The area between Lexington and Concord are well known to many yet still unknown to even more.
  This place is full of history when twenty teams settle down in the region to enjoy the friendly atmosphere and battle it out on paved roads.
  To introduce this race we have found Isaac Davis, a gunsmith with some knowledge of the surrounding in New England.
  Isaac Davis, a true Minutemen. His footsteps are what the riders ride on these six stages. Six stages between Lexington and Concord.
  We start with the famous midnight ride by Paul Revere in the town of Charlestown. Paul Revere started this race in 1775 and today we still race like we never stopped.
  
  Listen, my children, and you shall hear
  Of the midnight ride of Isak Dammen around here,
  On a sunny morning in season eighteen:
  A ride like that has never been seen
  Who remembers that famous day and year,
  
  He said to his friend, "when the starter shoots,
  Send me a message so I start out good
  Wave the flag, scream the scream or kick the boots
  Ready to ride and show myself and you
  Through every Middlesex village and town
  For the country folk to be up and enjoy the ride with me
  
  With that plan many teams have packed their bags and set a sail
  Like the Vikings before, we greet Rooney17, they arrived and are still as pale
  Danish arrive and we all know what is their best attack
  A Dutchman, called Veldkamp, a mercenary that rides swift and will not be in the back
  Their hopes Will be on a guy from Turkmenistan instead
  A phantom rider, that will ride the clock like he is mad
  He will perform and be that swift like a rad
  And a huge white bolt, that was magnified
  By his own reflection in the Boston Harbor tide.
  
  As we enter the American mainland, we can not be without an American beat
  Bikes and riders that are eager to steer
  Till the silence around them is all they hear
  A muster of men lead by Supernutz manager Ian McNab
  The rattle of chains, and the tramp of feet
  And the measured thread of a lone threadmill manned by Wesley Meadows
  A minutemen he is, a native, a patriot, a guy with two shadows
  And he will ride and ride even after he is beat.
  
  After we have seen these two enter many are starting to join
  Finding their way, with stealthy thread
  To the starting line ahead.
  Ocana has also startled the pigeons with the toss of their Spanish coin
  A Spanish team that join with an almost full native squad lead by Garate
  He will attack on the steep slopes that await
  The trembling climbs, steep and tall
  To the highest peak of them all.
  When he paused to listen and to look back
  A moment on the side looking behind to see the pack
  and the sunlight flowing over all.
  
  In the centre of the town, a Dutch team entered
  Wizzyweb will have its encampment set below the Washington hill
  They have no comment, they are deep and still
  Will they again rule these lands like before or instead
  be watchful and stand on the side and don’t care how the race will bent
  Creeping from team to team and end up high with Boezeman, a sprinter, a loose end.
  
  And Aussie team Team ANZ Bank is seeming to whisper: "All is well".
  A moment only he feels he needs to spell.
  Of the place and the hour, he spells B A I
  and the lonely Papua rider says "the win is my."
  And suddenly his thoughts are bent
  On a shadowy something, far away, where the river widens to meet the bay.
  A line of black that bends and floats
  On the rising ride, like his hometown boats.
  
  Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride,
  Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride
  On the starting line there are Australian Warlord riders
  He adjusted their saddle and checked their rides
  Now gazed at the landscape far and near
  Is a Dane, called Leon Ryberg, he strikes his enemies with fear
  
  Then, impetuous, stamped the earth
  He turned and tightened his saddle-girth
  But mostly he watched his fellow riders
  The Ponika rider, Sladan Subotic
  He was getting more nervous as the start was coming quick
  He was waiting for those mountains and that occasional hill
  Lonely, spectral, and sombre and still
  
  And lo! as he looks, we see another minutemen enter with all his might.
  Alpha Plus will not enter a glimmer but a gleam of light.
  We jump up and we will see Jesus Gasquilan, he will make necks turn.
  First embarrassed and shy, till full in sight.
  And then he will face the crowd and the lights in the flashes will burn.
  All the people in town will flock the street
  
  But will they see what they want or will POM Wonderful light up in the dark
  Will they see what they want or what they desire, will they see the spark
  Struck out by a steed flying fearless Marcos Miguez supported by a group of others.
  That was all. And yet, through the

gloom and the light, hide your children and mothers.
  The fate of a nation is riding these days
  And the spark struck out by that route, those two team will make ways
  Kindled the land into fire with their passion that smothers
  
  From South Africa he has left his village and mounted his ride
  Rigana brought Douglas Crawford, tranquil and broad and deep.
  He is the Mystic, the one that rides
  Under his pedals, there is no space between the road and them
  he will glide over them lurking his stem
  This South African is the one in the team that guides.
  
  When the Norwegian arrives the road is starting to rock
  They stay near the bridge in Medford Town.
  They get up at the crowing of the cock.
  and the barking of the farmer's dog,
  They feel the damp of the river fog,
  JV pro cycling and Klaus Westby are ready to take them down.
  
  It was one by the village clock,
  When they rode into Lexington.
  The archenemy in the form of wild mountain team
  They hired the Dane, Max Iwers, the Viking of the Isles
  And in the meeting house, blank and bare
  He gazes at us with his spectral glare.
  And if he already understood.
  He left the room, without a word over the redglazed tiles
  
  And now it is two who entered the village swift
  In Concord town we have two red coated teams from England
  Britcycles and Team Hurricanes are here to make a rift
  And the twitter of birds among the trees,
  the breath of the morning breeze
  Blowing over the meadows brown.
  When Hanno Albrecht or Ignace Bautmans raised their head
  Every citizen who would enjoyed their presence at all
  Who that day would be witnessed them
  These two opposites, a climber and sprinter,
  They would make this tour a ball.
  
  Penendal Racing has entered as well. A team from Holland with homegrown men
  They will try to shine like a true Son of Liberty and go for a top ten.
  With Riemer Veneberg they want to do good against the clock
  Especially on the roads ascending Washington rock.
  Chasing their dreams down the lane
  CGPBMARCH is joining this American tour entering from Spain.
  They bring with them Roman Alegria to the American roads
  And will never pause their sprinting train until the pack explodes.
  
  And through the night came Chippo Racers here,
  A Belgium team that relies on his sprinters charm,
  Conrad Berton, a giant, raised on a Flemish farm,
  When he enters the sprint his opponents are struck with fear.
  A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
  And a team that shall enter this tour forevermore!
  For, Telstra has joined again, just like in the past,
  Let him and Goddard Scothern finally finish last.
  In the last hour two teams have entered the race and it can now proceed
  TeamA from Holland, with Egbert Bosz, his ambition is clear
  And Colombian mistermiyagi with his stallion Florian Ilic, a perfect breed
  They are all out to continue the legacy of Paul Revere.
  
   Rooney17
  
  Dirk Veldkamp is their man for the sprints climbs. But their real goal is to do well in the timetrails with Afanasy Tyannikov.
  Maybe they want to upset the pack in a transition stage when they send some riders in a breakaway.
  
   Supernutz
  
  Wesley Meadows is their man for the GC. He has his trusted leuitenant with him, Perry Farmer. This agricultural duo is here to do well.
  At least a stage win in stage 3 or 4 and that should secure his GC assault.
  
   Ocana
  
  Noe Garate is the absolute number one for this Spanish team. His climbing skills are not very good but, he has some great teammates that will guide him through the mountains.
  He wants a top nine. But he secretly dreams of a result and a spot on the podium in the end.
  
   Wizzyweb
  
  Wizzyweb will enter this tour with the hope that his Rafael Boezeman will do very good. His sprintinglegs are very big.
  But will this sprinter be as sharp as ever after he finished the Russian tour first, and had to fly all the way to America. We hope he will compete in the sprints.
  We fear however, that a top nine in a stage or maybe two stages is his maximum.
  
   Team ANZ Bank
  
  A new star is born. In Papua New Guinea, Sylvester Bai lives. He will attack, as his main goal, the Youth Classification.
  When this is secured, they might think of the General Clasification. A good climbing squad that will not surprise, it is expected from them to do good.
  
   Australian Warlord
  
  Leon Ryberg is the star of this

team. He is a great timetrail rider. He will try to do good in the first stage but he wants to win stage five.
  The other riders are joining him to protect him in the other stages. And we will see them up front in the early attacks.
  
   Ponika
  
  Ponika will try to send Sladan Subotic with a group of climbers to do well in the GC. He will have to do it alone. His other teammates are not very good.
  Maybe a nice top nine finish for Danilo Husnjak in a timetrial.
  
   Alpha Plus
  
  Will this be the year of Jesus Gasquilan. Last season he finished just outside the podium.
  A great rider with a great support crew. He will be ready to attack the first spot on day six of this tour. Everything other then a result is a failure.
  
   POM Wonderful
  
  Marcos Miguez went to America to do some great sprinting. He is now the star of the team. They will do good on the roads with cobbles and he is there to take the flowers.
  We have no cobbles in America. The only reason POM Wonderful entered this tour is because their sponsor wants it.
  They will not score points here.
  
   Rigana
  
  Douglas Crawford will try to grab the Sprinting Classification. He will have to do very good in the flat stages. The mountains are not for him. They say he is allergic to them.
  He brought a good train with him. The flat stages look out for the South Africans, they are easy to spot, in the front.
  
   JV pro cycling
  
  Klaus Westby is the hope of this Norwegian team. They have a great team build around this young climber. He is a rider that is going for the GC.
  But he is injured. This team can only hope for a top nine finish in a stage with their second rider Sebastian Sætre.
  
   wild mountain team
  
  Max Iwers. The captain of this team is a great climber. He has support with him for the flat stages. But the mountains, thats something else.
  He has one teammate. Will it be enough. He will go for a top nine in GC. Maybe more.
  
   Britcycles
  
  This English team is going for the flat stages. They have a team that is build around Hanno Albrecht. A German sprinter that is in America for a top nine in the sprinting stages.
  Maybe a result. And will there be win?
  
   Team Hurricanes
  
  The old Belgium Bautmans will try to shine for maybe one of his last tours. A very good climber with a nice team around him.
  If his old legs can manage he will be in the front when the road is going up. Top nine material for the climbing stages. Top nine in GC, only when he overperforms.
  
   Penendal Racing
  
  One rider, one goal. The timetrial on Mount Washington. This team is filled with adventurers. They will try to sneak away and stay away from the pack.
  But the timetrial, that is their goal.
  
   CGPBMARCH
  
  Roman Alegria. A great rider. He is maybe one of the best riders. On the cobbles. This rider will stay with his fellow Spaniard from Marcos Miguez.
  They are in the back, searching for cobbles. They will ride the tour and come home with many stories. But no points.
  
   Chippo Racers
  
  Belgian sprinters. Conrad Berton is the hope for Chippo Racers. They have a good sprinting team. The SC is what they want.
  They might reach it but they will loose it in the mountains, like all the other sprinters. A stagewin would be wonderfull, a result should be achieved.
  
   Telstra
  
  Australian team Telstra joined again. Goddard Scothern joined again. Every team wants to beat them again. They will have to be carefull this season with some nice teams around them but, they will win this tour.
  
   TeamA
  
  Egbert Bosz. A climber form Holland is going for the stage win in the two climbing stages. When that succeeds he might think of a good result in the GC.
  He has some great teammates around him. A top nine in GC is very well possible. A surprising result in the GC is not so surprising at all if we think about it.
  
   mistermiyagi
  
  Florian Ilic is the captain of this team. A sprinter with some great leadouts around him. He will most certainly be in the top three of every sprintstage. He will probably win and is a contender for the SC jersey.
  
  
  Written by pundit Finz from NightmareChaos to OCM Magazine