Well I'll throw this preview in amongst the other brilliant ones already out there. My method will be fairly similar to most of the others, just looking over the teams. I will, however, also be looking at the team goals of each of the teams who had them in their thread at the time of me writing. I think they are an overlooked part of hte game and can really determine how strong the team will be next season. I've trie dto do a few paragraphs on every team, covering all aspects of the game.
I will be posting these five at a time, in alphabetical order, then of course posting up my completely random guesses about positions at the end of the season. But you all know how this works so I'm just going to shut up and post now...
Manager: fintas Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25705 Nationality: Portuguese Last Season: New The Team:
The leader of this team is the German champion Dietmar Mehr-Wenige. A strong puncheur, he should be capable of pulling in wins at this level. He will have to do this alone, however, as he really does lack support with only a few other fairly poor domestiques around him. Thinking about other riders, João Cabreira provides the team with a discount mountain leader and though he probably won’t bring in any wins this season he may still be able to stick his head into some top 10 GC results. And what the team lacks in hilly domestiques it more than makes up for in mountain riders, with quite a number of riders capable of helping to push the pace on climbs or to try their luck in breaks.
Martyn Irvine is a decent time trialist who could provide some podiums in C2 races this season with a bit of luck and some weakened competition. Not only that but he makes a great lead-out man. But the question is, who will he lead out? None of the team’s sprinters can climb at all. Jurgen Van Loocke is probably the best of their sprinters, and he isn’t exactly known for his talent.
A top 10 in the CT rankings seems possible unless the lack of depth in hills means that Mehr-Wenige has to work for himself all season. The win goal is a bit hard to say given that the Volta ao Alentejo course is unpredictable, but if it comes down to being decided in the hills then Mehr-Wenige will be a favourite. The same can be said about the course at the Hel van het Mergelland, which could be good for a puncheur or a tough sprinter. The win at Buck’s County Classic is highly unlikely given the lack of strong sprinters here. Finally, the top 10 at Volta ao Algarve will be almost impossible to achieve with the depth of PCT time trialing but I understand that it was probably taken for nationality reasons.
Hot Prospect: Pedro Miguel Paulinho is quite a good prospect for the future and should even be capable of being a good domestique over the hills starting next year.
In Summary:
Wherever the German champion rides he will be one of the favourites and the other two leaders should be bringing in a trickle of points but a lack of sprinting means that this team won’t be promoting this season.
Allianz – BMW Cycling Team
Manager: jaxika Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25696 Nationality: German Last Season: Div 2 – 5th (As Samsung-Mol) The Team:
The undisputed leader of this team is Nikolas Maes and he will be a great cobbled leader in the CT. There won’t be a lot of competition for him, and with his nationality bonus he should be able to beat his main rivals most of the time. Not only that but he has fabulous support with Arnaud Coyot brought in as his lieutenant, but also as a second big points scorer on the rough terrain. Finally, the team can field an entire team of 71+ cobbled riders in all C2 and C1 races. Not many teams can boast that in either the CT or PCT and honestly I expect this team to be consistently in the top 10 of any C1 and HC cobbled races they have this season which should ensure a ton of points.
Ludovic Bret probably won’t bring in a lot of points this season but a handful of top 5s in TTs won’t go astray and he is good at his wage. But when it comes to climbers both Yannick Talabardon and Matteo Carrara should be capable of scoring points, though neither of them are likely to win this season. They also have a better ability on hilly terrain than most of their second-tier competition which should work in their favour.
Hans Dekkers is the team’s best sprinter and while he isn’t great he is still faster than a lot of the other sprinters who can’t climb particularly well. One such man is Daniel Thorsen, who will probably not take in any results this year, but hey we may come back to this in a year and laugh after he takes a few wins. The one area where this team really lacks a big leader is on the hills, where the aging Kim Kirchen is their only rider worth mentioning. There is still some depth there, however.
Hot Prospect: Joeri Havik will have to choose between becoming a sprinter who can ride cobbles or a cobblestone rider who can sprint. Either way there is good potential for him to become a very desirable rider at all levels of the game.
In Summary:
The cobbles are the focus for this team and they have both the leader and the depth to win there, but that is far from all that they can do.
ANC - Halfords
Manager: baggieboys32 Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25721 Nationality: British Last Season: New The Team:
Firstly, the team deserves a lot of credit for sticking almost entirely to GB and the USA with only one rider from Australia outside of these two countries. Starting with the leader, Chris Barton is the first name that jumps out. A strong time trialist at this level, he is also one of the better climbers amongst TT riders. So in any short stage races he will be a factor. Another person to watch out for in stage races is Tom Danielson. Though he is well past his best, he will still be capable of sticking it out for a while and can TT better than most climbers in this division. Ultimately, however, the team is lacking any big star rider, which will limit their point scoring opportunities.
Ricki Nelson is one other man who should be capable of some good results. One of the faster men in the division, he is yet another sprinter cursed by an inability to get over mountains. Dale Appleby should be a good leader in the hills, particularly on slightly tougher hilly courses but he may lack the stamina or kick to win a classic. There is some strength in depth here, with most riders capable of doing decently in breaks but the team may be looking for things to go their way all season.
Looking at goals, a top 10 in the Europe Tour is pretty much out of the question. Most points in that division are going to come from C1 and HC races and there just isn’t anyone here who can handle that level of competition. The team’s win goal is the Lincoln GP, but without a cobbled rider it is hard to see how they will achieve this. The top 5 at the FBD Eire Tour certainly seems possible with their relatively strong TTT line-up and Barton to lead them, though he would probably prefer a tougher route. The Isle of Man TT may be a bit tough with the PCT level of TT talent this year. Finally, a stage win at the Tour of Britain could well be achievable with the nationality bonus or if Nelson gets lucky in a sprint.
Hot Prospect:
One of the best talents here is Robby Squire who should be a decent stage racer once developed, capable of either leading a CT/PCT squad or acting as a key domestique for a GT leader.
In Summary:
This could be a lean year for ANC but Barton and Nelson are both young so there is some definite room for the team to grow.
Banco Nacional de Costa Rica
Manager: dev4ever Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25702 Nationality: Costa Rican Last Season: New The Team:
Going towards the last week of the transfer season this was far from the strongest team in the CT then all of a sudden they signed Gert Steegmans for nothing. Sure, he only has 32 race days but with good race planning he could be one of the favourites in every single one of those race days. A strong cobblestone rider, even if he isn’t what he once was, and a better climber than most of the other sprinters at this level, if he doesn’t pull in a large points haul then something has gone wrong. The big downside? He has very little support in the cobbled races and the team may struggle to support him.
Now moving to the core of the team – the climbers. Deiber Esquivel looks like a strong sort of climber, with his high resistance he should perform very well this year. Not only that but he has a great backup team who are certainly capable of scoring in their own right. Nazar Jumabekov is one such man, who will also be their hilly leader. There are a couple of sprinters in this team but they are unlikely to make too much of an impact and will probably be better off forming a sprint train for Steegmans.
The top 10 in the America Tour is a definite possibility. With the smaller number of riders than in European races depth can often pay off, and mountain climbers are certainly important in this particular Tour. The win in Kwita Izina is certainly possible, though they would need a fairly weak line-up of better climbers to show up. The incredibly tough Cartago-Irazu should suit this team’s depth in climbers perfectly and a top 5 may be possible. The sprint competition at the Geelong Tour and the Olympia’s Tour are both likely to be tough but Steegmans could certainly complete these goals depending on the competition and if he can afford the race days. All-in-all not a bad bunch of goals.
Hot Prospect:
Though his development has been a bit slow, Tom Jelte Slagter is still a good Dutch stage racing prospect and definitely someone to keep an eye on.
In Summary:
Without Steegmans this team would struggle but with him and a deep team of climbers they can cover several different types of terrain making it much better rounded than it looks at first glance.
Boeing - Vivacom
Manager: TheManxMissile Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25683 Nationality: Bulgarian/American Last Season: New The Team:
This Bulgarian-American cooperation is lead by the British Geraint Thomas, who was a magnificent signing for a team like this. Obviously money has been spent on some support riders, such as Martin Grashdev and this makes them a team to watch on the rough terrain. They will likely have some interesting battles with Allianz-BMW. Not only that, but I also believe that they will be a real threat in C1 cobbled races.
Looking at the other areas this squad likes, it is hard to see anything they really excel at. Francesco Chicchi should have some decent results this season but isn’t quite good enough to make a huge splash and won’t have a lead-out train to set him up. Francisco Colorado and Edwin Parra Bustamante are both good at their fairly low wages, but both of them lack the ability in hills to really challenge the top climbers.
In terms of goals, the team has been very ambitious. A win in the cobbled Dobrich GP isn’t out of the question and a top 5 at Battenkill is plausible even against PCT competition but they haven’t really got anyone who can win in the Buck’s County Classic without a lot of luck and Chicchi may struggle to get a top 10 in the Baltic Chain Tour. Further, a top 3 in CT seems to be quite optimistic for such a one-trick pony. Still, if Thomas can win all the C2 cobbled races, then with a bit of luck it might be possible.
Hot Prospect: Aleksander Aleksiev will one day turn into a strong puncheur with a decent kick on him, but ultimately this team is focusing on established riders.
In Summary:
The plan is clearly an all-in with Thomas, who should be able to net them points at both a C1 and C2 level but there is a lack of depth beyond that.
Edited by CountArach on 16-01-2013 05:52
Manager: DerbyJack Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25706 Nationality: British/New Zealander Last Season: New The Team:
This is another one of those teams which has done an admirable job of sticking to its nationalities. Only one Australian and one South African are outside this region and both are Commonwealth countries anyway. And this is quite an interesting team all things considered. Most riders are good at a couple of things without being great at either. While Mark Renshaw is arguably the biggest name in this team, he is unlikely to bring in a lot of points. Instead, I am more interested by the possibilities of Michael Torckler, who can climb very well for a sprinter and has a stronger kick than most puncheurs at this level. I suspect that he will be the team’s biggest point scorer and ultimately their leader.
While on the subject of sprinters, this team does have a number of decent lead-out men such as Timothy Gudsell, who is also a strong TTist. Another TT rider worth mentioning is Jeremy Vennell who will likely co-lead this team if they decide to go after cobbled races as well. But even with these sorts of riders who can ride well in different circumstances, the team really does lack a big leader. Burry Stander should be capable of scoring in the mountains, but he is missing that little bit compared to the best in the division.
Looking at goals, top 10 in the CT might actually be slightly out of reach but with the number of multi-talented riders things could work out okay. Southland could be a good race for someone like Torckler, who will get the nationality bonus and will probably like the course. The TTT in that race should also help this team. The Lincoln GP top 5 might be optimistic without a cobbled leader. In fact, Tour of the Vineyards may be good for this team too though the points jersey may be a bit out of reach. Similarly, the Tour of Britain should be okay with the nationality bonus but the sprinting quality is likely to be too high to ensure a stage win without a top sprinter.
Hot Prospect: Tom David will be great to watch in future seasons. An all-round classics rider, he could either become a pure cobblestone rider or puncheur, or could continue with his present course of both.
In Summary:
Lots of multi-talented riders but no real top point scorer should ensure a constant trickle of points but no big windfall.
Die Berg Komt Er
Manager: Vien Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25681 Nationality: Dutch Last Season: New The Team:
From GT rider to CT leader, David Arroyo has dropped down from the Santander outfit to lead this Dutch team and quite possibly win the division’s individual rankings. And it is on him that the team’s hopes hang. Working out his race days will be the absolute key – should he be risked in C1 races against better competition but with the possibility of more points or should he just dominate in C2? He doesn’t have a lot of backup but realistically, at this level he shouldn’t need it.
But don’t think that Arroyo is all that this team has – far from it. For example, Rick Flens is arguably the best time trialist in the division as well and even if he can’t always hold on to his leader’s jersey after winning a prologue, he should still make a good amount of points. A bit like Stannard did for Rapha last year. He is also one of only two Dutch riders on the team. Anyway, Niki Østergaard leads this team on the cobbles and he should be capable of quite a number of good classics performances, though once again he lacks much support.
And that doesn’t complete the list of potential point scorers! The team has a whole raft of sprinters and they should ensure constant stage and classic placings. Leonardo Duque is probably the best of them, even though he is starting to slow down, but he should be able to climb better than the others.
Looking at goals now, the top 5 in the Africa Tour should be doable for sure, though the team would be better off choosing races all over the world to ensure their promotion. Other than that the goals are mostly geared towards mountain climbing and that’s just what the team needs. Winning Tour d’Algerie should be possible, as should the top 5s at the Tasol Tour To The Sun, Clasico RCN and Kwita Izana. Ultimately, whether this team promotes or not it is likely to have a huge budget next year.
Hot Prospect:
The team hasn’t really got anyone, as they spent their budget on Arroyo instead. Bert-Jan Lindeman is on loan and should be a good cobbling domestique.
In Summary:
This team is so much more than just Arroyo and for that reason they will go into this season as one of the top favourites for promotion.
Ekspla-Cision
Manager: MrDemus Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25680 Nationality: Lithuanian-Swedish Last Season: Div 2 – 12th (as Ekspla-Maxima Cycling Team) The Team:
This is one of those teams which has an impressive amount of depth without having any big leaders. Sergey Rudaskov was a good buy for the team and should be capable of scoring fairly consistently in C2 races. Similarly, Gert Joeaar is a very strong time trialist at this level and climbs much better than most other TT riders making him very useful in week long stage races. There is decent support for him in the hills, though the same can’t be said about Rudaskov in the mountains. One of those riders who can support but will probably get his own chances is Sergiu Cioban who has a great hilly stat and, while he may lack the stamina to win any classics, should be around when it counts.
There are a number of fairly cheap sprinters in this team with Aleksei Saramotins being perhaps the most interesting. Though he may not be as much of a pure sprinter as most of the riders in this division, he can climb much better than most and as such should probably be able to score a few podiums this season. Christopher Stevenson will also be a name to watch in C2 cobbled races given that he is also decent on hills.
Turning to the goals, the Boras Runt is much flatter than the stage profile would lead you to believe and as such could go to one of those sprinters who can’t climb. Unfortunately Ekspla doesn’t quite have any good enough to win it. Vilnius GP on the other hand should suit someone like Saramotins perfectly so watch out for him there. And in the Baltic Chain Tour the chances of a stage win are rather slim but with the nationality bonus on some riders you never know what could happen. The top 15 in the Europe Tour is optimistic, given the huge number of races that need to be covered and the high quality of opposition. Finally, with this team I’m not sure if the 10 stage wins will be possible. There are plenty of sprinters but I get the feeling that they will mostly be aiming for the minor places.
Hot Prospect: Evaldus Siskevicus will be an excellent puncheur in a couple of years and the perfect leader for this team. The team has a lot of other talents too, so if they can’t promote this year then they will have a stronger team next year anyway.
In Summary:
Plenty of points to be scored this season and it should be a good year all round but the lack of a true leader will limit chances.
Futbol Club Barcelona - Estrella Damm
Manager: ggDonovan Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25709 Nationality: Spanish Last Season: New The Team:
If you want climbers you’ve come to the right place. Denis Menchov heads up a strong line-up of mostly Spanish climbers. He will be a great leader at this level, with a solid ability on the hills and against the clock. He isn’t the strongest climber in the division but he should be capable of great results. Another solid climber who should be able to act as a second leader is Mikel Nieve who is likely to score well, even if he doesn’t necessarily win anything. There are a lot of strong domestiques to back these two up, so the team should also score further down the line on GCs and such.
Jordi Grau is the best puncheur on this team and he has much better secondary stats than a lot of his competition, though he could do with being slightly better on hills. Still, I think that he might be able to spring a surprise or two this season. Sylvain Calzati is his main support rider, though he has seen better days. Once again there should be a depth of scoring. When it comes to the sprints the less said the better and this may be the team’s downfall this season – there will be a lot of days in stage races where they will stand very little chance of scoring at all.
The team’s goals and riders are fairly well matched, with all three races being mountainous. The Tasol Tour to the Sun should particularly suit Menchov with the MTT providing a chance against some of the slightly better climbers. The depth of support should also help in races like Cartago – Irazu which is likely to be a race of attrition. With three win goals, the other race being the Volta a Galicia, the team has taken a big risk and they have to hope that someone like Arroyo doesn’t show up to ruin their day. The top 10 in the CT standings should be achievable, provided they minimise the number of days spent on flat terrain and the top 5 in the individual standings might just be the sort of thing that Menchov could achieve, though it will all come down to race planning.
Hot Prospect:
There are quite a number of good potential climbers in this team, but I’d just like to concentrate on the multi-talented Jorge Abreu. He was brought in on a minimum wage and that’s quite a good buy for someone who could become a brilliant all-rounder. Even on level 1 he has a strong kick and so I wouldn’t be surprised if he turns into a great puncheur.
In Summary:
Climbing is the name of the game and they should score well when the road tilts upwards but the points will be truly scarce on the flat.
Iberia - Comunidad Valenciana
Manager: Spilak23 Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25684 Nationality: Spanish Last Season: New The Team:
This is another team which has admirably kept to its national flavour with only two Colombians from outside Spain, plus a few loaned-in riders who don’t really count. And it has to be said right off the bat, this team is something special in the division. Almost everyone in the team is likely to score this season and that does not come at the cost of no leaders. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver is a strong puncheur and climber who, unlike most leaders at this level, will likely score well over both terrains.
In fact Purito will likely share leadership in both the hills and mountains. In the mountains the team can call upon Daniel Moreno, who is a very well-rounded climber who should do particularly well if it comes down to a small group at the end of a stage. Luis Fernández Oliveira and Francisco Perez Sanchez both also provide elite domestiques who should be capable of decent GC places too. In the hills, meanwhile Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez still looks like a potential winner, particularly on slightly harder hilly routes. Even here, where the domestiques are not quite as good, they are so numerous that you get the feeling that this team is mimicking the Jayco tactic of filling places 10-15 at the end of the race to secure a lot of points.
And the scoring continues even with the sprinters. Saulo Lay is your typical C2 sprinter – not quite good enough as a climber to really cope with C1 races but perhaps good enough to deal with the lesser competition. He has a good lead-out man in Francisco Anton Martin who was a real steal at minimum wage, because he can climb fairly well and may thus be one of the only sprinters left at the end of slightly selective courses.
Turning now to the goals and these too have been well pipcked for the most part. The season opener, Clasico San Cristobal, should be a great race for both Joaquin Rodriguez and also Sammy Sanchez – a hilly course with fairly long climbs. The exact same can be said with another win goal, the Volta a Galicia, which will require both climbing and punchy talent. The Cartago – Irazu is likely to attract most of the best climbers in the division, so a top 5 may be just out of reach but there is every possibility that they could still pull it off. The top 5 at the Volta a Burgos is another one that could be just out of reach but it is once again a course that suits Purito so you never know what he could do on home soil. And the top 10 in the team classification is almost a lock unless there is a serious cock-up in the race planning.
Hot Prospect:
If there is one major criticism that can be made of this team it is the lack of young talent. Johan Esteban Chaves is the only rider hired by the team who is under 25 but he is a great buy for someone who could one day be a strong puncheur who can also climb very well.
In Summary:
Whenever the road gets steep this team will score with a lot of different riders, and there are enough leaders here to ensure that the team will always be a chance for a win.
Edited by CountArach on 17-01-2013 01:39
Manager: DaBobScotts Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25697 Nationality: Japanese/Korean... I guess? Last Season: New The Team:
First off, DaBobScotts has been struggling with a lot of pain and medication so if he is scarce that’s why. It may also explain why he spent so little of his budget. So I’m sure that this team will develop a huge fan following this season as underdogs always do (Meiji last season anyone?). Kevin Peeters leads a small team of mostly sprinters and while he may be allergic to hills, he still has better support stats than a number of other riders at this level. In fact the same can be said for fellow sprinter Khayabkhyrvaa Uugunbayar. Both of these guys should have a fair few lead-out men around them.
Their climbing department is lead by Nariyuki Masuda who won’t be good enough to win a lot this season but should still bring in a consistent trickle of points. He also leads the team on the hills, and here the team has a bit of depth which should see them active in breaks and a constant threat in hilly races.
The win goal for the team is GP Tokyo, which is the sort of course that should suit Peeters quite nicely as it is fairly flat and his stamina is better than some other riders at this level. He may also be capable of a stage win at the Tour of Taiwan, which may be too hilly for some of the PCT sprinters. I imagine that the top five at the Tour of Korea may also be possible given that I can’t see this race being of interest to many teams. On home soil Masuda may be able to surprise in the Tour of Japan and pull off a top ten but he would probably need a weak startlist. It is hard to tell with the top ten in the Asia Tour but usually racing all of the Asia Tour races would be enough for that to pan out. Hot Prospect: Gyung Gu Jang has the potential to be the best Korean rider and indeed one of the best Asian riders once fully developed. He could become either a puncheur or a climber and would probably perform fairly well as either. In Summary:
Without any big riders this team will likely struggle but in terms of fan popularity, everyone will surely get behind them.
Kappa - ENI
Manager: Stevenag Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25688 Nationality: Italian Last Season: Div 2 – 8th (as Team Adecco) The Team:
This brilliantly constructed team has Marco Marzano as the main attraction. The Italian mountain goat will be one of the top climbers all season and definitely a factor in any stage race or mountain classic, even in the C1 races. Arroyo is likely to be one of his main opponents and you can expect fireworks wherever they meet. There is a decent amount of climbing support in the team with Emanuel Kiserlovski probably taking chief domestique duties.
The other big name in the team is Michele Scarponi, brought in for a hefty, though no doubt worthwhile, price from the free agency. He certainly would be leading most teams at this level in stage races but with Marzano on the team you get the feeling that Scarponi will spend most of the year fighting against the other puncheurs. Certainly there is a decent amount of support there for him and as said, he could even form a great leadership duo with Marzano in key races.
In terms of other points scorers, Vojtech Hacecky should bring in some points in TTs but can’t climb well enough to ever be a GC threat. It is also worth noting that at some point he has some further developing to do. The fairly poor sprint department probably has their best man in Francisco Lasca, who as quite a shrewd purchase at minimum wage and could get a few stage placings, though is unlikely to bring in a win this year. Finally there is a nod to the cobblestones with Klaas Sys but he is unlikely to do a lot on his own.
The tough and punchy GP Postojna is the win goal and Scarponi will probably go into it with a real chance, given that he is only just a little bit behind the very best puncheurs. In fact the same can be said for the Tre Valli Varesine, doubly so because he will be on home ground and only needs to get a top 5. The top 5 at the Turul al Romaniei could be achieved by either Marzano or Scarponi, though Marzano would certainly be the much safer bet. You have to wonder if using up 9 of his valuable days on this race would be worth it, however. There doesn’t really seem to be anyone in this team capable of a top 10 in the Tour de Slovenie, as it really lacks a TTist who can climb. Finally, the top 5 Europe Tour standing seems unlikely.
Hot Prospect: Pierre Paolo Penasa has the look of a future Giro top 10 about him – with a bit of training after he is rounded out he could really match it with the best. An excellent buy for only 70k.
In Summary:
A very strong climbing team, with Scarponi potentially performing two roles but other than the two main stars points could be a little thin.
Kenya Airways - Barclays
Manager: FroomeDog99 Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=26232 Nationality: Kenyan - British Last Season: New The Team:
Yet another team with a big focus in the mountains, so let’s start with their big signing and leader – Yasmani Martinez. A key part of the Hollister mountain train last year, this year he gets the chance to lead a team and he should perform magnificently in that role. He is strong in the mountains, with great support stats, a decent ability on the hills and a strong TT ability than most. He should be popping his head up throughout the season with a consistent string of strong GC showings. He also has a good number of race days so all around he was a great buy. There are a lot of mountain domestiques in the team to help along to, which will certainly help.
Zakayo Ndbri is one of those climbers who really can’t do anything except go up mountains. Weak support stats will hamstring him but on pure mountain stages he could at least try something. Far more interesting, in my opinion, is their chief puncheur Tarik Chaoufi. Another rider with a lot of race days, he is definitely someone to watch on the hills, particularly in the long classics. Once again, strength in depth here will be of huge benefit to the team.
Daan Rijntjes can’t climb but should still be able to put in some decent efforts in short TTs. The team also has a couple of sprinters but neither of them are likely to do too much.
The win goal is the Kwita Izina, which will be a popular target this year given that it is only 3 stages. I think that a win may be just out of reach with the climbing strength in the division, but the team could come close or pull off a surprise. The top 5 at the Giro del Capo should be in the reach of someone like Martinez, who will love the MTT. The top 5 at the Cauberg classic could be a bit touch and go but I’d say that Chaoufi can certainly come close. The Tour of Britain had a lot of tough competition last year so judging b that a top 10 may be tough but again Chaoufi might be able to manage it. Finally, I would be surprised if they don’t make the top 10 in the overall.
Hot Prospect:
Surprisingly, the team splashed out on Fredrik Strand Galta, who will be spending this year on loan at Adira-ISQ. The Norwegian will make a superb stage racer in the future, certainly GT podium material.
In Summary:
A bit of a dark horse this season. A couple of strong climbers with an underrated main leader and a strong puncheur could prove a potent combination.
Magna-Ryanair
Manager: Fireflyy21 Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25729 Nationality: Austrian - Irish Last Season: New The Team:
This is a thoughtfully constructed team with a great mix of experience and youth. The manager brought in team leader Thomas Rohregger clearly thinking that he would dominate the division’s mountains but that probably won’t be the case. That said, he is a much better stage racer than most of the climbers, so will be a threat in any race with a TT, even in C1 races. Carl Naibo gives the team another card to play in the mountains, or he can act as a super domestique in key races. In addition there are a few other Austrian climbers who should be able to stick around for most of the race.
The team’s puncheur department is a very mixed bag. Though Perikles Ilias is probably the hilly leader on paper he lacks the support stats to win races. There are a ton of other minor puncheurs though meaning that quantity will have to win out over quality. In terms of sprinters, there are a few well thought-out hirings here. Isaac Speirs is the fast man for the flat races and Manuel Belletti will get a look-in in hillier races. I question the deal to loan in Arnaud Demare paying half of his huge wage, but with his strong puncheur ability he could still do something at this level.
The win goal at Oberosterreichrundfahrt may be out of reach given that it is classified as hilly. Anything is possible with the nationality bonus though. The FBD Eire Tour is another race which this team really isn’t suited to – the long TTT may hurt them and the lack of a big hilly leader certainly will. The Tour de Beauce should be slightly better, however. The third stage, though hilly in the preview, is probably slightly more mountainous than that and combining that with a long TT should suit Rohregger well. In fact the Pologne course is also a hilly one, meaning that ultimately this team isn’t too well suited to their goals. The top 10 in the CT will depend largely on race planning but I think that they stand a decent chance of getting it.
Hot Prospect:
No super talents in the team, though Andreas Hofer should make a strong time trialist when he is maxed out.
In Summary:
A bit of a one trick pony with Rohregger as the only major point scorer, but there should still be enough scorers below that to keep the season interesting.
Mobil - Castrol Cycling
Manager: Miguel98 Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=26233 Nationality: American (with 1 American on the team) Last Season: New The Team:
This is one of those teams where you really have to be impressed by the depth which has been squeezed into the wage cap. Robert Vrecer was a good choice of leader – very well rounded and with his support stats he should be consistent in stage races. Around him are a brace of other climbers – Remy Di Gregorio, Daniel Eduardo Silva and Makyy Roman. All three of these guys should also be bringing in points this season and undoubtedly will get leadership chances as the season progresses. In fact a lot of the riders here should be capable of scoring at some point.
The highest average rider in the team is actually Tiziano Dall’Antonia and while he is a solid sprinter on paper who can actually climb, I do wonder about him at this level. His race days are fairly limited for a sprinter and his great recovery stat won’t get much of a look-in. Finally, he just hasn’t got the same top-end speed as a lot of other guys, though hopefully his climbing will make up for that. Time will tell. Either way Alex Ciocan should provide a good second sprint option and lead-out.
Vilnius GP is a good win goal with Dall’Antonia on the team and I expect that he will be one of the top sprinters there to mix it up. In fact he could even potentially do something like the top 10 in Volta ao Alentjo. The team hasn’t got a proper puncheur so this may have to be the backup plan. The Tour of America top 5 is really ambitious, but there is nothing wrong with having high ambitions. Vrecer will probably fall short but a top 10 may not be completely out of the question. The top 5 at Tour of Utah, on the other hand, should definitely be in reach of someone like Vrecer, or really a few of the guys in the team. Finally, a top 15 overall is almost a lock for this team.
Hot Prospect: Lawson Craddock, the only American on the team, should certainly turn into a strong TT rider who can climb better than most.
In Summary:
Lots of climbing depth here will make this a profitable season, particularly with a good pair of sprinters as well.
Edited by CountArach on 17-01-2013 23:57
Manager: aidanvn13 Team Thread: pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=25741 Nationality: South African - Rwandan Last Season: New The Team:
Another new African team in the man game is great news, as it really increases the competition in that region. A pair of climbers lead this time with the Rwandan Adrien Niyonshuti being arguably the best of them. He should be able to stick his head into the top 10 quite often in mountain stages and he has a lot of race days – both important factors. The now-legendary Julian Rodas is the other lead climber, who almost took out the win at Tachira last year. The team have put together a solid, mostly African, climbing team around them.
On the hills the well-rounded Ngock Yves Ngue will most likely share leadership with Johann Rabie. Rabie in particular could be a bit of a threat in any race with a short TT and a few hilly stages. Once again they should be well supported, which makes this team a real threat in the breaks. The team also possesses a couple of decent sprinters, both of whom can climb better than some – Tyler Day in particular looks like someone who could bring in a couple of stages this year.
The team has their win goal at the Tasol Tour to the Sun, and that is very optimistic. At only two days the competition will be extraordinarily stiff and realistically a top 10 is the best that the team can hope for there. The team really doesn’t have anyone capable of a top 5 at the C1-rated Nespruit Classic either. The Kwita Izina is another one of those short stage races which is likely to attract the big hitters in the division but with a route that is such a mixed bag anything can happen – though a top 5 may once again be optimistic. Finally, a top 5 at the Tour d’Algerie could be possible if the final stage proves to be fairly unselective. A top 5 in the Africa Tour could be possible but a lot depends on how much focus some of the PCT teams put into that continent. I think the team would have to be satisfied with a maximum of 2/5 goals this year, and it isn’t out of the question that they will end with none completed.
Hot Prospect:
Here the news is a bit better with Louis Meintjes on the team. He should make a superb stage racer one day, even capable of leading in GTs. In fact if he progresses well this year he could be a good ticket for promotion next season, though that may slow his development.
In Summary:
Capable of fighting on multiple terrains, but not truly strong in any one of them. This should be an interesting year for the team but with tough goals selected it might be hard for them to achieve the success they want.
Risa - Ergon
Manager: tastasol Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25710 Nationality: Australian-Norwegian Last Season: New The Team:
An Australian-Norwegian co-operation lead by the Frenchman Brice Feillu, which sounds like an odd choice of leader, but below that the team has kept to their two main nationalities quite well. Feillu was a good choice of leader at this level and I’m quite surprised that more CT teams weren’t trying to get his signature. He has a good balance of climbing and punchiness and a good number of race days too. The team is unable to support him in the mountains, with not a single domestique on the team list, but there are a few good support riders on the hills.
The team has a pair of Australian sprinters as their other main scorers. Christopher Sutton and Anthony Giacoppo should both do well at this level though both may struggle a bit on tougher stages. Both should be capable of receiving a good lead-out train and I expect them to perform well. Sutton has already shown his skills in the criterium series. Unfortunately, that is where the point scoring stops for the most part, so this year may be thin on results.
The win goal at the Glava Tour may be tough because it will probably go to a sprinter who can climb and Sutton really isn’t good enough for that. Flat classics always bring out the best sprinters and as such the top 5 at the Rogaland GP is another tough goal. The Herald Sun Tour could be better but I still think that a top 5 might be optimistic, though at least Sutton will have the nationality bonus. The Top 10 in the Asian Tour could be a good bet, as the team is fairly well equipped to deal with the races there. The top 10 CT rankings could be a bit touch-and-go but if race planning goes well then it should just be possible. I also greatly respect the fact that the team took only Norwegian and Australian races to keep with their theme, despite the fact that other races might have been better choices.
Hot Prospect:
There are a lot of nice low level talents here and I’m surprised that Vegard Breen went for a minimum wage. He could be either a puncheur who could time trial or a time trialist who can get over hills and his support stats are fantastic. A great signing for the team and one who should score them good points in the future.
In Summary:
A bit thin on point scorers but given a year or two they will have a number of quality riders who should be capable of pushing for promotion.
Sauber Petronas
Manager: sammyt93 Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25704 Nationality: Swiss-Malaysian Last Season: The Team:
This is another team with an odd choice of nationalities to combine (note also the desire to have riders from San Marino). The leader of the team is Hossein Alizadeh who should be a decent climber but at his 300,000 wage is way overpriced. He will not deliver anything even close to that much value to the team and they would have been better off getting two different leaders. Expect a number of top 10s and possibly even a couple of top 5s this season but not much more. Dimitri Jiriakov provides him with his main domestique and he was a much better buy at minimum wage.
Nino Schurter was a good choice of leader for the hills with his strong mountain stat for backup. His other support stats might be a bit lacking but still I expect some decent results from him in tough classics. There is not much support for him but he could well go it alone. In terms of other point scorers both the sprinters Azizulhasni Awang and Ahmad Haidar Anuawar will really struggle on anything that isn’t pan flat and even on the flat their support stats are lacking. There is also no one there to lead-out the team.
The win goal at the Tokyo GP was probably a good choice as it is likely to be overlooked but the problem will be the length of the stage – at over 260km it is doubtful that either of the sprinters will make it to the end. The top 10 at the Jelajah Malaysia was a great choice and should definitely be possible for Alizadeh. The lack of any mountaintop finishes will probably discourage the best climbers from turning up. Ten stage wins could be possible if the right races are chosen for the sprinters and if the team has a bit of luck with breaks. The top 10 in the Asia Tour should be possible given the team’s definite focus there though I find the top 10 in the CT overall standings a bit harder to believe.
Hot Prospect:
The team bought a fair few Swiss talents such as Stefan Kung who should be a very strong hilly domestique one day for the classics.
In Summary:
An overpaid team leader limited what this team could do with the rest of their team and as such the point scoring may be a bit thin.
Team Credexbank
Manager: Ste117 Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25792 Nationality: Belarusian Last Season: D2 – 17th (as Eurovision Cycling Team) The Team:
The team made a fantastic choice in signing their stage race leader Przemyslaw Niemiec. He is the best time trialist amongst the climbers whilst still being good on the mountains and in the hills. He should bring in a great number of points for the team. The only downside is that he isn’t particularly well supported with only 1 other rider with over 70 in their mountain stat.
All-rounder Michal Golas was a top signing as well at a very low wage. He can get over the hills well and he can sprint decently and he should be capable of going the distance. If he gets in a break that should be a huge chance that he is unlikely to waste. Belarusian Siarhei Papok is probably the team’s best sprinter, however, though he really does lack top end speed compared to most. Unfortunately, that is where the team’s scoring ends for the most part.
Hot Prospect: Stanislau Bazhkou should be a solid puncheur in the next couple of years and he can also time trial fairly well! These riders are always point winners. The team could even develop him the opposite way, focussing on his TT ability, in which case he will be deadly in short stage races.
In Summary:
Niemiec leads the team and will be providing more than half their points, surely. There are plenty of young riders in the team, so look out for them pushing to promote in the next couple of seasons.
Team Gazelle
Manager: DubbleDekker Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25707 Nationality: Dutch-Belgian Last Season: New The Team:
This team is on top of most people’s promotion contenders list and with very good reason – almost everyone here should score at some point this season. They are the Jayco – Red Bull of this division. Pieter Weening headlines the team and though he cost quite a bit and has rather limited race days, he is in the top 3 puncheurs of the division without a doubt. Not only that but on the tougher classics which are almost mountainous, he should perform even better than most. His major support comes from his lieutenant Blaz Furdi, who is actually good enough to lead almost any other team in the division. Further, the team will be putting up deadly squads in any hilly race with huge depth.
I don’t know how they got Lieuwe Westra for such a decent wage, but there can be no doubt that he will win plenty of points this season and he could even compete for top 10s in C1 races, given that he climbs better than most of the TTists. The team also brought in Kristoff Goddaert as a pure TT rider, and he might get a chance to ride in races which have a prologue, where he could be a real threat. Roy Sentjens and Jonas Vangenechten were both solid, cheap cobblestone riders and though they are highly unlikely to win, they should put in good performances.
The Cauberg Classic was a great win goal and Weening could well go in as the undisputed favourite on home soil. The team can probably expect a couple of riders in the top 10 for their GP Wallonie goal. The Tour de Pologne is another race which suits Weening and the same can be said about the Challenge Phosphatiers, where the tough climb should really play to his strengths. If the team don’t get all their top 10 goals then something has gone seriously wrong. Finally there is the top 5 in the CT goal and, if it hadn’t become obvious yet, this team should be close to promotion and thus will likely achieve it.
Hot Prospect:
This is perhaps where the team fell flat the most, with their money spent on established riders instead. Jaco Venter is good but too old for a level 1 rider.
In Summary:
This team are almost definite to promote this season and will get quite a few of their goals as well on the back of Weening’s strength. I would not be surprised if they outscored a couple of PCT teams.
Team PrivatBank
Manager: fjhoekie Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25682 Nationality: Ukrainian Last Season: New The Team:
This team is Ukrainian on paper but it has a very strong Portuguese flavour, and a real penchant for sprinting. Let’s start with that. Roman Maksimov has been brought in on loan from CSC – Orbea with some money also spent on training him. He is still likely to struggle on anything larger than a pimple but if h e gets to the finish he will be tough to beat. There is a real depth in sprinting talent here, however, with Bruno Lima and Oleksandr Polivoda both better on hills than the Russian. Not only that but Filipe Cardoso was a strong signing for tougher sprint stages.
Outside of the flats, Ricardo Mestre leads the team in the mountains. At this level he would normally be expected to perform well but with the high quality of mountain climbers in C2 it is hard to say how he will do. His advantage is that he does have a lot more race days than most of the best in the division. Looking at the hills and it is a matter of quantity over quality. The Russian champion Eduard Vorganov leads them on paper but might struggle against some of the better riders in the division. That said there are a lot of guys who could get into breaks or have late attacks to win the day in this squad.
The goals for this team seem rather well picked. A top 10 in CT is realistic with the amount of sprinting depth in this team. A win in the Donetsk GP is not out of the question given that there really isn’t much lumpy terrain on the course. The same can be said of Race Horizon Park, where a top 5 isn’t entirely out of the question. A stage win in the Middle East Tour should be possible with the right sprinting line-up and finally Mestre is probably good enough for a Top 10 in the Turul al Romaniei.
Hot Prospect: Artem Topchanyuk is almost maxed out but deserves mention. He is loaned out this season but when he returns he will be a solid mountain climber at a CT/PCT level.
In Summary:
Sprinting will be where the team does best but the team should pick up points in most races thanks to a great depth.
Vattenfall Cycling
Manager: MrOBJ Team Thread:https://pcmdaily.c...d_id=25720 Nationality: Swedish Last Season: New The Team:
The leader of the team is Gustav Larsson, who was a superb get, particularly at his very low wage. Not only is he likely to win a few TTs this year but with his other climbing abilities, he should get a number of high placing stage racing results. There are a number of good climbers in this team such as John Kronborg Ebsen who should make it possible to defend any lead that Larsson gets in TTs.
The team does lack any other leader though there is plenty of depth here, with a number of capable puncheurs. The team’s sprinting really does look pitiful as well and these facts may be what prevents them from fighting for promotion this season. Alexander Gingsjo is their best puncheur and may be capable of a handful of top 10s this year. Time will tell.
The win at Boras Runt is definitely not something that this team is capable of. It was probably picked for nationality reasons, however, and that is fair enough. The win at the Glava Tour is also not something that this team can do. The hills are just not where this team excels. Now, on the other hand, the top 5 at the Tour Alsace will be great for Larsson. In fact the top 10 at the C1 Post Denmark Rundt is also not out of the question. Larsson is still strong enough to give it a good shot. The top 10 in the CT may be difficult without a lot of scoring depth but it could still happen.
Hot Prospect:
Though not a first year rider, bringing in Lasse Norman Hansen was a good hiring. With the new track sprinter/TT rider option, he could definitely become proficient in both of his major strengths.
In Summary:
Larsson will gives this team a lot of things to cheer about his year but beyond him things are a little bit thin.
Edited by CountArach on 23-01-2013 05:10
Nice job Count! I like how you are thinking about the goals too, as you said they can be very important for the team development.
And also nice feature in the "top prospect".
miggi133 wrote:
So, let me get this straight: We have 2-3 previews for the ProTour, a gazillion for the continental Tour, and not ONE for the ProContinental Tour?
I think that is because there are still two PCT race planners not in.
The Tasol Tour to the Sun should particularly suit Menchov with the MTT providing a chance against some of the slightly better climbers. The depth of support should also help in races like Cartago – Irazu which is likely to be a race of attrition. With three win goals, the other race being the Volta a Galicia, the team has taken a big risk and they have to hope that someone like Arroyo doesn’t show up to ruin their day.
Ok, I feel really sorry for him now, I'm in all those races
The Tasol Tour to the Sun should particularly suit Menchov with the MTT providing a chance against some of the slightly better climbers. The depth of support should also help in races like Cartago – Irazu which is likely to be a race of attrition. With three win goals, the other race being the Volta a Galicia, the team has taken a big risk and they have to hope that someone like Arroyo doesn’t show up to ruin their day.
Ok, I feel really sorry for him now, I'm in all those races
Ouch, well that will be quite a blow for the team.
So, let me get this straight: We have 2-3 previews for the ProTour, a gazillion for the continental Tour, and not ONE for the ProContinental Tour?
The PCT ones are probably being worked on. They are a hell of a lot more work than either of the other divisions (because you have to think about promotion and relegation and there are just more teams). And, as said, there is the issue of 2 teams not having their planners in.
The Tasol Tour to the Sun should particularly suit Menchov with the MTT providing a chance against some of the slightly better climbers. The depth of support should also help in races like Cartago – Irazu which is likely to be a race of attrition. With three win goals, the other race being the Volta a Galicia, the team has taken a big risk and they have to hope that someone like Arroyo doesn’t show up to ruin their day.
Ok, I feel really sorry for him now, I'm in all those races
Ouch, well that will be quite a blow for the team.
I know I'm pretty much screwed. But well... C'est la vie!
EDIT: BTW, congratulation Count for the previews!
Edited by ggDonovan on 17-01-2013 09:00
Another excellent preview, and the first in which I completely agree with what was said about my team. Unfortunately as new managers had to choose targets without having any cyclist, and mine were chosen based on some that I could not hire so I'm screwed on that and I think only the top10 in CT rankings is likely to be achieved
Keep them coming!
![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
