1) Alejandro Valverde (Proximus-Trek)
Valverde is simply too good for the CT, his combination of Mountain and Hill stat will make him a feared enemy for all other riders, and to top it up he got the best Stamina stat of the lot. Valverde will point at the calender and say "I will win that race". Valverdes big weakness is his limited race days

2) Jose Alarcon (Aker Solutions)
Last years big climber, and he is no doubt among the best this year aswell, maybe one of the few who could beat Valverde up a mountain? He got the single best Mountain stat, but his lack og Stamina and Hill skills makes me put him behind Valverde. Alarcon's maybe biggest strenght is that he will have a lot of race days over the course of the season, when entering a mountain race there is a big chanse Alarcon will be there.

3) José Rujano (Pokerstars.com)
One of the great additions to the CT this year, and the second Venezuelan rider in the top 3. After Alarcon I believe he's the only rider who can beat Valverde toe to toe and he should give his team alot of good results.

4) Domenico Pozzovivo (Vespa-Aprillia-De Rosa)
Another strong addition to the CT, and the first Italian on our top climbers list. Pozzo is a strong climber with a good combination of stats that will assure his team alot of good results.

5) Gianpaolo Caruso (Ferrari - ERG)
Another italian on the list, and another strong climber. Caruse got a good combination of Mountain, Hill and Stamina and will be up there in all mountain stages he participates in. All in all a top climber

6) Franco Pellizotti (Venchi)
The third Italian in a row, and another strong sprinter. He got a bit weaker pure mountain stat than the others, but saves it by good hill and stamina stat. A nice rider who, altought being weaker than last year, will be among the top scorers this season.

7) Marco Marzano (Volkswagen-Siemens)
The fourth Italian in a row, but the first not riding for an Italian team. He got a strong combination of Mountain, Hills and Stamina and while not at the same level as the real top guys should be able to score alot of good results.

8) John Gadret (Jayco - Red Bull)
The first, and only Frenchie, on the climbers list. He's also weaker than last year, but are still strong in the mountains and the hills. Gadret will be a dangerous rider in all races he enters and should be able to give Red Bull a dimension I felt they lacked last year.

9) Nicolas Roche (Pirelli - Alfa Romeo)
The rider with the weakest mountain stat on this list, but his strenght in hills and his stamina makes me believe he deserves the 9th spot. Roche is a strong climber, who will target races with a combination of mountains and hills, and aslong as Valverde dosen't enter aswell I believe he will win them.

10) Magno Nazaret (Emu Export)
Nazaret is a strong climber, but he lacks somewhat in hills and stamina, still I believe he deserves to be on this list becuse of his skill in the mountains. Nazaret will give Emu a good amount of points this year.

1) Francesco Ginnani (Vespa-Aprillia-De Rosa)
No doubt the strongest puncheur in the CT, even if he had a weak season last year I believe that this year is Ginnani's year. A rider that with a good season could win the individual rankings.

2) Alejandro Valverde (Proximus-Trek)
He's the single strongest rider in the CT this year, and so he also features on this list, even if he does not win it. Valverde are strong in the hills, got a sick stamina and could accelerate away from a cheeta... If he rides the hilly classics we could see some epic battles between him and Ginnani.

3) Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Cerne)
He's the last remaining star of the relegated Cerne squad, and he should be able to bring them some good results. He's combination of hills, flat, stamina and fighter skill makes me believe that he will get a lot of good results this season.

4) Dimitri Claeys (Bianchi)
A strong puncheur riding for the team I believe is the strongest this season. Claeys are a really strong hilly rider and we should expect alot of good results from him this season

5) Maxime Monfort (Bianchi)
Monfort makes Bianchi the first team to have 2 riders on the same list. And I feel that that shows how strong the Bianchi hilly team are. Monfort will get a lot of good results over the year, he simply got a great mixture of stats.

6) Jonathan Bellis (Rapha Condor)
Bellis is a really strong puncheur with a fantastic stamina and will do attack. He will be one of the most important riders for the British-African squad this year and should be able to get some good results. He's also one of the best sprinters among the puncheurs, so if a small group are there at the end Bellis will be the man to watch

7) Nicolas Roche (Pirelli - Alfa Romeo)
Roche are the second rider to be on two lists, and he really deserves it. Roche is a strong rider who will stay among the best all the way, and the harder the hills get the better Roche will be.

8) Juan José Cobo (Bianchi)
You might see what I mean now, Bianchi got a sick hilly squad. Cobo were one of the most important riders on last years promoter Santander, and still he's in my opinion the 3rd best puncheur in the team. SICK!

9) Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (California Giant)
Sánchez takes a step down this season from the pro tour, and he will be one of the strongest puncheurs in the division. However I feel that he's really starting to fade and this might be his last season with a real shot at glory? Still he's among the best puncheurs and should score points for California Giant

10) Matthias Kessler (Trilux - Falke)
Kessler could just as much been number 9, or number 15 for that sake. When we gets down to this level it's really a good depth in the CT. Still I believe Kessler got a good mixture of stats and that he will be able to do really well this year

1) Mikhail Ignatiev (T.CS Bank - OJSC)
It's no doubt, he's simply the strongest TimeTrialist and it's a shame he's not riding in the Pro Tour this year. He's a strong competitor to win the individual rankings and his combination of TT, hills, flat, stamina ++ makes him a favorite in all races he enter.

2) Kai Reus (VolksWagen-Siemens)
Reus is like a weaker version of Ignatiev, a good allrounder with strenght in time trials and hills. I think there will be some good battles between those 2 over the season, but that Ignatiev will win them.

3) Lucas Schädlich (VolksWagen-Siemens)
Lucas is the best pure Timetrialer and should be a strong rider who takes a good amount of stage wins over the season, and also an important rider in TTTs. Together with Ignatiev he's the only rider with a TT stat of 80 or more.

4) Lars Boom (Rothaus-Aegon)
A rider much like Ignatiev and Reus, but a bit weaker in my eyes. He will fight with those 2 and should be able to secure Rothaus some really good results

5) Zakkari Dempster (Hollister) [No jersey]
A strong, pure Timetrial-specialist who should be able to secure a nice string of good results for his team.

6) Ian Stannard (Rapha Condor)
He was one of the best Timetrialists last year, and should be one of the this year aswell. He will keep winning stages and secure good results for his team

7) Kristjan Koren (California Giant)
The 4th rider who can both timetrial and go over hills. He's a strong rider who rumours say will be trained even better. Expect him to score a lot of points for his american team

8) Gustav Larsson (Aker Solutions)
Gustav is a strong timetrialist, a good puncheur and a good climber. He got the stats to have a really good season and if you can't get rid of him up the mountains you can just wait for him to beat you in the timetrial.

9) Andrew Tennant (Rapha Condor)
While a bit weaker in the pure TT stat his combination of flat and stamina should make a him a strong threat in the timetrials

10) Miles Olman (Bimbo Nutella)
He's a strong timetrialist, but severely lack in other stats and that could keep him away from getting the real top results. Still Olman is a nice rider.

1) Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bpost)
Last years big cobblestar are back in the CT, for a new team that gives him even better support than Ikea did last year. Can he loose? Ofc he can, but still he's the big favorite in every classic he starts. His only weakness may be that there will be too many captains on his team?

2) Adam Blythe (Rapha Condor)
Before last season he was seen as the strongest cobbler in the CT, this year I place him behind Vanspeybrouck based on last years results. Still he's the main competitor for Bpost and with luck he could get the same results as Vanspeybrouck got last season.

3) Nikolas Maes (Bpost)
The same team got 2 riders in the top 3? It's true, Maes got a really strong combination of stats and could battle Vanspeybrouck for the leader position in their squad. If they manage to decide who's the leader, that leader will have the best helper around.

4) Frederik Nolf (Pokerstars.com)
Nolf didn't have the best season last year, but this season he will ride for a team that showed strenght in the cobbles last year. He got a strong team behind him and is a really strong cobbler himself, so expect a lot of top 3/5/10s from Nolf this year

5) Tom Veelers (Koppert)
Another team that have invested heavily in a cobble-squad, and Veelers are their captain. He aint at the same level as Blythe/Maes/Vansepybrouck but should be a threat in every cobble race, and except for Blythe he's stronger than the favorites in a sprint

6) Bernhard Eisel (Bimbo Nutella)
Eisel is a classical combination of cobbler and sprinter, and in the CT he will be the strongest sprinter (together with Breschel) able to survive the cobblestones. If the others have not been able to get rid of Eisel before the final he could suprise everyone and steal the victory

7) Niels Albert (Bpost)
The 3rd Bpost rider here. Last year he was leuitenant for Vanspeybrouck, this year I believe his role will be more of a pure domestique. But if he gets the chanse his a rider who could win classics, so if you feel you can control Maes and Vanspeybrouck you still gotta watchout for Albert.

8) Fabien Taillefour (Koppert)
Most likely second in command for the Koppert team, but a rider who can get great results if given the chanse.

9) Matti Breschel (Saab - Scania)
It's really tight between the different riders at this level but I feel that Breschel's sprinting gives him a slight edge that puts him right infront of the others.

10) Amadou Bakari (Rapha Condor)
I've decided to put the big wildcard on 10th place, he could be one of the best riders, or one that dosen't do anything at all. His strenght is over the cobblestones, his weakness is pretty much any other terrain.

1) Daniele Bennati (Puma - SAP)
Perhaps the best sprinter in the world? And to top that he also got his entire team built around him. Simply put, the Italian supersprinter hopes to take the CT as a tornado. And his DS prays for him to win everything he enters, since that's his teams only plan

2) Danilo Napolitano (UniCredit)
A really good sprinter, with a exceptional acceleration. A rider who should be able to win stages all around. He's also the biggest leader of UniCredit and they got a good team to support him.

3) Erik Mohs (Pokerstars.com)
Last year Pokerstars had a close to legendary sprinttrain, they were always at the front of flat stages. It were lead by Mohs, and Mohs will lead it once again. I expect him to keep getting good results this season

4) Peter Kennaugh (Rapha Condor)
He was a part of the legendary sprint team they had last season, and this season he's the only one left. He's a great sprinter and got the best flat skill of the top sprinters. I believe that this will secure him a lot of good results this season

5) Mark Cavendish (Proximus-Trek)
Another strong british sprinter that should be able to score a lot of good results this year. He's not as strong as the best (Bennati) but a sprinter who should do well this year

6) Gerald Ciolek (Bianchi)
Ciolek is the great sprinter of the Bianchi squad, and a rider that I believe will do better this year than last year. He got a good combination of sprinting and flat stat

7) Maxime Vantomme (Rothaus-Aegon)
Vantomme is the best paid of all the sprinters and one of the big hopes for the new Rothaus squad. Last season forgotten Vantomme should be able to get some good results, but I seriously doubt he will be worth his wage.

8) Allan Davis (Hollister) [no jersey]
The first and only Austrialian on the list and he should be able to keep the tradition of strong Austrailien sprinters. His team depends on him to secure a nice amount of stage wins. He's also the best sprinter over the hills

9) Roman Maksimov (CSC - Orbea)
The russian sprinter got the best acceleration of all the sprinters, and should be able to secure stage wins by accelerating past on the last 100 meter

10) Greg Van Avermaet (Bimbo Nutella)
The belgian fastman is a strong sprinter with good flat stats and even some nice cobble stats. He is not the best sprinter there is, but should do well this season

1) Alejandro Valverde (Proximus-Trek)
I know I put him as the best climber, and the second best puncheur, but I believe that he's also the best stage racer. As I said earlier, Valverde will be the favorite in every race he enters. But then again, Waghlon is his team leader, maybe Valverde will concentrate on the flat classics this year?

2) Domenico Pozzovivo (Vespa-Aprillia-De Rosa)
The strong Italian stage racer of Vespa should be able to win sevral stage races for Vespa this year. Simply put he adds a dimension that Vespa has not had earlier

3) Fabio Duarte (Venchi)
Duarte is a strong climber and a good Timetrialist that will be really important for Venchi this year. If Duarte is able to stay with the others up the mountains he will win in the timetrial and win the race.

4) Jose Rujano (Pokerstars.com)
Rujano is not only a strong climber, but also good in the hills and timetrials. Expect him to be able to win stage races this year

5) Jose Alarcon (Aker Solutions)
Already stated to be one of the best climbers, he lack TT skill, but his climbing makes him a good stage racer non-the-less

6) Vadim Ratiy (VolksWagen-Siemens)
Ratiy is a strong climber and a good timetrialist. He's also the lowest paid rider of all the top stage racers and should grant good results compared to the wage

7) Jurgen Van den Broeck (Pirelli - Alfa Romeo)
Far from the best climber, but his hill and TT stats makes me put him this high. I'm sure that Van den Broeck will have a top season this year and secure his team alot of points!

8) Gianpaolo Caruso (Ferrari - ERG)
Another top stage racer riding for a new team, and another rider that should get some good results over the season. He got really good support skills with a great Stamina and Resistance, he's a rider that never gives up.

9) Carlos Castaño (Pirelli - Alfa Romeo)
A strong climber, puncheur and an okay timetrialist. Pretty much a good stage racer, he's weaker than he was while doing well in the Giro last year, but still a strong rider.

10) Mikhayil Krasnoperov (Emu Export)
A strong climber and timetrialist, but not so good in the hills. Still he's a good stage racers and should give his team a nice amount of points this year

1) David Boucher (Pokerstars.com)
A good fighter with a nice flat and stamina. He are a rider who could win something from a breakaway

2) Niki Terpstra (Pokerstars.com)
Another Pokerstars fighter and the most attack-willing rider in the CT (85 fighting), he's a rider that all spectators love

3) Adam Petrie-Armstrong (Vespa-Aprillia-De Rosa)
A strong fighter who I know has won a stage in a breakaway before, could he repeat it this year?

4) Thomas Voeckler (WWE)
A legendary fighter with skills both on the flat, in the mountains and in the hills. For many cycling fans Voeckler is a true hero

5) Amets Txurruka (WWE)
A strong mountain attacker, that you should see going for the KoM-competitions

6) Ho-Ting Kwok (Meji-Fuji)
A young fighter who will over the years develop into a top timetrialist. But this year he's a classical fighter who can suprise

7) William Ford (Oz Cycling)
Had a great season last year, and while I can't believe he will do the same this year he's a rider who can do something in a break

8) Pavel Brutt (T.CS Bank - OJSC)
Another strong fighter with skills both on the flat and in the hills. He can also be dangerous as he got a good TT stat that could give him some suprising results

9) Frantsiek Rabon (Bianchi)
He would be a leader in many other teams, but for Bianchi he will just be a rider to try for the attacks

10) Paolo Longo Borghini (Ferrari - ERG)
Another good fighter we should see in a lot of breaks over the year

1) Yonathan Monsalve (Hollister)[Jersey lacking]
Apart from Cattaneo the biggest stage racing talent in this generation and a future great. He will become a superb climber, a good puncheur and an okay timetrialist. Alone he secures the future of Hollister

2) Rafael Reis (Cerne)
One of the hopes for the future from Cerne, a strong up and comeing stage racer (80/73/76 Mon/Hill/TT) that will be an important rider if Cerne ever is to come back to the Pro Tour

3) Wilco Kelderman (Puma-SAP)
A up and coming puncheur star who in the future could be a winner of the hilly classics. I bet Puma-SAP are really looking forward to his development

4) Ruben Zepuntke (VolksWagen-Siemens)
A great future cobblerider. Got the potenial to reach 81 in Cobbles, and will have a good flat, stamina and hill stat aswell. In my opinion a future great

5) George Bennett (Oz Cycling)
Bennet is the future leader of Oz Cycling, but they got a hard choise, make him a climber or a puncheur? I belive he will fit best as a puncheur but it will be interesting to see what Oz does. A great talent nontheless

6) Chen Shikai (Meji-Fuji)
Another rider who will be really important for his team in the future. He's the biggest stage racing talent from asia and one of the few hopes his team got to get a stage racer, on top of that he's a really big talent

7) Rick Zabel (VolksWagen-Siemens)
Rick is his father's son, a great sprinter and a possible points jersey winner in the future

8) Jasha Sütterlin (Puma-SAP)
A Timetrialer with a fantastic potenial, he's going to become a rider to win stages, and a fantastic asset in TTT's

9) Luke Durbridge (Oz Cycling)
At the same level as Sütterlin, just placed him behind as a talent since Sütterlin will develop more (as Durbrigde is better right now)

10) Mario Vogt (Puma-SAP)
The third Puma-SAP rider on the list, and their second rider who can reach 80 in hills. They got a really talented squad!

All riders here will become big stars, I might have overrated some, and underated other but this is my opinion. There are some riders not mentioned here that can be seen as really great talents (Haugard, Viviani, Brenes, Anacona, Preidler, Teklit, Borges, Stallaert, Slagter, Hiratsuka, Coutinho, and many more), but I took those I meant were the 10 best.