Written my Michael of English Sprinting Team
  
  The 30th edition of Perm Tour in Russia will be starting shortly. This tour is well known for being unpredictable and a DP killer! Let’s see what teams have entered:
  
   Scorpions POPRAD
  
  Hill Climber Klement Hlohovský will try his best for his Slovakian based team. He’ll have a variety of support, ranging in all stats, so he should be able to achieve a good all-round performance, especially since he’s going to be in top form. His average time trial stat may prove to be the winning factor for him.
  Manager Interview
  “I will try to get a top five in the general classification and a top three in youth classification.
  Riders signed up: Klement Hlohovský (49 - Captain) –TF ; Adrian Engelborgh (44) ; Adrian Van Leempoel (52) ; Morten Kofod (40) ; Montague Youst (44) ; Egbert Schopuis (42)”
  
   Iheb Pro Team
  
  Ammar Zenagui makes his second appearance at Perm, but won’t be in top form, because he used it to win Norway Tour! His second tour general classification win and fourth jersey. So now he’s in Russia and will want to do well to keep up his record of top nine general classification finishes. His team is improved from last season, so he should have a chance of doing this.
  Manager Interview
  “I think the level of the competition will be so high with many riders which were in Norway or Cymru and there are many contenders; climbers (Gasana, Sadolin, De Kelper, Nedim) and time trial riders (Inskeep, Klement) and many others and many of them are well prepared, so Ammar will be in hard mission where I don't expect from him a big result, just a top nine in the general classification will be good for him”
  
   Depadvinders
  
  Home grown downhill rider Sengphachan Vongchiengkham will captain this team. He’s not exactly the best rider in this tour, but he might be able to get a few top nines. He’s got good support in the form of Clarence Shamray and currently in top form team mate Walerian Rutkowski.
  Manager Interview
  “I have no expectations, maybe a top nine place in a stage. I will ride this tour for fun and for some experience. My captain will be Sengphachan because he is from Laos. Besides he is from Laos and I’m also curious about what he can do in a tour like Perm.
  For the general classification and the youth classification there is a lot of competition. Several riders have a chance for a top nine place in the general classification. My favourite for the general classification is Josef De Kelper. My favourite for the youth classification is Hugh Inskeep.
  General classification: **** Josef De Kelper ; *** Senel Nedim, Jozua Bodde ; ** Hugh Inskeep, Sebastiano Calero, Connell Severo ; * Ammar Zenagui, Hartmann Sadolin, François Gasana, Dermot Duley
  Youth classification: *** Hugh Inskeep ; ** Sebastiano Calero, Connell Severo ; * Dermot Duley, Klement Hlohovský, Sengphachan Vongchiengkham
  Sprinting classification: No clue”
  
   Burren Connemara
  
  Two times general and youth classification winner at Cymru Taith, Hugh Inskeep, has entered here as captain and will reportedly be in top form! It was only a couple of seasons ago when a time trial rider won this tour, so maybe he can repeat that success. His team will try their best to help him. They are all team mates, Irish and some are in top form. This guy has got a serious chance of winning this tour.
  Manager Interview
  “After winning Cymru, Hugh Inskeep will try to get top three in the general classification and the youth classification win in Perm Tour as well, still in top form. The team has had multiple podium finishes in Perm before with the same strategy: clinging on in the mountains and hopefully another good time trial (for Inskeep and Rippel). So there's high hopes”
  
   Twente Cycling Team
  
  Tour veteran Roman Petrescu will try for one last time to win a tour in top form. He’s personally got perfect stats for this tour and he’s not too old to win it (like we saw last season!). He’s got five team mates to help him, one in particular stands out above the rest, Anousone Keovilay. He’s the back up for this team here.
  Manager Interview
  “For me, Petrescu will have his final shot at a tour victory in top form. The guy is old, but I think he can do it. Keovilay will be my pretty decent back up plan in case Petrescu fails. Looking forward to it and have some high expectations!”
  
   Manisaspor
  
  The all Turkish team of Ozgur have come to Russia and will hopefully shortly depart for the USA. The manager is trying to do the cross division double! Well, the first part has gone according to plan. Senel Nedim will captain the team and should be in top form. He’ll have a great chance to do well in the general classification here.
  Manager Interview
  “The all-Turkish team will assemble around Nedim Senel who has targeted the Perm-RoTM double which many regard as a mission impossible. We say want to win but looking at the field we can only say top three is more do able especially with a good performance by Nedim in the climbing stage”
  
   CyclingClubChomutov
  
  Young Welshman Dermot Duley looks to me like he could be a good tour rider. He hasn’t got the best of stats, but with a bit of consistency he might be able to produce an amazing surprise. But he would have to get lucky for that to happen. Climbers and a downhiller will try and help him to a good result.
  Manager Interview
  “My captain is going to be

Duley. I want to end as high as possible. Maybe in the youth category he could finish well. I haven´t participated in many tours yet, so I can just hardly estimate how strong my team is. It is a pretty short tour, so there won´t be big gaps between the riders. I haven´t studied the other teams so I can´t even say how many teams are going for the overall ranking”
  
   Pomada
  
  This team has two potential captains for me. Both have their positives and negatives, but Cristos Perezs and Alojzy Drozd are the two I’m talking about. One lacks experience, but the other lacks time trial training. A couple of sprinters will also be going to Russia. Maybe a top nine in the last stage as well as the mountain stage?
  Manager Interview
  Unfortunately, the team manager hasn’t flied out to Russia yet, so no statement could be taken…
  
   Abelixe
  
  A big surprise in Norway Tour was the performance of Sebastiano Calero! He’s only got the support of one trained rider and still he managed to get fifth in the general classification at Norway. That was in top form though, and I don’t think he’ll have it this time. Personally, Guillermo Posados has a chance in the time trial, but Calero will find it very hard in the mountains.
  Manager Interview
  “Team Abelixe are riding by far their best season so far. Sebastian Calero won the youth classification in Norway Tour but has been riding between Norway and Perm (second in polish zyte) and are therefore not in the best discipline shape when Perm starts. So a good result in the overall youth classification has to rely on how Caleros legs respond on the day. We are going to put all eggs in, that Calero has a great day and pull a good result home to Colombia when Perm ends. The obvious contenders for the youth classification are Dermot Duley & Connell Severo (second in Norway Tour youth classification). If Calero doesn’t perform well, we have Posados for a top nine in the time trial. And maybe a surprise finish in the first stage”
  
   BCTeam
  
  Edoardo Giofriola will be the main general classification contender in this team. The time trial stage will be the main goal though Giofriola has got a result in the Giro Di Montelbano Tour this season. The big problem for this time trial rider will be the support in the mountains and hills. That’s where he’ll break I think.
  Manager Interview
  “This is my first participation in Perm. My expectations are (dream) Edoardo Giofriola in the top three but I really hope to see him in top nine of the general classification... also a top three in stage three (time trial). The tour will be very hard!!”
  
   TJ Banik OKD
  
  Hill sprinter Bohuslav Racko is going to try and win the sprinting classification and it looks like he’s got a good chance as well! He’s won it once here already, so he should be able to do it again. Three lead outs, one hill helper and a team mate will be helping him throughout the stages and with a bit of luck, he’ll win.
  Manager Interview
  “After a big disappointing Norway tour, I hope that we will do better in Russia. Surprisingly, there are not so many sprinting teams this season but in the sprinting classification in Perm, the GC contenders can do well as well. Racko had some good results here in the past so why not this season”
  
   Silver Giant
  
  François Gasana or Erik Van Engelen? That’s the question for this manager. One is a great tour rider, already proving his worth at the age of twenty five, but the other will be in great shape. Personally Gasana has to get captaincy after his great second place in the general classification at Norway without top form. Audace Birori will have a chance of captaining in the final stage.
  Manager Interview
  “I think it’s more than likely that we'll have three Irishmen on the podium though Manisaspor may interfere. I'm aiming for top nine but haven't decided whether Gasana or Van Engelen will be my captain. Gasana is probably better suited for Perm but Van Engelen will be in better shape. No top form though. I don't see Luis Landim anywhere near the podium and he'll have to fight hard for a top nine with this strong field”
  
   Eriknogwat
  
  Jozua Bodde is back for more! He just can’t stay away from this tour. And for good reason. In his younger days, he managed to get a third and fourth place in the general classification, but it looks like younger climber Julian Timmermans will be captain for this edition. He’s currently in top form making him the ideal candidate. Interesting team, very hard to predict where they’ll end up….
  Manager Interview
  “I love Perm, Bodde will probably captain. Top nine in the general classification and the individual time trial. Maybe I go for Timmermans in stage two, but still not sure because he won't get a result a in the individual time trial. It's a discipline killer and you won't gain almost no race shape, a perfect time for a top form recharge. Also have a lot of point to defend”
  
   Britcycles
  
  Danish tour rider Hartmann Sadolin will be captaining this English team and he should be in great shape. Not top form, but he’ll have a great discipline, race shape combo. For support, Sadolin will have five capable team mates to help him up the mountains. If he manages to keep in contact with the main contenders over the hills and mountains, then you’ll have a great chance in the general classification.
  Manager Interview
  “My aims for the tour are to get a podium and get some results, Sadolin has done well here previously but

this edition has a lot of people that could win like Senel Nedim who really should be the favourite to win. Overall I would be happy with a similar general classification result as I got last year, but as this will be my only tour this season, I hope it will deliver me something much more!”
  
   Sivac
  
  Another Irish tour rider in the form of Connell Severo has entered this tour. He’s a good climber with quite a bit of potential in time trial. He’s already shown what he’s got this season in Norway Tour, finishing seventh in the general classification and second in the youth classification. He’s got five team mates to help him in the mountains and hills, so it’ll be the time trial which will make or break him.
  Manager Interview
  “My captain will be Conel Severo. I hope Severo can get a general classification top nine ranking and a top three youth classification ranking”
  
   Treaty City CC
  
  Last season Abel Wilkin, team captain for this tour, managed to get eighth in the general classification. Now he’ll try and do better and his start to the season has been special. Four wins so far, which is a good omen going into the tour. Like so many other team, five team mates are going to help him, so his average time trial stat might be the key to his success this season.
  Manager Interview
  “My main goal is for a win in stage two which should set me up for a good general classification position. I would much prefer to be taking part in Norway or RoTM but I missed out and this isn’t my best suited tour. Also a lot of the other captains have beaten Wilkin in tours before but he has been racking up a lot of wins recently so I don’t think I’ll fair too badly”
  
   Darkwave Recordings
  
  Luís Landim is back to try and defend his title, but I think that’ll be hard work, considering his age and he won’t have enough time to achieve top form either. Saying that though, he might have a chance of a top nine in the general classification if he gets a bit of luck. He’ll be supported by some experienced team mates, but I think it might be a push to far for Landim here.
  Manager Interview
  “I've been away from the game for quite a few weeks, so I completely messed up my plans for Perm. I had originally aimed to enter six riders all in top form to support the aging Landim (or Posthuma, or even youngster Ryder), but my absence means I think they will all miss out. As a result I have no great hopes for Perm, I'm just there to show my face as reigning champ. If I get a single top nine it will be a success. I've always quite liked the tour, these short hilly ones kind of suit my team”
  
   Conero Cycling Team
  
  Italian downhiller Marcio Aglialoro will try his best to get a top nine in the mountain stage for Conero Cycling Team. He might be able to do it considering he’s got four team mates. The last rider on the team is time trial rider Umberto Falconio. He should be able to do well in the third stage. Certainly a possible podium for him there.
  Manager Interview
  “For Perm tour I hope to finish top nine general classification with my captain (probably Marcio Aglialoro, but I'm not sure, as I signed up five climb riders and one time trial rider). I hope Umberto Falconio will do a top three in time trial stage. About the tour I think that as it's so short, it's important the king stage more than longer tours. About the competition I think that it will be hard as there're many good teams...it will be interesting. So good luck everyone”
  
   Team Stekke
  
  After missing the original sign up, manager Stekke signed up with Josef De Kelper, one of the main favourites in this tour. He’s a good climber, but it’s his all-round stats that give him the edge in tours. He’s another one of the riders back recently from Norway where he finished fourth in the general classification. He’s got a chance of doing well here, but without top form he’ll need a bit of luck to finish at the top.
  Manager Interview
  “I was too late with the first sign-up but luckily I was able to sign once the reserved sports opened. I don't have very high expectations, just to compete in the general classification with a top nine but hopefully a top five spot for Josef De Kelper. I had some bad luck in the Norway Tour with off days and crashes but still managed to come top four so I hope this tour I will be a lot luckier. But I'm not sure whether my rides will be fully recovered from Norway since I start with almost the same team. Still I hope for the best and that Josef can amaze me once again!”
  
   Bauer Power
  
  The final team to fill the tour up is Bauer Power. The Canadian based team bring local climber Theodore Pfau as their captain for their first ever tour. He’s not time trial centred, so his best shot a top nine will be in hill sprint and mountain stages. He’s got good support so the manager’s goals could definitely be achieved!
  Manager Interview
  “This is the first tour I have signed up for since I have played this game and to be honest I just happened to be online to sign up for the last spot on the tour. With that said I am happy to try the Perm Tour and if things work out I will make a better effort to sign up for other tours. My expectations are not very high because my captain has not been time trial centred but with his overall stats may have a chance at top fifteen. I did stack the team with my top riders who may be able to complement my captain and should have a relatively high race shape at race time. First tour so no real expectations just looking forward to seeing how it unfolds”
  
  
  Thank you all for reading and good luck to everyone in the tour! Hope for no injuries, they suck!