,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
68	54	66	52	69	72	67	72	68	69	64	62	61
71	54	67	52	75	76	70	77	72	70	65	62	61

Dylan Kennett
23 | 1.00 XP | 50,000

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
70	58	64	69	72	71	68	62	72	71	67	68	73
75	58	65	69	73	76	71	62	79	78	67	68	78

Scott Ambrose
22 | 1.00 XP | 10,000 | Stagiare from 1/08

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
66	67	66	63	66	67	63	55	64	67	71	70	65
67	74	73	63	67	71	68	55	64	74	78	71	66

Daniel Afoa
22 | 1.00 XP | 10,000 | Stagiare from 1/08

FLA	MON	HIL	TT	STA	RES	REC	COB	SPR	ACC	FTR	DH	PRL
64	63	67	62	65	68	65	57	64	67	68	70	60
67	67	76	63	73	72	69	57	67	75	75	73	61

We return for our second year looking a much improved outfit, with a better regional focus, over twice as many talents and new leaders. We have seen one of New Zealand's top cyclists, George Bennett, sign as our ultimate leader and two cyclists from the Pacific Islands also sign. We have also brought in Igor Antón and Anthony Roux as leaders.

Of course, there are negatives. The departures of Ole Hirschlein and Tom Scully were not ideal and both will be sorely missed and very welcome to return in the future. For another year we have no South African riders - despite the short market for them against the smaller but less competitive NZ market we have still failed our goals and it could be last chance saloon for our focus there, at least specifically South Africa. We do still have three African riders but despite signing four new Kiwis no new Africans were added. Octagon are still okay but their patience is growing thinner and I for one am also disappointed. The unfortunate timings of the bidding for Jaco Venter and Aidan van Niekerk didn't help, whilst we failed to clear cap room for Stephen Ihlenfeld or Morne van Niekerk.

If this squad existed last year we could have been a top promotion battler but this year the inflation is higher than ever of talent in CT, and we still don't have a top leader in their terrain. However, we have high hopes, with a top 10 rider from last year in Igor Antón, and the very capable Anthony Roux and Bennett to score points and finish in the top 30. Jonathan Salinas and Tom Diggle have already done so and hopefully will be up there again. Simon Clarke was just outside the top 50, Stijn Vandenbergh could be around there as well and the heightened freedom of Jamalidin Novardianto will hopefully yield great results.

Our talents department is also booming, we're taking care of another young time triallist in Rei Onodera, who'll be a valuable domestique and gain his first pro races in our colours. We've signed two of New Zealand's brightest youngsters in Hamish Schreurs and Dylan Kennett, picked up two stagiares in Daniel Afoa and Scott Ambrose (who is an inspiration to us all after becoming a stagiare of a pro team despite his diabetes, in the spirit of the old Team Type 1) and continued the devlopment of Jordan Schleck, Nils Schomber and Jamalidin Novardianto, the former two at Statoil Pro Cycling.

So where will we finish? I honestly have no clue however we'll need to fight for our goal of automatic promotion and the top 5. It's been our goal since the beginning - PCT by 2018. We know we're ready, but so do many, many other teams. We don't have the stars but we do have the spirit and the fight to do our very best. And we won't stop fighting until Zuri - Metzgete, where, like any self-respecting promotion hopeful, we'll collapse.