Written by Michael of English Sprinting Team
  
  The question surrounding this tour is; will it be won by a time trial rider or a hiller? I for one want a hiller to win, but we can’t always get what we want!
  
   Asymm Project
  
  The captain of this team has the highest average in the entire game. I’m talking about Dollah Zainal. He’s a great all round rider, with decent skill for the hill stage in this tour. We don’t really know what to expect of him because this is his first major challenge. His support is setup for the hills, so I wouldn’t be too surprised that, with a bit of luck in the time trial, he could get himself into the top three in the general classification.
  
   Peddelen
  
  With a nice seventh place in the general classification at Vuelta de los Castillos, team captain Robert Thomas will want to follow that performance up here. He’s not the best suited rider for any of the stages, but he shouldn’t do too badly in the king stage. His team mates are all setup for the hills, so he’ll have some great support to help him. Unless he has a great time trial, I think it’ll be hard for him to get a top 9 in the general classification.
  
   NECFTW
  
  Wanting to leave the game, Noppes decided to sell his team. He then made a few comments and stuff in the forum and his wildcard was shredded to pieces. After this he won the Vuelta de los Castillos. But something had to give and unfortunately Joshua Lombard got injured. So now I think it’s down to Benjamin Kervel to lead the team to glory. He’s one of the favourites for stage one and with a decent time trial he should end up at the top in the end.
  
   Team airik
  
  The third highest average rider in the game will captain this team. Urbano Arzu is an all-round hill sprinter and will be looking to do well in the first and last stages of this tour. He’ll be supported by five lead outs, so he shouldn’t do that well in the general classification.
  
   Stroopwafel
  
  Recently trained, Danish hiller, Thor Brøkker is in top form and is ready to win the youth classification and who knows, maybe even the general classification! He’s already proved his worth by finishing third in the division one classic Bergen Rundtur. His team mates are all trained in hill, but there certainly not the best out there. Will that cost Thor the tour? Or could it be the time trial?
  
   Die Tour Phantome
  
  Another rider just coming back from Vuelta de los Castillos is this teams captain Bob Rodgers. He looks like an inferior version to Sir Sandro but with the lack of time trial riders in top form this season, maybe it’s his time to shine? He’s joined by a few more time trial riders and a couple of climber hillers to help in the first stage. I would keep an eye for this guy….
  
   Rantanplan
  
  Team manager Rantanplan has got a decision to make: should he chose his non time trial centered hill rider Carlton Cambridge or top form climber hiller Thibault Zimmer?

It’s going to be a tough decision, but personally I would go for the time trial centered French cyclist. As for team mates, whoever the manager decides to pick as captain will have a decent amount of support in the hill stage.
  
   Rotational Symmetry
  
  Climber hiller Elroy Heidel managed to claim fourth at the Vuelta de los Castillos without top form and will look to try and perform at the same kind of level for his home fans. Stage one shouldn’t be a bad one for him. He’s got last season’s captain Falkner Loch to help him and four other trained hillers. The one big question, like for most, is how will he perform in the time trial? We’ll know soon.
  
   Jonas Pro Cycling
  
  Manager Jonas was hit by some bad news the other day. His proposed captain that he signed up, local hiller Evan Tomkins, was injured during a race. This team will now probably focus on stage one and try and get a top nine, though without a clear second leader, that might be hard. Breakaway anyone?
  
   Drapeau Noir
  
  Well, Garami Gedeon is in top form and he’s just come back from claiming second in the Vuelta de los Castillos, so things aren’t going too badly for team manager Delion at the moment. Though, personally, Gedeon is going to need a bit of luck to get a podium in this tour. The support is centered on flat road, so the first stage shouldn’t go too badly, but it’s the time trial again that’ll be the problem and of course the luck you get with good/bad legs. Feeling lucky?
  
   Cremtec
  
  Hill sprinter Monwabisi Bikitsha will try and get a couple of top nines in the first and last stages of this tour. As for a general classification result, he shouldn’t be able to get into the top nine. The support is a bit on the weak side, so I think luck will have to play its part in this team.
  
   Avataria
  
  The Vuelta-Essex double seems to be quite popular this season! Christian Hermans is another rider whose attempting the double and he’s a very experienced twenty four year old. He managed to get sixth in the general classification and second in the youth classification at the Vuelta de los Castillos and will want to go one better in the latter here. As for team mates, he’ll have good support for the hill stage. Possible youth classification winner here….
  
   Comfius
  
  Team captain? Well there are a few options available to manager Jempie. Currently in top form is Julian Skeie, but personally Nicolau Comin might be a little bit better. One thing is for certain, unless one of them has a great time trial, they shouldn’t play a part in the general classification. Individual stage results it is.
  
   YCO
  
  If only this teams captain was English and I would have bought him for a crazy amount of money. Alton Train is a phenomenal hill sprinter that shouldn’t be taken lightly. He’s another contender for the youth classification and shouldn’t be discounted for the general classification either. And he’s the first real sprinter for the final stage, which almost seems

to be forgotten about. With his support, he should be able to get a top nine in the first stage and get a result in the final one.
  
   Kremer
  
  With a team mixed of time trial riders, a sprinter and a hiller, I think it’s clear what manager Wojciu intends. He’s going to try and win points and money in all three stages. His strongest chance will be in the time trial. With four time trial riders he should get at least a podium. I think there’s also a result for him on stage three, but stage one will be hard with all the hillers in top form.
  
   ABK
  
  I think Joachim Kerch has been on a long vacation up to the start of this tour. He hasn’t really been that active in tours, but he’s back and he’s in top form for this edition of Essex. He’ll have a mix of lead outs and team mates, but I think it’ll be the time trial where things will rather go right or wrong. We’ll have to wait and see.
  
   Gradient Levellers
  
  Another hill sprinter and this time in top form. Fred Hasselbaink is doing well with manager Tim and is looking to win the first stage of this tour. Also going to the tour are a couple of lead outs, team mates and a time trial rider called Samuel Trujillo. Again, this is another team that’s thought about the entire tour, meaning that they should have a good chance to score points in all stages and Fred might be able to get a good general classification result.
  
   Team Majones
  
  Amadeu Filipe was here last season and he managed to get sixth in the general classification and third in the youth classification. He’s very experienced for his age, but the only problem will be the hill stage. He hasn’t got any real hill support, so he’ll need to have good legs to keep up with the hillers and then produce a good time trial to finish it off. Also going to the tour with him will be three fully trained time trial rider and two half trained. This team might surprise….
  
   Matrix Team
  
  After eight general classification victories in a row, Sir Sandro could “only manage” second last season. But he’s back and he’ll be ready to fight it out with the younger guys again. Well the five team mates are certainly setup for the first stage, so the time trial will need to be won, to beat the hillers, because I have a feeling that the first stage will not contain any time trial riders in the top nine. Again, we are used to Sir Sandro doing well, but at his age and with no top form, a podium result is not bad at all.
  
   Nairobi City Cycling Club
  
  Methode has got last season’s winner of this tour, Moises Becerril, back in top form and this time I would say he’s got a better team around him for stage one. With three hillers and two time trial riders going to England as well, the manager will want the win on the second stage. It all depends on how well Moises does on stage one. That is the unknown factor. If he manages to beat some of the hillers in top form, then I would say that he’s got the tour in the bag. But nothing is every certain in the world of OCM.
  
  Good luck to all teams participating! Hope for no injuries!