With former Young Guns Kondrotas, Wekenburg and Mollerup currently tearing up OCM, it’s time to focus on this season’s Young Guns. In the past, the status of Young Gun has been an inspiration for some but too much pressure for others. With no Young Guns being nominated for Season 17, there were twice as many contenders for this season, which has made the nomination process a long and drawn-out process. Therefore, this year there are 8 Young Guns rather than the usual 7. It’s also produced a list of 8 stellar riders, possibly the strongest set of Young Guns yet.
  
   Alfeu Freitas – CycleMotor - Climber
  
  The first of three Portugal riders to make Young Guns 5 is climber Alfeu Freitas from CycleMotor. The 24 year old has yet to score an OCM point but this will surely be changing in the future. Freitas’s impressive low-profile performances have even earned him a call up to the Portuguese National Team and he has ridden two World Tour races already. Freitas was bought from former Portuguese team Salsibycling who have since appeared to have left the OCM circuit. Rumours that they have mafia connections have so far been left unproven.
  
   Jordaan Siemers – Garmin Cervelo - Sprinter
  
  The Young Guns always include a super sprinter and this year is no exception. The first sprinting Young Guns is Garmin Cervelo rider, Jordaan Siemers. At 26, many would consider Siemers too old to be a Young Gun, but talent has usurped age for his nomination. The Flying Dutchman notched up an impressive 11 results last season, including 6 victories. However, it was his 2nd place in the Rotterdam - Amsterdam World Tour race that raised his profile. With a few top teams already sniffing around, will Garmin Cervelo be able to hold on to him and give him the support he needs for him to continue such form?
  
   Celso Leitão – blast – Time Trialler
  
  This season’s time trialling Young Gun, and Portugal’s second rider, is blast’s Celso Leitão. In what is still a relatively

short career, Leitão has already managed to score a top 3 in the Youth Classification of 4 Tours, winning the Best Young jersey at both Essex and the Volta. However, in a week of peak form, Leitão also dominated last season’s Volta General Classification, ultimately picking up the winner’s Gold jersey. Leitão will surely be hoping to follow in the footsteps of previous Young Gun, johny2’s Elton Lonergan, and take jerseys in OCM’s biggest Tour in Germany.
  
   Anghel Ghidarcea – WV De Dommel - Hiller
  
  Another Young Gun already to have made an impact on the OCM circuit is Romanian hiller, Anghel Ghidarcea. The 24 year old totally dominated last season’s Cymru Taith, winning all 3 stages, the winner’s GC jersey and the YC jersey. It coincided with a period of sizzling form which he took with him to the Essex Tour. Unfortunately, he got injured just before the English Tour and was not able to prove himself. However, the Romanian has started Season 18 strongly, already taking the Division 1 race, Giro di Firenze, and will be a force to be reckoned with at Essex this year and in the future.
  
   Guilherme Rios – Torreira - Sprinter
  
  Portugal’s third and final Young Gun is Torreira’s fastman, Guilherme Rios. Rios started his career at Norwegian powerhouse, CCFC, but then made the switch to Torreira last season, with Jannic De Keijsere moving in the opposite direction. Rios’ repatriation back to Portugal was just one of many for Torreira as they build a team of home riders. Rios repaid manager itisix’s faith in him almost immediately by taking the Division 1 Classic, the Helsinki GP, showing signs of a big race temperament. Torreira was within a whisker of having two Young Guns this season, with young climber Gilberto Morais almost making the list. That he didn’t shows the strength of this year’s selections.
  
   Umberto Impellitteri – Team Crazy Downhillers - Climber
  
  There have been a number of riders dubbed ‘The Next Ame’, including

one rider who may make next season’s Young Guns 6, but no-one has been given the mantle ‘The Next Dorsher’. Until now that is. Team Crazy Downhillers have been amassing themselves a collection of young, talented climbers, none more so than Italian Umberto Impellitteri. Impelliterri is still green between the ears and will improve more with training, but he’s already impressing in climbing races and is very much Dorsher’s heir. Can he win Dorsher’s statue and be nominated Best Climber of the Season? It’s a long battle ahead and he still has a lot of improving to do, but the talent is certainly there.
  
   Rio Loredo – SierraEspadán - Cobbler
  
  This season’s pave Young Gun is SierraEspadán’s young Spaniard, Rio Loredo, beating off other Young Guns hopefuls, Julian Pope (Team Revolutie) and Sebastien Persoens (radu). Loredo is still relatively unknown at the moment but this will surely change in the future if his team can nurture his career. It will take his team a while to get to Division 1, but if they do, then the Roubaix Classic and Belgium’s Tweedaagse van Antwerpen will surely be top of the wish list.
  
   Slavomil Dittrich – NightmareChaos – Tour Rider
  
  The final Young Gun is NightmareChaos’ new tour rider, Slavomil Dittrich. With the Russian team unlikely to make sign up for this season’s Monte Rosa, rumours that Division 1’s Perm Tour is to be moved to Division 5 have energized the team. Dittrich still needs some timetrial training to be considered a tour rider, but once that happens he will be a feared rider. However, manager Finz has tried to lower expectations, saying ‘he is just a simple country boy from Radostin. He wanted a motorbike when he was young because motorbikes were cool. But his parents bought him a stupid road bike instead’. Well, he’s now a Young Gun from Radostin, and I’m sure he doesn’t think road bikes are stupid anymore. The question is – will Dittrich cause chaos in tour peletons, or will his career turn out to be a nightmare?
  
  Thanks to Greenride, WV De Dommel, SprintingKings, Equipe Hollandia, NECFTW and many other managers for help with research