The main event in the division 5 calendar is here and many teams gather in Denmark for another edition of the hit Danish tour, many teams hope to follow in the footsteps of former winners Efrain Maze and Reginald Haney, both of which won’t be competing next week. Among the line out we have a former Germany Tour winner just an indicator of how strong this year’s line-up really is, so lets meet the teams
Optimus Prime:
The first team to sign up brings one of the big contenders for crown in Heinrich Matthäus, he has some good support from his team-mates so expect him to be fighting with the big boys once again this year. Prediction: top 9 GC, top 3 SC, podium stages 2&6.
Storm Sandefjord
The team bring Polish youngster Zbigniew Stasiak to the tour in a bid to bring home the bacon. Surrounded by one of the strongest squads, Stasiak will never be alone if he’s in trouble, he should be up there in stages 3 and 4, but also given his good time trial ability, he could possibly bringing more than just the Youth Classification back to Norway. Predictions: top 9 GC, YC, top 5 stages 3&4, outsider in time trials.
Cykelmyggen
Fred Hasselbaink ,another big contender here for the SC and YC. I doubt he will be able to win the GC with little time trial ability. However, he is strong in the hills but a beast at sprinting, probably the main hope for this team. Predictions: top 3 YC and SC, podiums in stages 2&6, top 9’s in stages 3 (possibly stage 4)
THE DUTCHIES
THE DUTCHIES are yet another team with an eye for the big prize as they bring in former HCT captain, Duardo Salgada to the Danish roads. Salgada should do well in almost all the stages and is also an outsider for the win. Predictions: top 9’s stages 2,3,4 and 6. Top 5 GC.
BCTeam
Lead by time trialler Gilian De Schutter, there is only one major goal for this team in this tour, the time trials. Not a very good squad beside him so keeping his high GC spot after the prologue will be merely a dream but other than that, he is a favourite in stages 1 and 5. Predictions: Top 5 in prologue and stage 5.
Freebee
This is a team just for the time trials. They are not top class but they will certainly mix it up in the time trials and could go break awaying when they are not against the clock. Predictions top 9’s in prologue and stage 5.
PCG
Anastasio Padilla is the main man for PCG. He has a high top speed but nothing | | special and lacks a full lead out train. He will surely fight it out in the sprints to the best of his ability but will he be able to keep up with the bigger names? Prediction: top 9’s stages 2 and 6.
Shande
Shande is another Norwegian team hoping to take the leaders jersey home to Norway. Krogstad is a time trialler, just like Haney but won’t lead the team. Instead they bring a more experienced Karl Johansen, a good sprinter, but nothing else. He has little support other than Krogstad so he wont have a great time. Predictions: win in prologue, top 3 in stage 5, top 9’s stages 2 and 6.
Britcycles
Leon Morison led the tour until the final time trial, where he dramatically crashed out of the race. This year, the line up is even harder and he lacks the top training and vitamins he had last year so other than the sprint stages, Morison will be fighting for his life just to stay in the top 9 of the GC. Predictions: top 9’s stages 2,3 and 6, top 5 SC.
English Sprinting Team
They possibly bring in the strongest sprinter of the field in Carroll Mullan. But he wont have a field day in the sprints due to the high level of competition. He has some time trial ability and can get over the hills pretty easily so we should be expecting great things from Mullan. Prediction top 3 GC and SC, top 3 in stages 2, 3 and 6. Top 9 in stage 4.
Borussia Milano
Henny Traa leads this Italian outfit but other than the time trials, I doubt we’ll see much of them. Predictions: Possible top ‘s in prologue and stage 5.
Treaty City CC
Zeiser shocked us last year with a top 3 finish but I’m sure we will see this punchy Irishman a few times before the end of the tour. He has some help from his team mates so I predict he will have a bit of success, but not as much as last years. Predictions: top 5 stage 3, top 9 stage 4, possible top 9 in GC.
Team Cypro
The team bring in a certain rider called Broderick Rimmer, yes I do mean Broderick Rimmer! He has conquered the height of OCM, The Germany Tour so surely he is the outright favourite for the win? Apparently not. Even though he has the ability to crush the field, at the age of 34, his legs aren’t what they used to be. But I will risk on saying he is an outsider for the SC and GC. The team can also rely on other ‘ancient’ superstars Rogério Aleixo and Alessandro Guerini for success. Predictions: top 9 GC, top 5 SC, top 9’s in stages prologue, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
| | Huagro
The team is lead by a tour rider named Tadese Guish , he missed out on a top 9 GC in the first edition of the race and I expect that to happen again this time as it simply isn’t bumpy enough for him. However, he may sneak success in stages 3 and 4. Predictions: top 9’s in stages 3 and 4.
Movistar Spain
Youngster Benedict Guerrero will have the pressure of leading this team but I’m sure he will be able to cope with it. He has some sprinting abilities + the fact he can climb hills all day. But his Achilles heel will be the time trials, but still expect him to have success. Predictions: win in stage 4, top 3 YC and outsider for SC.
Hommelbier
The Belgian team brings a full set of Belgian riders all hell bent on getting success in this tour. Delepierre isn’t a super sprinter but also has time trial ability on his side, something which could sneak him a win in the prologue, other than that, it depends on how he can cope with the better sprinters of the tour. Predictions: top 3 in prologue, top 9’s in stages 2 and 6.
don hamstre team
They bring a climber to lead this team in Denmark. Unfortunately for them, there are no mountains there but luckily for them Amos Gordon can also climb hills, other than stage 4 I don’t think there will be much success for the team. Predictions: top 9 in stage 4.
Champadero
Santiago Perdiguero leads this Spanish team. He can climb hills a bit and can sprint but I can’t see him on the podium in any stage. Predictions: top 9’s in stages 2, 3 and 6.
Sprintje bergop
Van Damme hopes to bring money and points for his team in this race but I think he wont be in the big money. Predictions: top 9’s in stages 3 and 4.
squadra sora
The last team to sign up for this tour is led by Dominik Van Hecke, a solid rider who can rely on his abilities. However he lacks the time trial ability to win the tour so I think he’ll just be a stage hunter. Predictions: top 5 in stages 3 and 4.
Now the predictions are done! We can now all wait for the start in Esbjerg and the race will surely have some surprises all the way to København where there can only be one winner, which I sure as hell don’t know so take your pick from the great amount of riders we have in contention.
Written by freelancer ryant from Britcycles to the OCM Magazine
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