Written by Michael of English Sprinting Team
  
  Welcome to the ninth edition of the Vuelta de los Castillos tour.
  
  We will start this season's edition of with a look at the contenders for the three jerseys available:
  The General Classification battle:
  
  
  We will start off with NECFTW, the team who won with Galtero Quevedo last season. This time around they bring Pétur Snælaugursson to have a go at winning. Reports suggest that he will be in top form coming into this tour. Last season he won one of the most prestigious tours on the calendar, Germany Tour. He will certainly be looking to get at least a podium here, although there is a lot more competition than last year.
  
  Third in last season's edition was Bartoli Edo, who will be a team mate/co-captain to Peter-Jan Van de Wal, who should be in top form for the event. They both ride for CCFC, who will be looking to get another good result with his Belgic rider at this tour, after winning it two seasons ago.
  
  peddelen brings aging hill climber Anatoliy Michala to this tour as captain. Manager Pete suggested that he would be in top form as well. That’s already three out of three captains in top form There is going to be a few unhappy managers at the end of this tour. As back up captain and team mate, Pete signed up Alfonso Melazzo. Not a bad number two at all.
  
  Tomás Belo back for the third time racing for Die Tour Phantome. The manager said his captain would also be in top form for the tour. His captain has already got some good general classification finishes at this tour, third and fifth consequently, so he will be hoping for another good performance from his captain.
  
  Laos’ number one rider will captain Asymm Project. His name is Anousone Keovilay. We do not know if this rider will be in top form or not, but he will certainly be a contender again in this seasons tour. Last season he was seventh, so there is room for improvement.
  
  Berend Peeters is in again with a great team to help him. Team Unibet spend quite a bit of money on Addison Tungate who will be riding as a team mate in this edition of this tour. Michel Lafis has not revealed any information on the health and form of his riders, so we do not know about his top form condition.
  
  Thirty three year old Nico-Jan Stubbe will be captaining for his team WV De Dommel. Manager Mark said that he would have top form and no hope of getting anything. Personally I disagree. He gas got good support in the form of Björn Eskildsen and in this game, some riders look like they hardly age at all.
  
  Another rider in top form is Robert Thomas riding for EricV. He has got an extremely strong team. Some of the team mates could arguably race as captains themselves. They include Englishman Fergus Harrold, who’s just come back from getting second place at the Volta and Dane Jakob Rachlin who has won the prestigious Germany Tour. Nothing less than a podium will do for this team. Maybe another second place.
  
  Team Oasis bring their hill climber, Erwin Geitz, to this tour in, you guessed it, top form. They bring a strong line up including five times jersey winner at Perm Tour Jude Evans. They also have Dutch climber Meine Witting for support in the Spanish mountains.
  
  There is a thirty five year old South African called Lloyd Vonk in this tour. He rides for Club Ciclista Riaza, who also bring Seif Imad al Din to this stage race. We do not know which one will captain, or if one of them will have top form, but we suppose the South African will be captain for this one.
  
  Team YCO entered because last years runner up, Nicholas Ryle, racing for Matrix team, did not use his wildcard spot. They bring Natan ?urawski as their captain, backed up by a few team mates. He is not time trial centered so he might not be too much of a threat in the end, but never try to predict a time trial stage in a tour ;)
  
  thedutchies team bring amazing climber, Frank Kint in top form. He os another contender who could win the General Classification. He is backed up by his younger team mate Kendrick Pierre and

a few other riders. Frank Kint is yet to shine, maybe this is his time.
  
  Finally we come to team nonnies. He has entered tour rider Nick Boisen, but he says that aarin doesn’t even know who will be captain for the tour yet! And aarin, Nick came to me ;). He has also entered Time Trial rider/tour rider Gracjan Sowa. He could be captain. After a superb performance in the Volta, Tarjei Amundsen could captain the team. Who knows?
  
  The Sprinting Classification battle:
  
  
  There only might be four sprinting teams in this tour, but any of them could come away with the Sprinting Classification jersey. The first team we will access is Yuri SuperTeam who bring Tadaki Ko here a captain for the sprints. He is backed up by five lead outs, all of them 200+ in Sprinting stats. Three of them are 220+ in sprinting stats. I tell you what, if Yuri and his team does not get top three results in the sprinting stages, there must be something really wrong.
  
  Next is Team Tirilla and the amazing Otto Beier. This sprinter got sixth in the General Classification last season, but his manager does not reckon he will be able to achieve that this season again. He will be in for the sprints with five lead outs as well. Another team that will be disappointed if they do not achieve a top three in the sprint stages of this tour.
  
  Jonas Pro Cycling also brings a very strong sprinting team which includes Edward Van Baerlem and Brian Hitchens. We do not know which one will be captain in the sprint stages, but one of them will be backed up by the other and another four impressive lead outs. Seriously, if these three teams does not get in the top nine or a climber beats one of them in the third stage, there might be a riot or something.
  
  And finally, Nairobi City Cycling Club have entered with couple of sprinters and a selection of great Time Trial riders. Methode says he’s entered for the fun of it all, but I think he wants to get the win the Time Trial stage and get a top3 in the Sprinting Classification. He’s racing Fabio Sosa as captain accompanied by Hal Terrell who might ride as captain in the hill sprint stage. He also brings two 218 and 221 time trial riders. He’s got a chance at top 3 in this competition as well!
  
  The Youth Classification battle:
  
  
  Marcos Nabarro will captain team Greenride in this year’s tour. The young Spaniard won’t have top form, but he’s got two times Volta ao Porto Youth Classification winner Guálter Matos to back him up. He’ll be looking to get in the top 3 in the Youth Classification here.
  
  Team Drapeau Noir have entered their young, home grown rider Léonard Le Gall. Specializing in Downhill Stages, his best chance will be stage 2 of this tour. With his flat road ability he should be able to get a good result in the youth classification in this tour. Melvyn Jégou and Arne De Brouwer will support the young Frenchman.
  
  And last but not least is the young Spaniard Eurico Ortega. He rides for Red Star, and like many others will be riding in top form. As his manager admitted he does not have the best support, but he is one of few youth classification contenders, and he’s got the green fairy on his side. He should certainly have a chance at this jersey.
  
  Manager's quotes:
  We asked all the managers the same question in the press interviews and here are their responses:
  
   Asymm Project: We think a top nine in the general classification should be doable, but given the recent transfers we have made the team spirit drop and that will not allow us to fight for the podium. Keovilay got seventh last season, I am okay with repeating that.
  
   WV De Dommel: Stubbe is in topform. Considering his age I will be sursprised with a podium. Stubbe's general classification is my main goal this tour. I expect a top six or something. I would be happy with a win though.
  
   EricV: I probably have the best climber, Thomas, with the best climbing team for this tour, so in the two climbing stages I expect a top three. But I will lose some time in the time trial I guess.
  
   Team Oasis: Well secretly I hope I can make a surprise entry into the world of division one tours. And I do have a team

that could perform well. On the other hand some teams might know already that I usually do okay in all sorts of tours in the lower divisions. So not sure if that would be much of a surprise at all. In general, excluding the time trial, I think I should be able to reach top five in the general classification. Perhaps there might be a result possible in one of the stages. I have not done well on that matter and wish to improve in individual stages this time. So my focus is mainly on that. So secretly hope for win/podium, but will be satisfied with a decent general classification result and a result in one of the stages.
  
   Die Tour Phantome: Well, I said on the forum that I would be happy with a top five in the general classification for Belo. But now that almost every climbing team has a top form captain, I am beginning to think that top nine would already be a huge task. Anyway, the goal is to get a high position in the general classification. But there is always the time trial at the end that makes it hard to predict. The rest of the team is entirely dedicated to him. Only Touzet can go for own glory in the time trial.
  
   Yuri SuperTeam: We are here to fight for the sprinting classification with Ko. We have a strong possibility to do that, but with Hitchens and Beier on the race it will be hard. Ballesteros might also been given a free role once or twice.
  
   Team Unibet: Top nine with Berend Peters in the general classification, he will not be in top form so I will keep my fingers crossed.
  
   peddelen: Selling the old man after the tour. I expect ten riders in topform most of them will captain their team.
  
   Team Tirilla: Since I am among the few managers to enter a team with sprinters, I expect to compete for the green jersey. The few competitors are very talented, however, and I do not expect more than a top three. Last edition, Beier did very well in all stages and finished sixth overall; I do not expect this to happen again but I will take the chance and hope he surprises. Overall, my expectations are some decent results in the stages and hopefully a nice result in one of the classifications.
  
   Club Ciclista Riaza: A top nine would be great but the competence is so much strong. Furthermore, my captain will not get top form. May be a top three in the mountain stages... This is the last tour of Lloyd before he retires.
  
   Drapeau Noir: Winning the Youth Classification jersey and getting a General classification top five with Le Gall in top form. And not getting three injuries like last season.
  
   thedutchies: I am aiming for a good result overall by Kint, should be possible, if he does not have off days in like 80% of the races, like recently.
  
   Jonas Pro Cycling: It is very hard to really have any expectations for a race like Vuelta for a sprinting team these days. Winning the sprinting classification would not surprise me nor would ending outside top nine. It only takes one bad day for a sprinter to be out of the general classification in Vuelta. Competition on sprint side is very tough with Otto Beier and Tadaki Ko with top teams behind them as hard hitters. Also NCCC is sending a good team with decent captains. But we ca not even be sure it is a sprinter that takes sprinting classification. normally it is not. Brian Hitchens will be our candidate. He will try to re win the jersey from season twenty-five. Together with him we send the strongest team ever for a tour. Hand selected for the stage profiles we aim for. Stage one, two and five. Also we hope that Lewis kane and Guido Simoncini can surprise on the ITT since it's a very windy stage.
  
   Red Star: In with Ortega in topform to fight for the youth classification. Hoping for three times a top nine on the road there. Beetens is also in top fomr and may get a shot on stage five if Ortega fails before that. I predict that two Norwegian teams will get the jerseys.
  
   CCFC: If PJ gets in topform, we are in it to win it. He has already won it, so anyhing but a win in topform is disappointing. No matter how good the other riders are .
  
   Greenride: Felt he was to good to reply and left us a five dollar bill to say something nice about him.
  
   Nairobi City Cycling Club: No expectations, just some top nines for Sosa on the flat stages.
  
   nonnies: South Africa was having “Braai dag”.
  
   NECFTW: Only one place matters: First place. Everything else will be considered failure.
  
   YCO: And you are?