Miguel - Probably, or it could just be the BMC curse
And the winner is...
Spoiler
Chris Froome
The judges gave Chris Froome the competition, seemingly impressed by his dominant Tour de France win, along with a few other good results like 1st in Romandie and 2nd in Lombardia. His contributions also helped his team win both major rankings this year, which could have been a factor as well.
In a controversial result, Joaquim Rodriguez could only manage second despite taking his maiden Grand Tour victory and winning the WorldTour rankings while Vincenzo Nibali had to settle for third, even after a great season where he won the Giro.
18 Teams make up the WorldTour this year, with 17 remaining from last year. Three have left, with Vacansoleil disbanding and Euskatel relegating with AG2R and two have joined. A reminder the 18 teams given a licence:
Rating 6/10
Argos may have talent, but they really lack the top riders. If Kittel has a bad season and can't repeat last years success where he won the Green Jersey at the Tour, they could be doomed to relegation. Even if he performs most of the riders below him will struggle to get results at this level. They need a few surprises to even survive.
Some strong all-rounders and sprinters back him up, but nothing too big. Barguil could maybe make a Grand Tour top 10, but that is it for GC riders. Sinkeldam is the best sprinter behind Kittel, who at least will have a strong sprint train, while Fedrigo and Geschke may get some good results in the hilly classics. Their most impressive department is talent, with Kern, Arndt, Ludvigsson and Preidler all good talents. With only one big rider though, it may be hard to survive.
UCI WorldTour Prediction - 17th
Astana Pro Team
Rating - 8/10
A very strong squad that should be able to score everywhere apart from the cobbles, Astana should have an enjoyable and successful season. Nibali is the big leader, who won the Giro last year and will be hoping to win another Grand Tour, while the usual stage-racing contingent behind him back him up well, with Fuglsang standing out.
Gasparotto and Iglinsky should do well in the hilly classics, while Guardini is a strong sprinting option for the team. The additions of Majka, Westra, Nocentini and Beletti should add even more power, while talent is also there with Lutsenko, Aru and Niola all predicted to have good career. A good year should be in store.
UCI WorldTour Prediction - 4th
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
Rating 8/10
Belkin look like a very strong team this year, with a few strong additions adding to a developing squad. Mollema leads the squad, and should be a strong Grand Tour rider this season after developing well. Degenkolb is a great addition, able to cover all the classics, with Boom also being a strong cobble specialist.
They are supported by a strong squad, with lots of depth. Gesink, Kelderman, Clarke and Ten Dam are all good GC riders, with Nordhaug and Slagter providing options in the Ardennes. Tjaillingi can support Boom in the cobbles, and Bos is another sprinting option. Maybe a downpoint is the talent in the squad, but Durbridge, Van Baarle, Goos and Hynds should all develop well. A good season should be in store.
UCI WorldTour Prediction - 6th
BMC Racing Team
Rating 7/10
American squad BMC have plenty of depth, but lack a real leader. You could say Gilbert was a sufficient rider to lead the team, but after a torrid 2013 there are major doubts about his ability. Phinney and Van Avermaet are the next best riders, but they aren't massive point scorers by any means.
Ballan and Quinziato add to a strong cobbles team, while there is once more lots of stage-racing depth on offer, but no real leader. Scarponi and Caruso add to Evans and Frank, who should all be able to do well in the hilly classics as well. Maybe a bad point is that they lack talents, with no real standout ones. Mid-table obscurity should be the limit for BMC.
UCI WorldTour Prediction - 11th
Cannondale Pro Cycling
Rating 6/10
Cannondale had a close scare in 2013 with relegation, something which may happen again this year. An over reliance of Sagan led to a poor year for the team, with the Slovak not performing to his giant capabilities. The same problem could happen this year, with no backup signed this year.
Most of the team is built around the sprints and hills, such are Sagan's favourite terrains. Marcato and Barbin join a good support team, while Moser, Viviani, Basso and Caruso can all score well independently on their respective terrains. They don't have future talent in abundance, but with Sagan and Moser very young a decent future should be secure. A relegation battle should happen again but survival should be achievable - just.
Rating 7/10
A newly promoted team, Cofidis look well set to remain in the WorldTour after signing some strong riders. Betancur is the big leader, signed from AG2R, while Gallopin should provide strong support in the classics after joining from Radioshack.
Behind them there isn't great support, but some strong climbers in the form of Riblon, Navarro and Coppel should be able to provide some decent results as well as supporting Betancur. Markus and Petit will provide a sprinting option for the team, while Garcia is a good allrounder. A good future is also secure, with the three biggest riders all being under 25. A good year and future look to be the forecast for Cofidis.
UCI WorldTour Prediction - 13thEdited by FroomeDog99 on 18-10-2013 17:43
I agree with baia as well. Its been my favourite story lately. Its nice to see NetApp promote! No surprise really though. They do really well on this db.
baseballlover312, 06-03-14 : "Nuke Moscow...Don't worry Russia, we've got plenty of love to go around your cities"
Sarah Palin, 08-03-14 (CPAC, on Russian aggression) : "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke"
Big thanks to jdog for making this AMAZING userbar!
547984 - I know, it will be interesting to see how they fare.
2014 WorldTour Preview: Part 3
FDJ.fr
Rating 6/10
FDJ have improved for this season, and should be able to get out of a relegation fight because of this. Sprinting duo Bouhanni and Demare should do well wherever they go, while Bardet and Pinot are good climbers who should be able to take care of the stage-races.
Behind them, the support isn't great to be honest though. Bole and Pichon are probably the only leadouts on offer, and they are below average. The same could be said for the climbing support, with Mourey and Geniez the best on offer. Their is also a small cobbled team, with Ladagnous and Offredo. At least the team is ready for the future, with all four leaders below 23! Those four alone should be enough to survive, but it won't be easy.
UCI WorldTour Prediction - 14th
Garmin - Sharp
Garmin are usually one of the most consistent squads, but this year could be an exception. With leader Hesjedal declining and Martin leaving, Talansky will have to step into the lead stage-racing role despite not having fully developed. Terpstra is the other leader, but he is hardly the best cobbler around.
The stage-racing depth is pretty good, with Danielson, Dennis and Clement adding to a good climbing team. Nuyens is the only real cobbled support though, while Farrar leads a bunch of below-par sprinters. At least the future is Ok, for the American squad, with Dumoulin, Morton, Howes and of course Talansky all having a long time left at the top. For the meanwhile though, Garmin should face a grim season. Survival should happen, but only just.
UCI WorldTour Prediction - 15th
Katusha Team
Despite still having some older leaders, Katusha should still manage a good season if their big riders perform. Purito isn't past his peak after a great 2013 and will hope to repeat that, while Moreno and Kristoff should back him up well in the hills, cobbles and sprints.
Behind them Spilak and Intxausti should be good helpers in the stage-races, while Kolobnev should help out well in the hills. They also have Ventoso to help out in the sprints. The only real weak point is the talent, with Chernetskiy being the only one with a bright future. Improve that though, and Katusha will have a great squad.
UCI WorldTour Prediction - 8th
Lampre - Merida
One of the weakest teams last year, Lampre have strengthened well and a solid finish should be achievable. Costa comes in from Movistar and should lead the team well, with climbers like Niemiec, Ulissi, Pozzovivo and Cunego backing him up.
Pozzato should get some good results on the cobbles, but maybe lacks support while Ferrari leads a relatively strong sprinting contingent. Another strong point is their talent, with Ulissi, Wackermann, Anacona and Villella all top talents. A good season for Lampre should be around the corner.
UCI WorldTour Prediction - 9th
Lotto - Belisol
Lotto bring a strong squad one more into 2014, and can look forward to a good year. Greipel and Van Den Broeck should both pull in plenty of points on their respective terrains, while Vanmarcke should provide an upgrade on the outgoing Roelandts.
Boekmans joins an already strong sprinting core built around Greipel's train in a transfer which further strengthens the Belgian team. Wellens and Vanendert should prove to be sound domestiques for VDB, while Bak is a good cobbling lieutenant. The future also looks bright with Wellens still to improve and Vanmarcke set to have a long, successful future. They may not have the power to be a dominant force, but things are looking good for Lotto.
UCI WorldTour Prediction - 8th
Movistar Team
Movistar's transition from mid-table team to one of the dominant teams continues this season, with the Spanish squad growing once more. Quintana and Valverde should both prove great assets wherever there are Mountains and Hills, along with newcomer Uran from Sky.
Those may be the three big riders but the talent doesn't stop there. Nearly every rider in the squad is strong and can be valuable domestiques. Visconti, Amador and the Izagirre brothers should all prove to be good point scorers as well, along with Rojas who is a decent sprinter. Movistar also look well set for the future, with Quintana, Herrada and Ion Izagirre all predicted to have great futures.
Chris Froome - Sky Procycling
Phillipe Gilbert - BMC Racing Team
Vincenzo Nibali - Astana Pro Team
Roman Kreuziger - Team Saxo Tinkoff
Alejandro Valverde - Movistar Team
Team Argos - Shimano
Astana Pro Team
BMC Racing Team
Cofidis Solutions Crédits
Katusha Team
Team NetApp
Orica - GreenEdge
Team Saxo Bank
Radioshack - Leopard
Carlos Betancur
Dan Martin
Rui Costa
Peter Velits
Reinardt JV Rensburg
Rafal Majka
