(written by Elliot of Team Kernow)
  
   The Sprinters line up for Green
  
  Forget the GC, it's the Sprinters' classification which will dominate this season's Volta. Whilst there are only a handful of contenders for Yellow, the Green Jersey will be the most highly contested ever with no fewer than 15 teams eyeing the prize. Here is a run down on the main contenders.
  
   The SC Challengers
  
  A good place to start is with the much fancied cway team. Former winners of both the Essex tour and the Perm SC, this team knows how to win. However, those were the days of former World Number 1, Fergal Lemire, and since his retirement they have slowly slipped into the second tier of OCM cycling. But when you can call upon the talents of Miles Finnerty, Byron Coad and Nasir al Din Nawfal, all is not lost for the best supported of all English teams Though one has to ask, who on earth is their captain?.
  
  In a spotlessly clean cabinet, in the spotlessly clean Head Office of Disco Cycling (Bruges, Belgium) is the slightly worn Green Jersey of former winner, Noe Bello. Noe Bello is long gone from Disco's books, but here is a team who always performs at its best at the Volta. As well as Bello's success, Welsh sprinter Ethan Churchill finished third last season. Former Perm Youth winner, Laurens Roosendael, will be leading the team's assault on Green this time.
  
  Arriving in Porto, completely under the radar is Egan Moseley (Poker21). This well-respected 28 year old hasn't had the best of starts to Season 14, but certainly shouldn't be overlooked. He has always performed well despite the lack of quality

in support and this has brought him National recognition on 5 occasions.
  
  You will find it hard to find a better supported team than Team Weeney. 100's of their fans have made the trip from Denmark and already the streets are filled with the replica pink jersey of the Weeneys. Abdul-Ra'uf Ala' has a team that can only be matched in talent by the likes of Cway and Torriera and no one in Portugal can match the Weeney Palmarès. However, Abdul-Ra'uf Ala is without a win for 2 seasons. Perhaps the pressure of captaining such a big team is troubling the 29 year old. Time to bring in the sports psychologists I think.
  
  You can't have you cake and eat it is a phloisphy that Team Wells team manager Nick firmly disagrees with. Why else would he select a team to fight on all fronts. As well as the much fancied GC pair of Knut Pave and Kriss Jørgsen, Nick has also selected the Ukranian Gerasim Shishkova. The Young Gun participated in last season's Volta but wasn't the finished article, so was used purely as team mate. This should have given him valuable experience and confidence. Shishkova is a surprisingly good descender and has some climbing ability so the youngster may fancy his chances in the both the SC and YC
  
   The SC Hopefuls
  
  Red Stars rising talent Bashshar Fakih seems to have been around for an eternity yet he has just turned 26. The 3 times Tour YC winner lacks support to make a serious assualt on the SC but could come away with a stage win.
  
  Alain Dobbelaere (Darkwave Recordings) was a suprise runner up last year in this competition and then went on to to place a very creditable 9th overall in the Nederlandse Tour, but the emergence of Kristoph Villumsen has threatened his captaincy. Dobbelaere leads his team's fight for this Tour but

will it be his last as captain?
  
  Many believe Salim Wajeeh (Equipe 44), should compete for the GC but others believe he should concentrate on the SC. Wajeeh is a a solid but unspectacular climber and just one poor result in the mountains could ruin his chances. However, in the SC he can pick up points where many competitors will fail, especially the time trials. Recently nicknamed 'Beast of the Middle East', this highly talented rider will soon come of age. Will it happen this Tour or will it simply be a learning experience for the Syrian?
  
  It's not often you come across a professional Cypriot cyclist but, in Rayan Ioannidis, nrk have discovered a gem. The team has given its backing to GC contender Darell Randel, so it is really a case of Ioannidis finding the right wheel to follow when it comes to the sprints, but Ioannidis is likely to relish the challenge with the pressure off.
  
  From one rider from an unlikely nation, to a team of them. You would be a fool to write off Bermudan Justin Redner chances, a fantastically technical rider. He and his team may lack a little experience but they more than make up for that in enthusiasim and team spirit.
  
  The final two riders worth mentioning are both based in Holland. Hanneken Engelborgh rides for the recently promoted Monkeys United who are the highest ranked team in the field at 44th. Englborough will be glad Torreira have left Meine Berkhout out of their squad because he was the only potential opponent that has beaten him this season. Quennel La Bouville really excels in the hills so his deadalus team will have ear marked Stage 8 (Vinhais - Vinhais) as the most favorable for their star.
  
  As for a home winner, with only four riders representing Portugal, it looks unlikely that any will replicate Noe Bello's success. A win on Stage 5 is a possibility with time trialling specialist Rogério Aleixo amongst the favourties.