# I am updating as I write, will cover all World tour teams
The UCI world tour teams are almost the same as last year,
with the notable exceptions of HTC who sadly disbanded last year and their
replacements Australia’s GreenEdge and FDJ-BigMat who return to world tour
after a year’s absence with a new title sponsor (BigMat) due to the merger of
the Leopard-Trek and Radioshack teams. With the exodus of talent from HTC and
various transfers we have seen the emergence of several “super teams” who are
excepted as the following teams; Sky, BMC, RadioShack-Nissan-Trek and Omega
Pharma- Quick Step. Certainly the aforementioned teams are strong, however I
doubt they will solely dominate the season given the nature of cycling and a
number of races which do not suit these teams. The above super teams however
will certainly be a presence in the spring classics, Paris-Nice and the TDF. I
will go through the team’s one by one talk about their strengths and weaknesses
and highlight races that they will be looking to win.
Ag2r-La Mondiale
Afraid to say that this is one of the weaker teams this
season, with the main aim of stage wins and performing well in their home race
the TDF. That said, they could get a podium in a grand tour if they focus on
the Giro, with John Gadret’s impressive 3rd place last year and Jean-Christophe
Péraud’s impressive 10th place in last year’s TDF.
Strengths – John Gadret and Jean-Christophe Péraud who have
shown that they can put in good performance in Grand Tours, Nicholas Roche who
can go for stage wins and may, without pressure, have a breakout performance
this year. Have riders who can win from breakaways in TDF & other races
Weaknesses – Weaker than many teams, no top 5 contenders for
many (if not all) of the big races).
Astana
With the loss of Contador to Saxobank in the 2011 season, Astana
lost their headline act and where left with no stand out leader, for sure they
had Vinokourov, but alas he has seen better days and they had Kreuziger who
promises to be an excellent GC contender given his impressive GC results at an
early age. The season provide mixed
results with an encouraging 4th
place for Kreuziger in the Giro and a good performance by Vinokourov but no
other big results leading to a 14th place in the rankings. With this
in context Astana seem to have done some good work on the transfer market securing
the talented Kevin Seeldraeyers and Janez Brajkovič. The rooster looks strong,
with solid riders such as Tiralongo, Seeldraeyers, Kišerlovski, etc going for
stage wins and providing strong support, with the later two developing there
talent into possible GC contenders. In addition the Brajkovič is overdue another
big win, possible a stage race or hilly classic (after his 2010 Critérium du
Dauphiné win and impressive youth record) and may have the talent to perform at
the Grand Tours. If Kreuziger continues improving his form a Giro/Vuelta podium
place looks very possible, alongside a win in a stage race and/or a hilly
classic.
Strengths – Decent squad with enough riders to clock up adequate
points for entry to next year’s World Tour and to provide decent support for
possible GC contenders, the inclusion of Roman Kreuziger and Janez Brajkovič
could lead to big World Tours wins, the inclusion of Robert Kišerlovski and
Kevin Seeldraeyers could lead to breakout performances and big wins as well as
competent support.
Weaknesses – No top 5 talent in any area (climbing,
sprinting, time trailing or TDF contention), not as strong as some other teams.
BMC Racing Team
As previous mentioned BMC have been described as a “super
team” this year sporting an impressive headline trio of Cadel Evans (Winner of
the TDF last year), Philippe Gilbert (top ranked rider last year, winner of all
Ardennes classics, the second ever rider to achieve this) and Thor Hushovd
(last year’s world champion and winner of 2 stages of TDF). This is not to
mention the previous career achievements of all of these riders! In addition they
have Alessandro Ballan, a previous world champion (2008) amongst other
prestigious victories and George Hincapie, who can be said to be one of the
greatest domestiques of all time and an invaluable road captain. Hence BMC have
a very strong squad; that said I would refrain perhaps form calling it a super
team just because they lack the numbers of super talented riders to justify
this title (unlike Team Sky and Omega Pharma-Quick Step etc). However I believe
this makes them a stronger team, with the sole ambition of many of their riders
being to support their leaders, with less possibility of clashes. Indeed, this was shown by their very
impressive performance in the TDF, especially in the team time trial where they
surprised everyone.
The main aims for BMC this year will I guess be the TDF and
the monuments whilst using the other races to develop the talent of the crop of
promising younger riders they have this year. Indeed, they are very well placed
to perform well in both. For the TDF I would expect a repeat of last year, with
Cadel Evans programme containing Tirreno–Adriatico, Critérium du Dauphiné etc
with the sole aim of preparing for the TDF. The course this year will be to
Evans liking, and with the inclusion of Phillip Gilbert, and Steve Cummings
into the squad, they will only be stronger. As for the monuments; with both
Phillip Gilbert and Thor Hushovd they have all five of them covered well, the
only problem being the possible clash of ambitions between the riders. The
strength of the team in this department is very good; with the experience and
skill of Hincapie & Ballan to aid BMC they are the team to beat. Also with
Tayol Phinney and Adam Blythe have some talented youngsters.
Strengths – Strong headline trio of Gilbert, Evans and Hushovd
who are favourites for many of the biggest races between them, a strong team to
back aforementioned riders with Hincapie, Ballan etc and some talented youngsters.
Weaknesses – Maybe a lack of climbing domestiques, possible
clash of ambitions between Hushovd and Gilbert, Evans is not getting any
younger, no contenders for Giro.
Euskaltel-Euskadi
Euskaltel-Euskadi come into this season with an uncertain
future, with serious questions raised about not only the finances of this
Basque national team but of the world class Basques races; The Tour of the Basque
country and San Sebastian, this is sad to see this given the passion of the Basque
people for cycling. Given this uncertainty, the Euskaltel-Euskadi team would benefit
from having a great season. The main weakness of the Euskaltel-Euskadi team is
its lack of diversity; with a Basque only recruitment policy limiting the
talent pool and type of riders. Don’t mistake this for saying that the team is
weak, it is not, however, it is only strong in one area; the mountains, meaning
that races such as Paris-Roubaix are pretty much a write off. This is a disadvantage
as far as world tour points, requiring strong performances in the mountains to
get a top 15 place and automatic invitation to next seasons World Tour. Euskaltel-Euskadi
can perform very well in this area though with both grand tour contenders (such
as Samuel Sanchez and Igor Anton) and many of their other riders who have the
ability to take a mountain stage in any race including the TDF. I hope that as
in previous seasons this team entertains with their aggressive stage seeking in
the TDF amongst other races and by supporting the GC chances of Samuel Sanchez and
Igor Anton.
Strengths – Any one of the riders of the rooster has the
ability to win a mountain stage in events from Volta a Catalunya to the TDF. Samuel
Sanchez and Igor Anton; who can be contenders for the podiums for TDF and
Vuelta respectively.
Weaknesses – Lack of riders who can perform on flat terrain
and cobbles, lack of diversity, may struggle for world tour points again this
year.
FDJ-BigMat
Back into the World Tour after a year’s absence they are in
a similar position to their compatriots AG2r. In the shape of Thibaut Pinot
they have one of the most awaited talents around. Unfortunately, the recent
suspension of Offredo deprives them of a stronger rider for the classics. I
guess they will manage to accumulate enough points to get back into World Tour,
due to the ability of the rooster to get stage wins and in Hutarovich have a
good sprinter who can mix it with the best on his day. Not sure I can see them
winning/ podiuming in any Grand Tour/ World Tour stage race/ Classic. Have some
talented younger riders (apart from Pinot) and a number of experienced riders to
help nurture that talent.
Strengths – Can get stages wins in TDF, many riders who can
win stages wins in other events to clock up World Tour points, a talented youngster
in Thibaut Pinot who may surprise by winning something big now (as opposed to
in a couple of years time)
Weaknesses – Lacking top talent, No top 10 contenders for GT’s
or classics
Garmin-Barracuda
All round a strong team, who have the knack for developing
previously unrecognised talent, this can be seen by the recent win of Sep
Vanmarcke, over Juan Antonio Fletcher and Tom Boonen, both whom have been
described as two of the best classics riders of the last decade. Not one of the
“super” teams yet still strong, with the talent to perform in all areas of
cycling. For the hilly classics they have Dan Martin, who can also perform in
the mountains of the GT’s if his allergies don’t get in the way as he showed at
the Vuelta last year. For the classics they have a number of riders in the form
of Tyler Farrar, Vansummeren and Vanmarcke and a strong team to back them up. I
suspect this team will again, as in every year shine in the time trial and team
time trial events given the number of riders they have who specialise in this
area. For the GC they have a number of
riders with the talent to make top 10 of TDF and maybe a podium in the other GT’s.
Strengths – A rooster full of talent, the ability to develop
previously unrecognised talent, the ability to consistently have a different
rider in the top ten of the TDF every year.
Weaknesses – no real contenders for a Grand Tour podium, no
top 5 contenders for the classics, apart from San Remo and Giro
di Lombardia.
GreenEDGE
This is the first year for this brand new team from
Australia, who are aiming to become an Australian Team Sky. Despite the failure
to find a title sponsor, it is a team with a decent line up. The ambitions of
the squad will centre on Matt Goss and Simon Gerrans; the former, an excellent
sprinter who can beat Cavendish on a good day! The latter a solid performer who
can a good performance in on a hilly classic and who can win stages in grand
tours, he has already done the team proud by winning the Australian National
Road Race Championship and the Tour Down Under this year. They have an
experienced road captain in Stuart O'Grady (and in Baden Cooke) who is now free
to win stages in the TDF etc and go for Paris-Roubaix now that he is no longer
a domestique for Schleck / Cancellara. In addition they have a number of proficient
riders who can win stages at the highest levels and a number of promising
younger riders.
Strengths – Matt Goss, the one of the very few sprinters who
can beat Cavendish.
Weaknesses – No real contenders for a Grand Tour podium,
only outside chances for monument wins/ podiums (with the exception of Milan
Sanremo for Matt Goss)
Team Katusha
With winner of several Grand Tours, Denis Menchov, finally
in this Russian based team, Katusha
have a lot to look forward to. Menchov, despite his relatively poor
results last year, is in my reckoning at least a top 5 if not top 3 favourite
to win the TDF this year, a race he has been on the podium of before. The
course suits his all round abilities, and with good preparation he can do well.
In addition he will have a decent team to back him, with Joaquim Rodríguez and Daniel
Moreno (more on these two later) to back him in the mountains, as well as
competent domestiques such as Ignatiev and Gusev to help him. In addition to Menchov, Katusha have Galimzyanov and Freire for
sprints, with the later as an experience road captain who could be a good domestique.
In Joaquim Rodríguez and Daniel Moreno, this team have two very strong
riders for the hilly classics, particularly Rodríguez who has had numerous
podiums and must be counted as a top 3 favourite for any of these races.
Strengths – In Menchov a mulitpe Grand Tour winner, in Rodríguez
a rider who can perform in the GT’s (top 10) and who can podium/ win hilly
classics, have back up plan of Daniel Moreno
Weaknesses – Not as strong as some other teams who will be
looking to win the TDF, Menchov may be past it
Lampre-ISD
This Italian squad has been a presence in cycling for a long
time now, with this being there 21st season, an impressive number
given the flaky nature of cycling teams (who tend to come and go). They are a strong,
talented team as seen by their 6th place in last years’ world tour. In
Scarponi and Cunego, they have two riders who can perform well in the hilly classics
and Grand Tours. In Przemysław Niemiec and Matthew Lloyd (as well as others) they
have some excellent climbing domestiques and in Diego Ulissi they have a
talented youngster. Alas for the sprints, Petacchi isn’t getting any younger and looked
to be struggle in some sprints last year, however I guess he can still good
enough to get a couple of stages in the Giro/Vuelta.
Strengths – Cunego has an impressive record in the hilly
classics and has been working on his time trialling (lost Tour of Switzerland
by 4 seconds!), Scarponi is a class act winning last year’s Giro one of the favourites
to win this years, Strong squad.
Weaknesses – No favourites for the TDF, Petacchi isn’t getting
any younger and looked to be struggle in some sprints last year, Cunego isn’t
getting any younger and hasn’t won a hilly classic since 2008 (and only had a podium
position once since, in 2009)
Liquigas-Cannondale
I have to declare an interest here in that this is one of
my, if not, favourite team. They have been successfully developing young talent
for years now and the current season is no exception. In addition; they have real
opportunities for grand tour winners with Ivan Basso and Vincenzo Nibali and
excellent support for these riders from domestiques
such as Sylwester Szmyd (the best climbing domestique around at this time). For
the classics and grand tour stage wins they have the almighty Peter Sagan,
alongside Daniel Oss and Elia Viviani both with impressive sprinting abilities.
As for Neo-Pros (first year pro cyclists) they have Moreno Moser (son of the
legendry Francesco Moser) who has already impressed with his early season
results. It will be very interesting to see how he does.
Strengths – Basso, Nibali, Sagan all riders who can perform at
the highest levels of cycling. A strong, talented squad, with excellent domestiques.
Weaknesses – Probably isn’t Nibali’s year for the TDF, Viviani is up against some strong competition
in Cavendish etc, Sagan is still young.
Lotto-Belisol
This Belgium team is a result from the split of the Omega Pharma-Lotto
team last year. Lotto have been a long term presence in cycling now. The
rooster isn’t as strong as Omega Pharma-Lotto’s was last year, and in comparison
to some of the other teams. The headline figures are Andrie Griepel and Jurgen
Van Den Broeck this teams riders for the sprints and GT’s respectively; in addition
they have Jelle Vanendert who can climb and has potential for good placings in
the hilly classics. For the cobbled classics, time trials and GT stage wins
they have the powerhouse that is Lars Bak, who will also be a valuable
domestique. The team has enough breadth for numerous stage wins in GT’s and stage
races, especially in the sprints with Andrie Griepel.
Strengths – Van Den Broeck can shine at the Grand Tours and
is a strong time trialist, Griepel can clock up stage wins in many events, many
decent riders who can pick up WT points.
Weaknesses – Griepel isn’t as good as Cavendish and possible
Goss, Jurgen Van Den Broeck is only one
of many contenders for TDF, No stand out riders who are in top 5 favorites to
win a monument.
Movistar Team
This longstanding Spanish team, with a prestigious history
leading all the way back to the 80’s with Pedro Delgado, is entering its 32nd
season! [This is a very long time for a cycling team (just look at HTC)]. This
team has some good talent in the form of Rojas, Visconti, Cobo and of course the
returning Valverde for the sprints, classics and GT’s respectively. In addition
they have other riders for stages wins and as solid domestiques such as
Lastras. For the hilly classics they can deploy the talents of Visconti and Valverde,
with the latter in the top 10 favourites for some of these races. Valverde can
also compete for the GC in the Grand Tours and would look good for a podium in
the Vuelta. Cobo is Movistar’s other rider who has ability to perform in the
Grand Tours with last year’s win in the Vuelta, however he is weaker mentally and
is therefore less consistent and needs the right conditions and people to help
him perform at his best. Rojas can win sprints and points jerseys.
Strengths – Rojas, Visconti and Valverde can notch up wins, Valverde
and Cobo can perform well in GT’s and podium the Vuelta this year, Visconti and
Valverde can win the hilly classics, many decent riders who can get stages
wins/ are strong domestiques
Weaknesses – Valverde isn’t as strong as he used to be and isn’t
the best time trialist, Cobo is inconsistent, whilst Visconti has talent yet to
win monument.
Omega Pharma-Quick
Step
One of the “super teams” this year, which was formed by a
merger of the Quick Step team and
first half of the Omega Pharma-Lotto team, along with a large contingent of the
defunct HTC team. This, in summary, has lead to a very strong rooster with
riders who are at the top of their field in all areas of cycling (with the
possible exception of the hilly classics). They have a number of strong
domestiques/super domestiques, and GT winning potential in the form of Levi
Leipheimer, and with potential for break through performances for Tony Martin
and Peter Velits both of whom could also act as very strong domestiques for Leipheimer.
In addition Martin has shown that he is the best time trialist in the world and
hence can win these stages. For the classics this team has Tom Boonen and Sylvain
Chavanel, the former a legend of the classics and the later a strong performer.
This team will be strong in the team time trials with the strength and breath
of the rooster. Will be good to see this team race this year.
Strengths – Very strong rooster, lots of big names who can
win in the Monuments and Grand Tours.
Weaknesses –
Leipheimer isn’t getting younger, Martin hasn’t managed to break through as far
as winning GT’s go, No stand out Puncheur’s.
Rabobank
Another longstanding cycling team entering their 28th
year and 16th year of sponsorship by Rabobank. This team has a
strong rooster, with promising young riders such as Robert Gesink, Bauke
Mollema and Wilco Kelderman. Indeed many pundits had Gesink down as a good possibilty
for a TDF podium, and he has shown good performances in the GT’s before. With
his strength as a time trialist and the number of TT km in this year’s TDF he
should not be discounted for a good performance this year. Bauke Mollema is
another rider who has shown he can put in good performances in the GT’s with a
12th in the 2010 Giro (at the age of 23!) and a 4th place
in last year’s Vuelta, and he will only get better as he develops as a rider.
Both of these riders can also get podium places in the numerous WT stage races,
which will help the WT points haul of Rabobank.
In addition to their GT ambitions Rabobank have a number of
riders who can win stages in the GT’s and stage races such as Luis León Sánchez,
Carlos Barredo and Laurens ten Dam, who are also strong domestiques for
Rabobank’s other ambitions. For the sprints they have (interestingly) Mark Cavendish’s
old lead out man, Mark Renshaw, who has shown on many occasions that he is fast,
although it will be interesting to see how he copes as the main sprinter. In
addition Matti Breschel has a good turn of speed and has had good performances
in the past in the classics, having won Dwars door Vlaanderen, and gained top
10 positions in both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, and he will be one
of Rabobanks men for the classics.
Strengths – Riders who can perform at the GT’s (with a realistic
chance of a podium), many good domestiques, riders who can win stages.
Weaknesses – No riders who are big favourites for the
monuments,
RadioShack-Nissan-Trek
Formed from the merger of the RadioShack and Leopard-Trek teams from last year, this is another of the
super teams. Indeed, RadioShack largely failed to have an impact last year, so
this combination with the Leopard-Trek team does make for an impressive
rooster, the only problem being the fact that big names such as Voigt, Klöden
and Horner aren’t getting any younger. There are two major aims this year for
this team; the TDF for Andy Schleck and the Classics/Monuments for Cancellara. To
support these riders in these aims are a strong contingent of domestiques some
of whom are winners in their own right, such as Chris Horner. In addition for
the sprints they have Daniele Bennati (former TDF green jersey) and strong
climbers such as Frank Schlek and Jakob Fuglsang. This team will rely on Cancellara
soley for the classics and with good reason given his past performances, and
they should notch up a good haul of WT points with their other riders. Before
we talk about Andy Schleck’s chances for the TDF it is worth mentioning another
key compenent of this team. The director sportif, Johan Bruyneel, a genius who
can enhance any team he is on, and it is for this reason that he has 8 TDF
victories as a director sportif. He has a knack for tactics and with his
guidance Andy Schleck can only be better. So now we come to the TDF, can Andy
Schleck win it given the number of time trial km? Yes, is the short answer
there are actually more climbs this year than last and from some of the
profiles it looks like someone willing to risk it (as Schleck did last year)
can take good time. Of course he will need to improve his performance against
the clock but with Bruyneel (and Cancellara) he has some good people around him
to help him with this. Another target for both this team and Schleck this year
will be Liege-Bastogne-Liege a race that A. Schleck has won before.
Strengths – strong team with clear goals and riders who can
win at the highest levels.
Weaknesses – Schleck
is at a disadvantage due to number of TT km in this tour, Cancellara is a
marked man in the classics and faces strong completion from Boonen.
Team Saxo Bank
With the suspension of Alberto Contador this team has been
largely gutted and hence this year will be a struggle. They have riders who can
get decent results with Nick Nuyens, Chris Anker Sørensen and Juan José Haedo
for the classics, stage races and sprints respectively. However, no riders who
can top 5 in the GT’s and they will have to rely on stage wins for WT points,
plus a possible top 5 in stage races like Tour de Suisse etc. Indeed they have
no strong favourites for any discipline of cycling and not many proven stage
winners
.
Strengths – Some decent riders such as Nick Nuyens, Chris
Anker Sørensen and Juan José Haedo.
Weaknesses – No stand out riders in any discipline of
cycling, lack riders who can pick up lots of WT points.
Team Sky
The last of this year’s “super-teams” a title deserved given
the strength and breadth of the team, they have a couple of standout leaders
such as Brad Wiggins and Mark Cavendish for the TDF and for the sprints. In
addition they have many riders such as Edvald Boasson Hagen ,Chris Froome &
Riche Porte who can win stage races/ stages and act as very strong domestiques.
That said I would say that for most of the classics Sky have the disadvantage
of not having any strong favourites for win or the podium. The obvious
exception is Milan-Sanremo where Cav has shown in the past he can perform. Much
like RadioShack-Nissan-Trek and
BMC the TDF is a major goal this year for this team, far outweighing there
ambitions in other races. For a start one of the goals of Team Sky was to have
a UK rider win the event within five years of their formation, and this year
looks like a good year to fulfil that ambition with Bradley Wiggins, given the
course. The number of time trial km, Wiggin’s recent form (Vuelta, Criterium Dauphine,
world TT championships etc) and the strength of the squad to assist him all
suggest that Wiggins can have a very good go this year. Team Sky however also
have Cavendish, so the Green jersey will also be a goal, the juggling of these
two demanding goals will be interesting to watch and will make both goals much
harder to achieve.
In addition to this goal Team Sky have the strength to attempt
other goals, with Froome showing that he has the talent to win a grand tour,
especially the Giro/Vuelta (maybe) this year, whether sky will try it though is
another matter. In addition I suspect races such as the Vuelta Pais Vasco, Tour
de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse etc can be one by any number of the riders
on Sky such as Froome, Porte, Wiggins, maybe even Boasson Hagen. For the cobbled
classics they have Juan Antonio Flecha, who has shown his class in these events
on many occasion (indeed in Sky colours!), although he is not on the same level
as Cancellera or Boonen (he is a 4 star favourite). In addition to Flecha, Sky have
Eisel and the aforementioned Boasson Hagen, who have the talent to perform in the
cobbled classics. Much of the same applies to Rigoberto Uran and the hilly
classics, where he has shown in the past he can perform, but where the completion
is stiff. In addition I see no reason why a rider like Bradley Wiggins couldn’t
win an event like the tour of Lombardy if he and sky put their minds to it.
Strengths – A strong line up, with many powerful domestiques
and a strong contender for the TDF win/ podium, a strong scientific approach to
road racing, having by a mile the best sprinter on the planet.
Weaknesses – A lack of a top 3/ top 5 contender for the
cobbled/hilly classics, a overbearing focus on TDF, lack of ambition in races
such as the Giro.
Vacansoleil-DCM
An underrated team, who this year can build upon their first
year in World tour with quality riders such as Hoogerland, Westra, Devolder and
de Gendt. This team have the ability to win/podium a number of WT events, whilst
picking up stage wins and points/mountains jerseys along the way. For the GT’s they
have no standout riders, with their best bets being the developing Wouter Poels,
Hoogerland and maybe Sergey Lagutin who manged a top 20 in last year’s Vuelta. For
the stage races they have more promise with possible top 10 positions for
riders such as Poels and Marcato etc who can get these positions in races
ranging from Criterium Dauphine to the Tour of Poland. For the cobbled classics
they have a strong line up, with many riders who can perform at these events. Indeed
with Devolder they have a two time winner of the Tour of Flanders, who can be
able supported by Hoogerland, who has had some decent (top 15) performances at
this race and Westra who is a strong rider. For the hilly classics they again
have Hoogerland, who has put in some decent past performances in these races
alongside Carrara. In conclusion I think it is fair to say that this is a
decent team that can win stages in stage races/grand tours, can get top 20 performances
in the hilly classics, top10/top 5/win the cobbled classics and perhaps win a
stage race, with strong enough domestiques to support these ambitions.
Strengths – Solid team, with a good number of riders who can
perform at the mid range races/stages, some riders who can win the biggest
events in cycling, can win points/mountains jersey’s
Weaknesses – No stand out riders for the GT’s, will have to
rely on stage wins in the GT’s, No stand out riders for a few of the monuments.
