Wrritten by Michael of English Sprinting Team
  
  Welcome to the preview for the fourteenth edition of Race of the Minuteman!
  
  After arriving in the Americas to interview the riders, I could only find two in the first day! The defending winning Roman Petrescu unhappily gave us this statement: "You guys just appear out of nowhere don't you". At this point the teams representative jumped in and told me that he was just jet lagged and tired from his previous tour. Last seasons champion is top form ready, although I don't think he'll be able to achieve it in time for this tour.
  
  Ammar Zenagui was the only other rider to talk to me on the first day. He's won the youth classification twice in a row, but won't be eligible for it this season. Here's what the rider had to say: "I feel confident about this tour. I won Monte Rosa Tour at the start of the season without top form and now I'll be looking to follow that performance up here". And he'll have a very good chance of achieving his goal, considering he got third last season without top form as well.
  
  As I was heading back to my room, I bumped into Bolt the manager of POM Wonderful and his new captain Terada Kazuki. After only a few days in the team Bolt decided to throw him in at the deep end. He said "This is my managers home tour and it's the perfect opportunity after Norway Tour to show him what I've got". He's top form ready, but again, like Petrescu, I don't think he'll hit top form in time for the tour. On top of that, he won't have a lot of team mates so his manager doesn't expect much.
  
  During the night, more teams arrived and in the morning, during breakfast, I managed to get some more interviews done. The first one was with Josef De Kelper, who will captain Team Stekke. He said: "I may be lacking a bit of experience, but I can't to start this tour for the third time. My main goal will be to win the youth classification and to do well in the general classification". Believe you and me, this guy is a serious threat in both of those classifications. He's got good support and he's top form ready.
  
  Whilst I was getting my toast I thought I was talking to another interviewer, but it turned out to be the captain of Darkwave Recordings! Co Posthuma is the rider in question and although he's thirty eight, he can't wait to race in this tour! "I'm happy that the team has picked me to captain and I'll try and take it to the young guys!". That's right, this guy is top form ready and but I don't think he'll have time achieve it.
  
  I next had a chat with the management of last seasons runner up team Honor et Patria. They are extremely hopeful this season and that's because they've bought two captains! Portuguese tour rider Guálter Matos was signed up on the rider list in first place and is already in top form. "I feel great" is all he had to say. Make what you like of that.

And the second captain is Jasper Sófussson and he's top form ready, but not in top form yet. He said: "I hope I get the chance to defend my second place in the general classification, but if not then my day will come again".
  
  Hennerie, team manager of BrokenChain, is back again but he'll have a different captain this season. Last season he went with Harm Winters (what a name!) and got eighth in the general classification. This season, it seems as if he'll go with Mats Zoetemelk. He's top form ready and will achieve it, assuming the management want to. The rider said that he was "happy" with the manager and "can't wait for the tour".
  
  Matúš Bakoš, team captain for Herens Cycling, found me in the lobby of the hotel for an interview! He's been in a few tours before, but this time he'll be captain. "I'll be looking to do well in the climbing stages and maybe a top nine in the general classification would be achievable". Personally, all of that is possible. as long as he doesn't finish last in the time trial...
  
  There are quite a few time trialists in this seasons tour and Wheels of Steel have bought three of them. Alan Feital is still showing us what he can do at the age of thirty four and said: "I can't wait for the prologue. There aren't many other time trialists, so I hope to impress". This team is focused on the first stage and will be it's only objective.
  
  At the brunch press conference (just another excuse for coffee and biscuits) Dermot Duley what he thought of this tour. "It's my first tour and I'm the youngest in it, so I'll be happy with anything if truth be told. I'm in great form and I've got a good team behind me so anything is possible!". Indeed anything is possible, but it might take a bit more than that to get results in this tour.
  
  Vid Lazi? has got to be considered as one of the top riders in this tour and he's come with an okay squad and said: "It'll be hard to beat the riders in top form, but I think I've got a chance to be the best of the rest. My team have prepared me well for the tour, so I'll give it my all to get into the top five in the general classification".
  
  Well the team manager of Manisaspor (Ozgur Akman) wasn't content with just one potential captain in top form, he managed to get his two tour riders into top form for the tour. He said: "Hakan Mikail and Sahin Volkan have worked really hard to get into form and both have a chance of captaincy now. We'll probably decide after the first time trial and go on from there".
  
  Veteran time trialist Afanasy Tyannikov spoke for rooney17, saying: "Me and my fellow team mates will want to own the time trial! We also have a sprinter this season, so hopefully we can help him to a couple of good results". When asked about whether any of the team members would be in top form he said: "No and we won't have the best

of form either (Just returned from Perm)".
  
  The captain of team Mark Pro Team made a name for himself in last season Fast on Wheels and now Nam-jae Heo will want to win the sprinting classification. He told me: "Normally there aren't many sprinters in this tour and this season is no exception, so I hope I can win it (sprinting classification)". He's got decent lead outs, so he should do well.
  
  American Douglas McKenzie will be Heo biggest threat for the sprinting classification. He's arrived at his home tour with a full team of lead outs. The manager of Grant Thornton said: "We've got him into decent form, so hopefully he can win his and our first jersey in his home tour". He'll certainly have a good chance as he suits the sprint stages, so my bet would be on him.
  
  Bart?omiej Krajewski and American Steve Belanger will be the best chance for team Fighting to score points and money. They should have a good chance in the first stage, but after that they'll be trying to get themselves into a successful breakaway. Here's what they said as we interviewed both of them at the same time: "It'll be an inter team battle to see who comes out on top". Competition is always good.
  
  After lunch we pumped into the potential youth classification winner Ariel Urba?. He's already shown us his climbing ability in the Critérium la Grasse classic and said: "I feel really good going into this tour and I've got a good set of team mates to support me in the mountains. Hopefully I can deliver in the time trials". I think he will and he'll give Josef De Kelper a run for his money in the youth classification.
  
  Even though Julito Alonso won't have top form, I wouldn't count him out for the win in this tour. He's an extremely good climber and he know how to time trial. "My main goals will be getting a top three in the climbing stages and a top nine in the general classification". He should be able to achieve what he says, as long as he doesn't have any bad off days and crashes.
  
  Another big favourite for the win came to talk to us after lunch and his name is Reinier van der Sar and he rides for Penendal Racing. "I'm in top form and I think I'll have a good chance of winning. Two of my team mates are time trialists, so I won't have the best support in the world, but I certainly won't have the weakest either". I think he should be able to get into the top three in the general classification no problem.
  
  Finally, the last team I went to interview was Jet Black. They have bought a time trial team here and like the others will want to win the first stage. There best chance of that will be in Eugene Nadruku or Tony Bella. "We hope to get them two into the top nine on the first stage and hopefully we might do better than expected".
  
  Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the new format.