Team Preveiws (Minus One)

With Jason on vacation as the Tour starts, it’s up to me to write misinformed team previews. Here, I’ll preview every team except Astana, which let’s face it, deserves its own entry because it has the most fascinating team dynamic in the Tour. So here’s everyone else:

AG2R
We make fun of the French teams for having no ostensible purpose in the Tour. But can you believe that Ag2r actually had two riders in the top ten last year? And, being Ag2R, only one of them (Efimkin) will be starting the race this year? And that they still insist Dessel is the team leader? Awesome.

AGRIBUTEL
Feillu once wore the yellow jersey… er, Calzati has won a stage, and, um… you see… Christophe Moreau! Moreau is probably the most mockable of all French riders, but then again, he’s married to a podium girl, so I’m pretty sure he’s having the last laugh.

BBOX (BOGUS TELECOM)
They only exists so Thomas Voeckler can make some ill-adivsed early run at yellow jersey and then eventually finish 80th in the overall GC.

CAISSE D’EPARGNE
With Valverde skipping the Tour, the team leader duties fall to Oscar Pereiro who is kinda sorta a former Tour winner. It’s a strong, deep team that really won’t win anything. They specialize in having good, solid Tours in which they took home no hardware. Pereiro will finish top ten, but there’s little chance he will make the podium.

CERVELO
Carlos Sastre is the defending champ yet he’s no one’s pick to win this time. Sastre specializes in being the last guy standing when other rider’s choke away the race (READ: Cadel Evans). That’s a viable strategy again because there’s a 50-50 chance Astana implodes and Sastre could be the last guy standing. Again. Oh, yeah… THOR!

COFIDIS
Chavanel left the team and it was a major blow. Re-read that sentence and realize how much trouble this team is in.

TEAM COLUMBIA
Remember when Versus pumped up Hincapie as a contender? That was cute, wasn’t it? Kirchen also has an outside shot at the podium, but he’ll probably be a nice top ten guy. Rogers is being hyped as potential winner, but I’m not really buying. However, the team’s real goal is the green. Cavendish dominated the early stages of last year’s Tour before dropping out for the Olympics. He’s an overwhelming favorite and I’ll make the pick now: if Cavendish finishes, he’ll be wearing green. I can’t believe I’m picking a Brit, which goes against all of my instincts.

EUSKALTEL
Sanchez gave the orange boys their best finish in a long, long time and he’s back to contend for dots and maybe finish in the top ten again. A few years ago, this was a real interesting team, now they are the Basque answer to Ag2r.

FDJ
Of all the non-competitive French teams, and they are legion, I’ve always had a soft spot for FDJ. Sure, they won’t win anything, but they at least make the race as exciting as they can by striving for whatever low hanging fruit they can grab.

GARMIN
They wear argyle and are sponsored by Chipotle burritos. How can I not root for these guys? (I ignore the presence of David Millar) Vande Velde finished fourth last year in one of the most unbelievable results in recent memory. It won’t happen again, but the interest rider is Tyler Farrar, who has actually gone toe to toe with Cavendish. He’s a nice dark horse pick. Which is nice way of saying it’s highly unlikely he’ll win.

KATUSHA
McEwen and Steegsman. That’s a pretty impressive sprinters team, though McEwen is pretty far past his prime. This is actually a pretty good all around team, though they won’t contend in the GC.

LAMPRE
Imagine of Cunego actually took the Tour seriously. This is a powerful team that is simply just showing up to be nice.

LIQUIGAS
Basso is still not on the Tour lineup, so the goal is now for Bennati to win the green. He’s the biggest threat to Cavendish, but he’s only won one stage in two Tours, so I’m not going all in on him. But I hope it’s a war between the two (with Friere and THOR! trying to steal points on the fringe)

MILRAM
Ciolek is no Zabel. Keep that in mind.

QUICKSTEP
Tom Boonen is back! He won the appeal yesterday so he’s now on the start list, so everyone’s favorite coke addict is ready to compete for the green. How is that not a performance enhancing drug for a sprinter?

RABOBANK
Menchov is probably the top contender not riding for Astana. He needs to be able to able to simply hang on in the mountains and try to win this in a time trial. He lacks great support, which could doom his chances, but Rabobank is a team that always raises its game. And Freire is another green jersey threat.

TEAM SAXO
Who doesn’t like the Schleck brothers? Even more importantly, who doesn’t love Jens Voigt? Sastre’s off the team, which is really no way to treat the defending champ, but they are moving forward with the Schlecks as their best hope to win another yellow. I refuse to count out Andy, who now has experience and has the most insane rider on earth and his brother as domestiques.

SILENCE-LOTTO
Another weak team with a powerful team leader. Last year was Cadel Evans’ big chance, and he finished second. Again. Now, with the return of Lance and Contador, Evans is sort of an afterthought. This might suit him well. I’ve spent years picking against Evans, but I actually feel really good about his chances this year. Once again, dependant on Astana collapsing.

SKIL-SHIMANO
It’s their first Tour and the team is sponsored by chainsaws. That can’t bode well.