TMM: Potentially the worst team in the WT, but this disguises some strong riders. Heavy reliance on Boasson-Hagen could be their downfall. They will be looking at Top 10’s in GC’s for points. Both Menchov and Roche are good riders, but are both either beyond their best, or yet to reach it. The focus will be on the Short Tours, and maybe a few One-Days with Edvald.

F97: AG2R had an interesting transfer season, with massive transfers. They brought in Edvald Boasson Hagen, Denis Menchov and Jonathan Tiernan - Locke too, amongst others. However, there were some important assets that left the team, like Hutarovich or Nocentini. They have EBH for the sprints, Menchov and Roche for the Grand Tours, Tiernan - Locke for the hilly races, but overall this squad is barely strong enough to stay WT, but I believe that they still gonna survive, thanks to a fantastic season by EBH.

Ratings - TMM:5 F97:4

TMM: One of the weaker teams. A climbing based team, with a small sprint capability. Iglinsky is their best rider, a strong puncher expected to aim for the Ardennes. Henao will surely go for a Youth Jersey at a GT, probably the Giro. Viviani is their hope for a bunch finish, but he is far from the best. They have good depth in the mountains so expect lots of breaks.

F97: The kazakh team is going to be a mix of really young, and really old riders. They've a pretty good leader for the Ardennes in Iglinskiy, and the supporting cast is a also ok for him. As for the GTs, they have Cataldo and Henao, these two might target the young rider jerseys (Henao), and try some long-range attacks as outsiders. They have to good sprinters, Bozic and Viviani are surely going to be able to grab some wins. Now onto the oldies, there is Vinokurov, Moncoutie and Tiralongo, they will surely teach the younger generation to some "tricks", that can be really important.

Ratings - TMM:6 F97:5

TMM: Classed as the second strongest team, BMC really are a strong outfit. Gilbert will look to repeat his 2011, and will lead the Ardennes. Ballan will be a strong challenger on the cobbles. Last years Tour winner Evans is expected to make his return there, but it will be tough to win. They have a lot of youth depth as well. Their only weakness is Ferrai as their only sprinter. BMC will be very active when the road goes up.

F97: The oldies strike back. That could be the motto of Team BMC this year, but they have some pretty talented youngsters too, and a superstar, Philippe Gilbert, at his best.
Their GTs are going to be strong with Cadel Evans and Tejay Van Garderen, but they also have, pure climber Rolland, who was one of the most interesting additions of the off-season. Their sprinting squad is going to be their main sprinters, they have no real superstarts here. Roberto Ferrari and Greg Van Avarmaet. Meh. That won't bring them too many points in the stronger fields. However, they're going to be beasty in the cobbles, one of the main opponents of OPQS. Ballan as their leader, than they have Phinney, Burghardt and Quinziato to help. That brings us to their next superstar, Philippe Gilbert, who can basically do what he wants on the hills. Really strong rider, it'll be interesting to see his duel with Rodriguez in the Ardennes.

Ratings - TMM:9 F97:8

TMM: The Basque team can do one thing, climb. Sanchez is their main man, and is capable of a GT win. Kiserlovksi is his main support. All hopes will be pinned on Sanchez, with a small squad lacking in strong depth. They will get better with time. The GC is their only possible focus, along with breaks.

F97: Euskaltel is probably the most one-dimensional team, that has ever been assembled. Just climbing, nothing else. Their main leader is Sammy Sanchez, if he has bad days on the key days, Euskaltel is almost surely going to relegate, as the've nobody else that would score many points for them. They've got great support for him, with the likes of Duarte, Kiserlovski and Caruso.

Ratings - TMM:4 F97:4

TMM: The French hopes for the future. FDJ are another team to forgo the sprints. Flecha was a great signing, and will lead in Flanders. Pinot and Kreuziger may not win any GC’s, but podiums are possible for both. The Tour is expected to be their main focus for the year. There should be enough depth in the squad for them to be a surprisingly good package.

F97: FDJ is a really interesting team, they have their leaders, and basically some fighters, but nothing else. They have Pinot and Kreuziger as young GT leaders, and they have the old mentor of talents in their cobbles leader, Juan Antonio Flecha. Their sprinting is almost non-existent, they only have maybe Soupe, that can score some points for them. They have great support on the cobbles, and average at the mountains, it'll be interesting to see how will they do.

Ratings - TMM:6 F97:5

TMM: Down the bottom end of the field, surprisingly. Danielson is the man. He should get some Top 10’s in GC. Vansummerent will lead the cobbles, but he isn’t expected to win, maybe podium. Farrar is the lead sprinter, and could grab a win or two. This is perhaps the most evenly balanced team, even if it lacks a world beater. Should be competitive all season, if not winning.

F97: Garmin had a big soldout in the transfer season, and didn't really seem to make tries to get great replacements, and overall the squad weakened a lot with the leave of Hesjedal. They still have Farrar for the sprints, but lately Farrar is not able to win as much as he used to. For the GTs they still have plenty of choices, but I guarantee that Danielson and Daniel Martin won't get too many points from those. The only strategy for them, that could realistically work is sending strong squads, to littler races, and try to owerpower them, if the startlist is a bit weaker. I think Garmin is in serious relegation problems.

Ratings - TMM:5.5 F97:3.5

TMM: Katusha will be right in the fight for the top. Between Rodriguez, Gesink and Hesjedal they could win all the GC’s. Pozzato will be competitive in Flanders, and Bouhanni can win a sprint or two. This team is strong everywhere, and in depth. The main focus will be the GT’s, but you can’t count them out anywhere. The only weakness is that Bouhanni is far from the best sprinters.

F97: The russian outfit got a lot stronger during the transfer season, Gesink, Hesjedal, Pozzato and Bouhanni (also Veelers) are incredibly great transfers, and they were real bargains too. Kudos to the team - manager. Their climbing is one of the strongest leader-wise, however their support might be a bit weak compared to Sky's. They have the biggest favourite for the Ardennes, and they have couple of decent sprinters too. Pozzato is going to be great in the cobbles, but he will only have Paolini to help him, that might be a problem. However, their squad is great to be honest, they can aim for wins in almost any kind of terrain.

Ratings - TMM:9.5 F97:8

TMM: One of the older squads, but still competitive. Scarponi can win a GC, Cunego can win any One-Day and Pettachi can win a sprint. Decent strength in depth as well. The focus will be the Giro, with the GC win a clear goal. Besides the age, the main weakness is the lack of real leaders. After the top 3 there doesn’t seem to be a true winner.

F97: Lampre was a bit inactive during the transfers, they didn't really change their squads. They have a good italian core, their leaders are all italian, Cunego, Scarponi and Petacchi, they have lots of experience, they are going to be serious contenders in all the italian races. If they do good in the Giro, they will be secure from relegation, I believe.

Ratings - TMM:6 F97:5

TMM: A very strong squad which could be underestimated. Sagan could win any race he likes, and probably will. Nibali will have a tough choice, Giro or Tour, but he can win either. Behind those two, Moreno, Kristoff, Moser and Oss can all win races. A strong support set of riders means Liquigas should be strong all season long. The weakness will be finding the right balance of aims.

F97: The team of Sagan and Nibali. Liquigas will depend a lot on their leader's performances, they're going to be really strong in the mountains, that way Nibali has a chance at the Giro, and they'll be in full support of Sagan in the Tour aiming for the points jersey. They're really strong in climbing, Moreno, Nieve and Navarro are the main names of the supporting armada. Their sprinters are quite good, Sagan and Kristoff are going to have many good results (mainly Sagan). They don't have any cobblers, that's a mistake, and their TT-ing is also not too strong, although bringing in Swedish TT-champion Larsson in the transfers.

Ratings - TMM:8.5 F97:7

TMM: Again a good squad, with several aims. Greipel is one of the top 3 sprinters, and has the support to place him well, even if he doesn’t have a real final lead out man. Chavanel will lead the cobbles, but again lacks really good support. VdB will aim for GC’s, and could win a GT with some luck. This is a nicely balanced squad, but needed a few more key lieutenants.

F97: The belgian outfit is a really strong one. They have good leaders for every terrain with Vandenbroeck leading the climbs, Vanendert the hill, Chavanel on the cobbles, and of course, Greipel in the sprints. These leaders are 9/10 in my opinion, the problem is that, that they won't score too much with their other domestiques. They have Meersman, Bak, Flahaut and Devolder, but these riders aren't going to get too much wins/placements alone, but of course, they are going to be valuable as helpers.

Ratings - TMM:7.5 F97:7

TMM: Lower rated, but with some good leaders. Valverde makes his return, and will instantly be competitive. He isn’t expected to win a GT, but a podium is real, as is an Ardennes win. Costa and De Gendt provide great support. Rojas is past it but, he can still deliver a few results. The more you look at the squad the better it gets.

F97: Movistar has almost every kind of riders, (except cobblers) but they're not the best in any disciplines. Their best luck might be in the hills, with Valverde and Rui Costa. Their climbing squad is good, with Valverde, De Gendt and Cobo, they'll surely be an interesting team to watch. They have great climbing domestiques, they just lack a really strong GC contender. (Valverde won't win a GT, I believe) They have some good sprinters, that are a bit punchy, Rojas and Ventoso, and they have Van Hummel, who will struggle on the hills.

Ratings - TMM:7 F97:6

TMM: Highly rated, and deservingly so. Boonen is a strong leader, aiming to win in Flanders and sprints. His cobble support is unmatched, and that could be the difference. Kittel can win a lot of sprints, but lacks a great lead-out man. Martin, Leipheimer and Nocentini can all deliver some GC Top 10’s. This is a huge squad, which is strong enough everywhere.

F97: Tom Boonen is going to be the key here. If performs good, then Quickstep is going to be one of the best teams, but if not, then they will really underperform. Their cobbles squad is incredible, they have Terpstra or Tosatto for help, which is just very strong. Their sprinting squad was reinforced with the arrive of Marcel Kittel, the german will also be one of the key elements of success for them. Their climbing squad is pretty weak, they have no real climbing force apart from Leipheimer, and this is just... weak. The Ardennes also won't be their terrain, maybe Nocentini can get some top 10's, but nothing more I think. There is one more really important guy on the team. Tony Martin. The WCITT champion rides for Quickstep, and he can aim for week - long stage-races with his superior TT ability. He'll be really important, that's for sure.

Ratings - TMM:9 F97:8

TMM: Yet another good squad. Goss won MSR in 2011, and will be picking up wins again this season. Gerrans and Albasini can win over any hills as well. A strong sprint line up, with Goss, Davis, Impey and others. They lack a real GC contender and a cobbles leader. They will be picking up points almost everywhere, if not wins.

F97: The team with full of sprinters. nr2. However, they're not as one-dimensional as Rabobank, they also have Gerrans and Albasini, those two should bring some decent results in the hilly classics. As for the sprints, they have Goss, and then his leadouts.Davis, Impey, Geraint Thomas, Keukeleire or Dean are all great leadouts, and Goss will need them in order to beat the other top riders at the Tour de France. Geraint Thomas is also going to be their leader on the cobblestones, he was a really great addition to Orica, although a bit overpriced in my opinion.

Ratings - TMM:7 F97:6

TMM: Totally remodelled. Cavendish leads the most in depth sprint team of the year. LLSanchez will lead GC alone, which could be an issue. As well as lacking GC hopes, there is a noticeable lack of TT and cobbles winners as well. It’s a one-dimensional squad, with clear obvious goals. They should get plenty of wins, from a small squad.

F97: The team with full of sprinters. They have LuLu for the mountains and the hills, but that's all. They are complete sprinters team, after their big soldout of climber in the transfer season. They brought in Cavendish, Feillu, Freire, Lightart, and they had Bos and Renshaw. These riders are mainly going to be leadouts for Cavendish, but they'll get their own chances too. It'll be really interesting to see, how they'll perform, they're rather one-dimensional, and depend a lot from Cavendish.

Ratings - TMM:7 F97:6

TMM: Focused describes RSNT. GC is that focus. The Schlecks, Horner, Kloden, Zubeldia can all get very good GC finishes. Spartacus will fill in for the Cobbles, and is the only true challenger to Boonen on paper. They lack a good sprinter though, but enough depth should cover that deficit. Of course the GC’s are the focus, but which one will be the main one.

F97: Another superteam, this time in climbing. The two Schlecks are going to be the main opponents of the Sky train, and don't forget, RSNT also has superior mountain domestiques like, Klöden, Zubeldia, Horner or Monfort. Their sprinting squad is quite average with Bennati and Swift, nothing too amazing. However, when it comes to the cobbles, they have the legend. Fabian Cancellara, the biggest opponent of Boonen, already looking forward to their duels. Their TT squad is also beasty, and in the Ardennes the Schlecks can compete pretty well, I believe.

Ratings - TMM:8.5 F97:8

TMM: The strongest team on paper by some distance. Wiggins and Froome should win at least one GT between them, if not 2. There is a very long list of fantastic support, who would lead anywhere else. Demare is the sprinter, and can win a few. There is a decent cobbles squad, but without a true contender. The depth is worryingly good as well.

F97: They're the best team arguably. Incredibly strong climbing, their domestiques would be leaders at other teams, their cobbles squad is also above average, but there they lack a leader. Their sprinting weakened a lot, but Demare and Hutarovich are decent, and they can get some wins from them too. In the Ardennes they have Gasparotto, who is always capable of a top 5, or even more. They main goals are going to be basically every stage-race, the TDF win should their main aim.

Ratings - TMM:9.5 F97:9

TMM: A nicely balanced looking squad here. Contador is the undisputed leader, with clear focused support from Anton and Porte amongst others. Nuyens leads cobbles, but is not expected to win. Chicci leads the sprints, but again is not expected to win. The GC is the main focus, and should deliver at least once. Decent depth again, so Saxobank should be good all season. But take away Contador and they would struggle.

F97: This team is not that strong. The reason, why I ranked them here is just that. Contador. I feel like that he'll rule the GTs, with his pretty, sorry to say that, shitty team (apart from Anton). So, they've Contador, Antón and Porte. That's all basically for the climbers. Then they have Nuyens and Kroon for the cobbles and Ardennes, the're no more than top 10 candidates, and there is a sprinter, who is not elite, and struggles with every hill, that's Chicchi. That's the team, it's not strong, but I think Contador and Antón will save them, and they gonna get a great season with Contador winning every race he particpates in.

Ratings - TMM:7 F97:6

TMM: Completely changed. Only 7 riders remain. Guardini leads for sprints, and should get several wins, with support from JJHaedo amongst others. Boom leads for Flanders, but lacks the ability and support to win. Uran heads the GC front, which could surprise with some good results, if no wins. A big enough squad to go all season, especially in breaks.

F97: Another team, that got stronger during the transfers, Vacansoleil landed Urán,Boom,Guardini,Intxausti,Ciolek and Kruijswijk among some others, and they got really stronger, despite selling De Gendt and Poels. Their climbing is the strongest point of the team, The new signings are really going to be interesting. Vacansoleil also has loads of fighters, they should participate in lots of breakaways.

Ratings - TMM:7 F97:6

TMM: A flat based team for sure. Good healiners in Hoste and Scherlinckx who will almost certainly be very competitive. Van Djik can also deliver a good finishing kick to boost the squad. Expect a focus around the cobbles though

F97: Great cobbles squad, they're going to be great there, but nothing more.

Ratings - TMM:3 F97:2

TMM: Lead by the upcoming Betancur, and with the former greats Di Luca and Garzelli the mountians and hills provide only joy. In addition Napolitano can really sprint well, so wins there are easily possible. Decent depth is a bonus.

F97: Betancourt, Garzelli and Di Luca are all suitable for some wins, looking great in the hills.

Ratings - TMM:3.5 F97:3

TMM: Veloso and Palomares provide the only real chance at points here. But its an aggressive squad so expect to see them often in breaks.

F97: They have Veloso, but that won't be enough to get points... Some top 10s maybe.

Ratings - TMM:1 F97:1.5

TMM: A team that’s good in stage races. Poels and Pellizotti can both win races. Fedrigo is a well known escape artist. Vandenburgh and Blythe can pick up wins on the flat too. Some balance in the squad should see them compete strongly.

F97: Androni has great GC riders, they will be in a hard fight with Farnese through the year.

Ratings - TMM:4 F97:3.5

TMM: Decent squad of riders here. No-one stands out, but De la Fuente can be relied on to attack. Its another aggressive squad, but lacks winners.

F97: Sanchez Pimienta and De la Fuente will lead these spanish matadors. Not bad, but they lack consistency because of the breaks.

Ratings - TMM:2.5 F97:2

TMM: A mixed squad. Taaramae is a good stage racer, and a win is expected from him at some point. He will have some solid support as well. Expect lots of attacks from the balanced squad, who should be up there come the end of the season.

F97: Weakened a lot, only Taramaae remained from the big names, but he is good enough to do it on his own.

Ratings - TMM:3.5 F97:3

TMM: A good squad with some winners. Pozzovivo is a great pure climber, and wins will not be far away when the road is steep. Modolo is a strong sprinter who should bag some good results. Good climbing support bodes well.

F97: Pozzovivo, Modolo and Pirazzi are all strong riders at CT level, will be a great battle with Androni and Farnese.

Ratings - TMM:3.5 F97:3.5

TMM: Kelderman headlines, and has some solid support. Belletti is the hope in sprints, and could get a few wins. A fairly climbing based squad can bring in points thanks to some depth.

F97: Kelderman, Chavez, Duggan are great riders, but the team lost its uniqueness, I didn't like their transfers.

Ratings - TMM:3.5 F97:2.5

TMM: Three big names, Basso, Rogers and Mollema. GC’s are a clear focus. Favilli can also get good results when he survives hills other sprinters can’t. One of the larger CT squads adds more hope.

F97: A team with strong GC riders, they're going to be the favourites for the Conti GT.

Ratings - TMM:4 F97:3.5

TMM: A large squad provides the ability to compete all season. A good balanced squad, but lacking a clear leader in any category.

F97: Devenys, De Waele, De Weert are great, they kept their core, this should bring some results.

Ratings - TMM:3.5 F97:2.5

TMM: Hidden strengths lie here. Markov is a good finisher, Ovechkin can TT and Rohregger can climb. Perhaps lacking quality depth, but far from the worst.

F97: Some great sprinters in Trussov and Firsanov, and above the average in TTs.

Ratings - TMM:2.5 F97:2

TMM: Coppel can win GC’s for the team. He has some good quality support in the area as well. Simon will surprise a lot of riders when he gets over hills and sprints. Good depth means this is one of the better squads.

F97: Coppel, and some other crazy frenchies

Ratings - TMM:4 F97:3.5

TMM: A nice all round squad. Boivin and Kreder are good sprinters. Le Mevel is a decent climber. The only real lacking area is the cobbles, but results else where should be found.

F97: Great transfers from Garmin, and Boivin is going to be great in the sprints.

Ratings - TMM:3 F97:2

TMM: One name, Degenkolb. By some distance the best sprinter in the CT. The teams lacks both climb and cobble leaders, but the flat strength is good, as is the squad size.

F97: Degenkolb should finish the other sprinters, he is much stronger, he'll get loads of points for Argos.

Ratings - TMM:4 F97:4

TMM: The best CT teams without a doubt. Hushovd and Turgot are the best cobblers. Velits is one of the best stage racers. Voeckler is the best puncher. A big squad, quality support, all round ability. Would fit nicely into the WT

F97: The french team has the best team, I believe Voeckler, Hushovd and Velits are great at WT-level too.

Ratings - TMM:6 F97:5

TMM: Good leaders in Barta and Schulze. Good support in Konig, Huzarski and Schorn. But they lack cobbles and have a small squad.

F97: Like this team, strong riders, shame that they don't have an "owner."

Ratings - TMM:3 F97:2

TMM: Only really do cobbles and sprints, but they do them to a good level. Nice squad size will help a lot. Nothing outstanding, but nothing bad either

F97: Really promising youngsters, they'll get great results on the cobbles, most likely.

Ratings - TMM:3 F97:2

TMM: Winning sprinters in Forster, Keough and Van Poppel. Decent squad in depth, who can challenge on most terrains.

F97: Great sprinters in the squad, they will surely feature in thos bunch sprints.

Ratings - TMM:3.5 F97:2