Volkswagen made some serious transfers in the offseason. Together with a lot of talent developing a strong team and surely no longer a relegation candidate.

Sella is out, Denifl in and he immediately got some mountain training as thanks. The Austrian could be close to the top5 in GT`s. He looks far less complete than other stage racers but I am sure he will do well in a couple of races. Monsalve as 2nd option improved and is a very dangerous rider this season. He should top10 in shorter races and might even come close to it in a GT. Their support is pretty good even though the South American mountain goats have left the team.

Klemme out and Claeys in. Surely an improvement. The Belgium should deliver much better and is a nice leader. Flügel as co-leader also a strong rider to eventually grab a top result in some races. Preidler as solid option for a few stage races should do well with some low points.

Zepuntke finally maxing as also Rick Zabel gives the team two excellent options for the flat terrain. First will be a huge rider I think and might even win a classic or two. Second still misses a bit to the best but if he hadn`t crashed in last years Tour, where he already was close to a stage win, he probably would have been able to finish it. Big plus for the quick sprinter. He is missing big support though. Bouhanni out and more important Sieberg left the team. Only Schorn to support him, so Zabel needs to find other trains himself.

Brändle is a nice option for a couple of top20 GC`s and adds a great time trial just like a couple of other riders to do well in any TTT`s.

In total their top riders are excellent and it could be 4-6 solid scorers. Behind those though the depth in especially on cobbles and sprinting could be better. One thing the team might improve next year. That said lots of talents will already improve and strengthen their depth. A very young and talented squad. No more relegation fight. This year might even be a top10 spot. Should surprise this year with a huge jump in my opinion.

One of the strongest teams of last few years. Can they win the division in 2015?

Andy Schleck proved to the best climber last year and I think he will just continue to do so in 2015. Winning the Giro? I think so yes. Ahead of Spilak but it will be closer than at last years Tour de France. Winning a couple of smaller stage races, yes he will.

Suaza could again shine in Colombia but he is no big point scorer. More likely Kirsch will get a GT and 1-2 stage races to lead on his own, which will be about top15 or top20 in GT`s.

Gastauer is their new star in the hills. He should do well in a those classics and even in stage races. But his scoring potential must be seen. I am not too sure about that many high pointers but a very consistent one for sure. Older brother Frank Schleck won`t be able to make yet another huge season. He still has it to get a top10 in stage races or even classics. But he won`t win it like last year I think.

Swift remains the divisions top sprinter but the power train of Pokerstars or riders like Van Stayen, who get over the hills better, will see him struggle in a couple of races. That said his train is not too bad. Merino Criado remains while Van der Lijke replaces Feillu and is an update. In especially in tougher races he can score himself pretty well.

No real danger on the cobbles (yet again) but a capable TT team around Kittel, Jungels and Porte, who got a bit stronger this year.

No Wikipedia could mean, Vesuvio steps up and takes the PT rankings. It surely is possible but 1-2 teams from behind are really closing. Though I predict them to have 4 good scorers, plis a couple of more solid riders. With another Andy domination I think they will take the top spot again.

How much can Phinney pull this team and what can Van Staeyen show?

Phinney clearly the rider to lead the team. Last year he impressed by fighting against stronger climbers in the mountains. I am sure we will see this again in one GT, where top5 or even podium is possible. The Vuelta looks most probably with all the TT kilometers. Here even a win is possible I think. Same goes for shorter stage races, where he always belongs to the very best.

Duarte could fight for a top15-20 in other GT`s and eventually a top10 in a stage race. But he should struggle in many races I think and won`t score a lot. He might be needed as support for Phinney as well in some races as the other riders might be dropped too early.

In the hills it`s mainly young De Bie, who is not strong enough yet to fight for the top results. So I wouldn`t expect too much on the hilly terrain this season.

In the sprints Van Stayen got yet another huge training and is a rider to fear now. His sprint is great but not as complete as other riders. Therefore he has no problem at all with harder terrains and might even reach 1-2 high GC`s this way. Van Avermaet and Colbrelli are excellent leadout riders and also Dockx impressed as leadout last year.

Teunissen is an excellent signing and it was a tough fight on the FA market. He could already show something this year but just like De Bie needs another season to shine completely. With Howson they found a nice loan rider to support their TTT strength. Still the depth there could be a bit better.

Phinney and Van Stayen will score big while 2-3 more riders will add points. But is this enough in the relegation fight? I think so but it will be close. Top15 is possible. But it might also be a bit later. And none of their leaders is allowed to have some bad races.

The All Russian squad is being back to fight for the top spots.

Trofimov is able to defend his individual ranking crown. He is a complete rider to win stages on any terrain but cobbles. The combination makes him very hard to beat even though he is nowhere the best. There aren`t many riders around that can win basically any hilly stage, win a sprint on a mediocre stage and top5 in a GT. Surely he is going to one GT again this year next to all those hill stage races and classics. Expect a lot of stage wins and lots of podiums this year even though I think he won`t top his 2014 domination.

Kritskiy is another nice rider. He improved in the time trials a bit this off-season and becomes an even bigger danger for GC`s. Top 5 in GT`s might be difficult. But he is coming just behind those riders then and it`s clearly not impossible. In shorter stage races the podiums are possible for sure.
Behind those two they have a couple of potential top10 guys but in most races without them, they will fight for stage wins and top15`s I think.

Finding a Russian cobbler and sprinter is not that easy. With Gusev they found an ageing but valuable rider, who should do well in the cobbles. Usually he underperforms a bit but as clear leader (with low support though) I think a couple of top 10`s is possible.

In the sprints though the Russians lack the top sprinter. Korzh, Porsev, Krasnov or Trusov are nice riders but lack the speed to beat the best. Therefore most of them can finish a GT to fight for wins on easier competition then. Porsev will improve another time and might be a better bet for wins next year when still being far from the best though.

This team has a great chance to fight for the top spots but due to their missing depth behind the 2 top riders, they won`t be able to top5 I think but finish just behind. They lack a 3rd top scorer to help them fighting for the crown. If Trofimov though can have another 2014 performance, they might even join the top5.

The team is mainly Swiss but the top leaders are from elsewhere. So far a Swiss superstar is coming soon I think.

Amador and Nibali is a great GT duo. In especially first impressed last season and I guess he might be able to get a podium in one GT. With two excellent stage racers I think Amador could even go to 2 GT`s this season, while Nibali only takes one plus the smaller races. But I guess Amador is been sent to the Tour de Suisse as team`s home race to avoid that.

Schumacher is ageing but still a good rider. Winning the big races but be hard for him now but he should still score some valuable points. The backups are not strong enough on the uphill terrain to score anything big. But a stage win here and there is okay for those.

TTT squad looks nice and so the team should get an advantage over others in those. With Ivars, Dillier, Goncalves, Chtioui and Champion they have a couple of nice riders to support their GC men.

On other terrains it`s not looking too good. Jacobs might score in a couple of races but it won`t be anything too big. And in the sprinter field, they won`t do anything. At least this might open the opportunity to join a couple of breakaways.

Their top 3 rider will be good scorers. Though it`s only Amador to be expected to score huge points with Nibali a bit behind him and Schumacher another step back. Their missing balance on the flat ground is not helping their chances and will kick them out of the top10 again. The top this year is too deep and so it might be a later top15 spot I think.

With a new jersey this team is going to be seen on any terrain this year. Love what Smowz has done in transfers.

Alarcon will be back. He was strong last year and I don`t see a reason, why he shouldn`t this year. Sure GT competition might have become a bit tougher. But he should still be there on any mountain stage challenging the more complete stage racers. With his TT disadvantage smart race planning is needed to avoid the Tenorios, Gesinks or Madrazos. But I am sure Smowz will handle this well. His support is okay but nothing too awesome this season. So we will still see a couple of mountain races without a strong Red Bull squad.

The hills got a huge update. While it was about attacking with mediocre riders in the past, the big addition of Skujins makes this team a potential winning team. While missing the last bit, I expect him to still challenge the other puncheurs to get a couple of podiums and top5`s this season. His TT skills might hurt his scoring potentials as some races won`t suit him but he is a great rider to have.

Cancellara is still one of their top stars. Even with 34 years of age he should be one of their best scorers. This guy can still ride the cobbles and time trial like not many other riders. It`s like this guy did not unlearn anything. Races like ToNE and any cobbled classic will have his name on the favourite list. In both disciplines though he is isolated a bit and only mediocre support is given.

The sprints got a big update as well. I like Guerao as great sprinter but I actually think Holloway will score more points. His combination of flat, sprint and uphill skills is brilliant and he can win a couple of stages in GTs. Their leadout is not as strong as with 1-2 other teams but they are coming right behind them.

In total I live their balance with a top rider on any terrain. This will surely deliver huge scoring and one of the best in the division. That said, their wages of 2,6 mio combined make it hard to get a great depth behind them. So it`s basically some 75-76 riders only as nice backup but no poitns scoring can be expected there. Also the lack of TT riders hurt in TTT`s and this way in some GC`s. For me this is a top5 team for sure and I think they can make the podium in 2015.

Quickstep used their promotion money for Madrazo to lead their team in 2015. Can he come back to his 2013 performance?
The Spaniard belongs to the best climbers even though others look a bit more complete in general. Surely Madrazo can win any GT he starts and when looking at their team, he is the only real stage racer. So it will be interesting if Alakagom wants him to ride 2 GT`s or just one with a couple of shorter races. Both should lead to good amount of points. Brenes is the only better climber behind him but he does not look like anything more than a very good support. Surely Madrazo knows better from his Santander days though.

Froome got some training in the hills and belongs to the favourites for the Ardennes and hilly stage races I guess. He might miss the needed sprint in the fight for a win though as others like Bakelants, Trofimov, Ulissi, Ponzi or Boasson Hagen have this advantage. With Anuar Aziz they have a good 2nd option, who might go for some scoring as well.

Lo Cicero replaces Vantomme as sprint leader. I really like this signing and think he will do very well this season. He might not be as strong as Swift or the Pokerstars guys but he has everything he needs to win a couple of stages. In Kump, Van Asbroeck, Feillu and Houle he has everything he needs for a leadout and those can even perform on the harder stages.

Vanbilsen is their main hope for the cobbles and yet unmaxed he is not a winner rider. Next year he should do much better though. Just like so many in this team that are still not at 100%.
A couple of top10`s and eventually even a podium is possible though.

I have the feeling that their 2014 team plus improved talents would have been stronger even to be honest. That said, Madrazo is a sure improvement over Marquez and makes the team a GT contender. But in especially the loss of Baugnies could hurt the team. Also Van der Lijke would have been a nice rider to have. No relegation team for sure but it`s still a bit to the top. Next year though they will be there to attack the top spots with all their improved talents.

Biggest or even only change is the jersey colour I think.

Almost no transfer changes here. Gesink is still the team`s leader and even got some mountain training. Still below the very best, he is more complete than most. This tough is his biggest problem. Limited race days but lower scoring potential as those 85 climbers I think. The Vuelta this year though suits him and I can see him fighting for a podium there. That said, he will need to fight in the mountains against others to limit his loss.

Henao Montoya is an excellent climber. Last year he had bad luck when crashing in the Tour de France. Even a top5-7 was possible there. In the end he rewarded himself with a stage win. This year he should get the wanted top7 in the GT and a couple of other nice results in shorter races.

Brambilla as their last GT option is a few steps below them. Not seeing him scoring anything big but it`s good to have someone like him, who could go for stage hunting when in the later top20 spots or even KoM`s. Same goes for Vanendert. He is not as strong as other puncheurs but solid enough to score here and there. He was in lots of late attacks last year, which helped him scoring wise. I expect similar by him in 2015.

Sprints and cobbles are under average. Sinkeldam could do well in some classics but lacks the strength. Though he is better on the hills, which might help him in races like the Ronde. Top10`s in a couple of races for sure.
Kreder is not quick enough but he survives harder stages easier. So I expect a solid season with less wins but some nice performances. Even in the last week of a GT he could surprise.

Havik and in especially Van Poppel are nice riders for the future and will be of much more value next year. Same goes for Stancu or Lampaert.
So the team has a nice balance between top riders and young talents. But what I miss here is the big scorer. Gesink for sure will get many points. But I don`t see him as top10 scorer in the PT. This results in a season in the 2nd half of the rankings but relegation shouldn`t be an issue for them I think.

A sprint train of potential winners! This describes the team the best I think.

It`s an incredible amount of top sprinters. 3 Germans actually. Degenkolb got some nice training and belongs to the best now. Mohs proved this last year already even though I doubt he can finish another GT in 2015. And Stauf is just one level below them. First two will go stage hunting all season. Expect a couple of wins for each.
With Lay, Kluge, Janorschke, Sieberg and Maaskant this is a hell of a sprint train, that is not easy to beat.

But it`s not just the flat stages. In the Ardennes Ginanni can win the classics. He is not as strong as the very best but just comes a bit behind those. Together with Roche, he forms a nice dup and should score a lot. Later is a great rider for week long stage races as well as he combines his punch on shorter climbs with the skills to ride the longer mountains pretty well. With Izagirre they have a 3rd option for hilly stage races this year.

New addition Keinath will lead their stage race squad. The German is not really a GT rider and I think he will be tested in only one to score more points in the shorter stage races. He would need 2 years of training at least to become an excellent rider. Right now he is a rider that could be able to grab a top10 in a couple of races. Faiers is a step behind him even. Top20 in GT`s at best.

For the cobbles they need to hope for Kluge, which is a weird picture this year. No more Tom Boonen and the green jerseys in front of the paves. Kluge though proved to be able to get some results there and his engine on the flat and good sprint will make him getting his results as leader.

I guess the top10 is given with that team. But they miss a scorer like Boonen or a real GT rider to join the best teams. Though with the amount of stage wins, the team might even lead this category after the season. Lots of stage scoring guaranteed and with 2-4 riders, who should add GC points, this should be a upper half season. Surely they need a big scorer next year though as tehy don`t have big talents to improve the squad soon.

Lack of time surely did hurt this team a lot during transfers. Tough season for them ahead.

No question that Joe Dombrowski is their star in this team (already unmaxed!). But is the American good enough yet to score high? He surely can compete with some of the best in the mountains but he is (still) missing the last step to the best. I expect him to finish a top10 in a GT and some solid results in mountaineous races. So he is a good scorer but not a great one.

The leaving of Dan Martin hurts the team the most as he was the main reason the team did not relegate last year I think. With an declined Kohl and overpaid Valverde the team will struggle in races without Dombrowski. Also some training on Kennaugh and Dees might not make them strong enough.

Gilbert is a nice rider but also declined. Together with Lutsenko and Valverde though he should be there in the hills but are no winners any longer. A nice amount on top10`s is given I think but I doubt they get the highest scorings. Gilbert surely their best hope to surprise here and there.

Senechal is great! Could get big results this year and he is not yet maxed (Same for Lutsenka actually). His support should be okay even though they won`t be able to chase the peloton late. The young French needs to get lots of results on the cobbles to help the team.

Sprinting wise there is barely nothing. Sinner won`t show anything I think. And in time trials it`s only Dees and Downey to be a bit above average. Not much scoring can be expected in those two.

This is going to be a long season and I think the team is going to relegate in the end. That said there is a huge difference of young unmaxed talents and ageing veterans. I can see them building a new core around Dombrowski, Senechal and Lutsenko even in PCT to make the direct promotion again. Dees, Kennaugh or Edmondson should still be there then while only the old ones need to get kicked out. Not a team for this season but a great one for years to come.

Tsmoha slowly formed a team, that might be capable of staying in the PT in their debut season.

The most important rider therefore is a old rider. Jack Bobridge got some training in the hills and is even more valuable. He should do well in some classics but his strength are the hilly stage races with time trials. There he is a potential winner. With Grivko and Visconti he has some solid support there.

The mountain races were rarely Oz races. In the PT this had to change and who else but Aussie stage race talent Morton should have joined the team. He might do well in a GT and surely should do okay in the shorter stage races. To become a valuable scorer though, he needs another season to max. This year though he is a nice asset just like Pozzovivo, who joins on a brilliant wage for a rider like him. He might fight for a top10 in 1 or 2 GT`s and still has race days left for some stage races. This is a big advantage over the top stars even though their scoring is obviously not as good.

Goss a World Champion comes back to the PT and should do well there. He has tough opponents and just like last season, he might come close to a couple of wins but then missing them closely. But he was consistent and should therefor score in many races. Von Hoff, Scully and Li are good leadouts or in first case even make a GT himself.

Burghardt as one of the best cobblers finally could need some success again. He could be a gret rider but for some reason failing too often. His support is under average but I hope he does have a nice season.

Time trials is Oz pure. Durbridge did max out and with Ford, Rogers, Li, Olman, Ligthard, Ma and Bobridge the TTT squad is even stronger than last year. Big favourite for the TTT event and surely a couple of TTT wins in stage races give valuable points.

It might be a long season but I think they will end the season with nice success in the end. I doubt they will relegate and even would rate the team a bit higher even. Around 15th spot I would say. With luck a bit higher.

CSC was known for taking lots of Spanish ageing veterans. This year as Movistar - US Postal they took ageing Markus Fothen. But to be honest, the former TdF winner has some value left. It might be hard to get a GT top10. But for smaller stage races he could still end there to score valuable points against relegation.

Their 2nd stage racer Ratiy is a big question mark. I doubt he will reach anything big. He is more a PCT rider I think. His top 20 results in GT`s at least deliver some decent points.

Their big signing though is Van Garderen. He had an awesome 2014 and surely can repeat this. The former WC should do well in hilly stage races and in some classics as well even though he lacks to top skills on the uphill sections. His lieutenant Barrio has similar problems as Ratiy. He was already not that strong in PCT, so I doubt his PT Tour will be of big results.

Maksimov is coming back and he should do well in pan flat classics and stages. But I think most stages in the PT are too hard for him and so he might not score enough. Tsatevich could do better on those harder stages but lacks the speed to finish it with a win I think.

The cobbles are a questionmark as well. Altur and Insausti lack the PT abilities I think to get a top result. So it might be again Tsatevich to be their best chance IF he does not need to support the others earlier.

Tough call here. Van Garderen is an excellent rider but is he scoring enough to help the team? Fothen might get some points as well but then there is a big gap to the next and I fear this might not be enough. Despite a huge Van Garderen year I expect the team to go down again.

The team got their number 1 rider in Pluchkin but this is also their biggest problem.

It all depends on Pluchkin and now there is a dilemma. He has limited race days. I`d like to see him doing the double GT way. But then a single crash or a sign of weakness could make it 1/2 of low scoring race days. So I think he could be better by riding just the Tour de France. Try to win there, which will already give you a lot of points. Then dominate in 2-3 smaller races. While 2 top3 GT`s could be enough to avoid relegation, the gamble might be too big. So it`s a hard decision for sure.

Behind him the team does not have any stage racer. So they will lose a lot of points in any mountain race without him. For the hilly races it`s basically the same. Ignatiev could do well in short stage races without mountains as proven last year. His time trial skills will help him. But actually I think the team should have sold him, getting a 2nd stage racer for that wage and use the gained fee on training. Ignatiev will struggle in PT to score a lot of points I think.

In the cobbled races it`s a known issue. Nolf looks the better rider while Sibilla has the better stat. As those two are the only good cobblers, they are isolated early. Then it`s interesting how the team decides to use them. They would probably need both to score some points.

In the sprints it`s Guardini. He has a great sprint and surely can win a sprint. His backup stats are not that good though, which might hurt. I would use him in short stage races and classics mainly and let the GT`s to Grosu, who is able to finish those. Also Vasylyuk could eventually do something there.

Zmorka is another big time trialist and not even maxed yet. Imo he would have been enough and is another reason for me, why Ignatiev could have been sold for a stronger climber/puncheur.

Can Pluchkin avoid the team to relegate? Only when all his races are 1-2 races with a couple of stage wins and wearing lots of jerseys. Behind him a bit scorer is missing and Guardini surely was overpaid to finance some training. Next year many riders will max out and then the team will look impressive. Problem is that the team might be in the PCT then, which would be a financial disaster.

One of the newly promoted teams and one of the most exotic for sure.

The Little Prince found a new home and even as 34 year old rider he is able to win the big races. It wouldn`t surprise me if he takes at least one GC or big classic. Even a top3 in a GT is not impossible. That said paying almost 1mio for him is too much imo. For only one season basically. There were better riders for cheaper wages or not much more expensive.

Ji got some mountain training. But imo he is no PT material. I would be surprised if this is enough for a couple of top10 in GC`s. I see him fighting for top20 in GT`s and just behind top10 in shorter stage races. Same goes for Shikai in his first maxed out season. He at least has the advantage of better time trial skills, which could move him into the top 10 in easier stage races.

Similar for Zaini. His hill training makes him a solid rider. But he is still far behind the best and any top10 would be a good result for him. Kinoshita should be the more complete rider next year after maxing out.

Their sprint train is impressive though ageing a lot. Napolitano is their best and still able to win some stages. Bennati looks to be beyond and is a great leadout though.
Younger Itami, Hayakawa and Appollonio are excellent sprinters and will be there next season to replace the older ones.

In the cobbles Franzoi is a good addition. He has no support but should be able to fight for some solid results. Top5 is possible for sure but a bit more support had helped him. This way I fear he will fail to be in the first couple of spots.

This is going to be a long long season. With so many 80+ stats this is almost incredible. But I still think he is going down. Except for Cunego I don`t see any other big scorer and even the Little Prince might no longer score as big as in last years. Ji and Zaini look better than I expect them to do and Franzoi and the sprint train will struggle to score enough points. With some luck they avoid relegation but I doubt it.

Good Energy had a brilliant season last year. But I think they will not top it.

Ponzi is the clear leader. He is a perfect puncheur with a great sprint. Several stage wins are guaranteed. But I doubt he can repeat as many GC results. I mean he even had a solid Giro d'Italia GC last year with 73 mountain. Doubt this can be repeated.
With Caruso, Palini and Diggle they have more options on the hills. In especially first tends to overperform a lot. So scoring on the hills is no problem.

The mountains though are a bit tougher. Cattaneo is one of Italy`s best stage racer prospects. They lack a bit in great talents in this area and most are ageing, which could open a gap there. He is not maxed yet but already a decent climber and good time trialist, which normally is a great combination. Unfortunately for him though, that he can barely ride on the hilly making him more like the Colombian mountain goats. Also his acceleration is awfully poor. So just like the even weaker Costagli, this is going to be some tough time in the high mountains. I doubt any of those two will really score very well.

Guarnieri is a great sprinter. One of the best in the division. Surely he will collect more stage wins for the team. With Rowe and Blythe he has one of the best trains and surely we will see all 3 of them together a couple of times.

Blythe though is more than a solid sprinter. He got some cobble training and I think this makes him very valuable in 2015. He will score a lot more and could even get a big win in one of the big classics. His sprint is not as strong as Bewley, but on a good day he might be able to beat the Kiwi. Support of Fenn and Rowe is excellent.

Malori as best time trialist as also young Dal Col and Christian are good enough TT riders to support the team.

The lack of a real stage racer is hurting the team`s chances to top 10 this season I think. Blythe, Guarnieri and in especially Ponzi though will keep the team in the headlight a lot and it`s not impossible to land there again. More likely though they are a start of 2nd half team.

Last year I rated Festina as division winner. Even though the team is still one of the strongest I think I won`t jinx his team another time.

The big star is Simon Spilak. He had some bad luck and weak results in some races last year and surely can improve on it. His hilly training will make him the most complete GT rider I think, which surely helps him to win another GT. If he can be successful in the Ardennes I actually doubt. I guess a top 5 for him in one or two of those classics are possible but to win, he would need to beat 4-5 stronger riders. I had loved to see him racing two GT`s. Something like a Giro-Tour double. But unfortunately this does not seem to be the goals for him.

Ricco in his last big year is going into another season with the team. He should do well in most shorter stage races but could also do well in a GT. So I guess SotD is planning to use him for the Tour de France eventually this season. Together with Lecuisinier possibly. The young French could become a valuable scorer this year. He has not yet reached his maximum and he can even ride and possibly win Avenir. But scoring a bit here and there is possible for him already.

Koretzky and Pichon are nice puncheurs. Far from the best yet but not maxed neither. As support for the leaders and as stage hunters in stage racers, they are perfect.

Another huge rider for them is Coppel. He comes into the team via a rider swap with Guerao. To be honest I wasn`t a huge fan of this trade. I have still the feeling as if a rider like Coppel is too expensive for the Pro Tour even though I guess the scored points after every season might prove me wrong. He could need 2-3 more hill stats in combination to his awesome TT to be more valuable in hilly stage races. With Paillot, Bernaudeau and Vlatos he at least makes the team a very good one in the TTT`s.

Tzortzakis might be one of the oldest ever maxed out top riders. With 30 years now he is a very strong rider though but can`t be trained any more. He still should be able to finish GT`s and fight for the point jerseys against only a handful of other sprinters I think. After trading Guerao and Keukeleire, they surely wait for Coquard to max. Being of some value this year, he will be a star in the years to come.

In the cobbles they have mediocre riders only this year, who might get a top10 in some races. All those are unmaxed though and in especially David will become huge in the future due to his climbing skills as well.

A very strong team and I think they make the podium. The training of Spilak, the addition of Coppel and the level up of a couple of riders make it stronger than last year. Next year it is going to be an awful matchup for any other team I think.

This team has an awesome trio to lead them. But what comes after those?

Rein Taaramae was awesome in several races last year and even did very well in the Tour de France. With his new training he should be able to repeat this even though the competition is just as good in 2015. But he surely is looking to get a nice win this year. I guess the Vuelta would be ideal of him fighting against Tenorio, Gesink for the GC win. But with several riders heading to the Giro this year it seems, he could also try to get the Tour de France podium.

While Solis is an excellent support rider, young Wellens, who joins on a loan deal is looking to get his last experience to become a great rider himself. It`s a nice situation for Bougues as he is a solid leader himself to score some points in all races without Taaramae.

Bakelants is their only puncheur but he belongs to the very best. He can win any of the Ardennes classics and hilly stage races and due to his sprint can also fight for stage wins. A very complete rider. As Taaramae might not race many riders with him, the support is not ideal and surely could be stronger. It`s enough for most of the stage but in the final a lieutenant could be missing.

Last leader is Roelandts. He is a great sprinter and should get a couple of stage wins, even on harder terrain. Bos is surely just a joke and won`t make anything valuable, while Weylandt and Hopman might be a bit too less for a proper leadout for Roelandts.

The TT riders Martin, Mottin and Kneisky are strong and should make a nice support for any TTT`s. But the rest of the team lacks those skills. So it`s never a favourite in those events but at least reduces the loss for Taaramae.
For the cobbles Lhotellerie could shine in some races but he is surely not strong enough to attack the top spots.

A lot depends on their big three as behind those the depth is not very well. Only in mountain races the team will get some more points. This will ruin their top10 chances, which is normally possible with those leaders. They could need 2-3 additions in future to improve their depth. Barguil is one step but a few more are needed if they want to be in the upper half of the table. Between 10th and 15th I think.

Sam Bewley is still leading the team and should be an excellent scorer. He is possibly the best cobber and sprinter in the division which should result in several stage wins and classic wins. I don`t see any other rider in PT to challenge him in the cobbled races. Boonen is out of PT and Summerhill also left. Cancellara might still come closest.

Velits is their GT rider and even though he is excellent in those races he should struggle against the top 6-7 GT riders. A top 5 here and there and podiums in smaller races should be possible though.
König, Vysna abd Kratochvila are solid support and might be decent leaders in smaller races or even fight for a top20 in a GT themselves.

Peter Sagan might not be the best puncheur. But I was impressed by him in last years classics, where he often overperformed. I guess we will see this Sagan again. I think he will get one big win nobody might expect. A race like Lombardia for example.

Leigh Howard improved in the training camp and should become a real weapon for the team. In especially his skills to survive a GT easily, will make him a potental stage hunter there. Can he repeat last year`s Champs Elysees win?
Vesely as 2nd sprinter is maxed now. And he is a nice rider as well. Another one that might still be seen on the last day of a GT, which is always nice couple of additional points.

They miss the big stage racer or puncheur to win the title I think. But they will once more top 5 or even land on the podium. It`s an impressive squad with a huge National focus and a great talent base, which is going to make the team much stronger in some years. I think that the loss of a 2nd GT rider like Rujano might hurt them a bit, which makes the top3 more difficult.

After promotion to PT again the team looks stronger than ever.

Big reason for this is the huge signing of Tenorio including his mountain training. He was worth 1,4mio wage though, a similar amount of money 85 climbers went for this transfers. His biggest goal surely is the Vuelta as it suits him perfectly. His lower acceleration in comparison to others hopefully is not disturbing his plans a lot. Will be interesting if he goes for the 2 GT way or Vuelta plus smaller TT heavy stage races.

Uran is their second guy for GT`s and he might grab a top5 eventually. Top10 though is more likely. In smaller races he surely can do better depending on startlists but especially with the opportunity to go 2 GT`s for some better stage racers, the smaller races might offer a new opportunity for riders like him.

Ulissi should do well in the hilly races. He is far from the best but proved to perform well. Also MSR is a solid option for him as shown in the past. He has some nice support in Bilbao this year, who did max out before the season and could grow into a copy of Ulissi.

Other than those, we miss the top riders. Yatsevich and Viviani surely are a great TT duo, who are mainly helping the team in TTT stage races.

In the cobbled races the team does not even need to start as points would be a huge surprise, while in the sprints it`s only Aberasturi to be able to surprise. I doubt he will win a stage though. A podium would already be huge for him.

So we have like 3 excellent scorers and not much more behind but solid support. It depends on Tenorio`s performance in the GT. If he wins La Vuelta teh team might still be able to grab a top10. But he might struggle in the stage race fest PT against the stronger 85 riders. Uran needs to avoid those riders as often as possible. I guess they might end just outside of the top10.

What I find most impressive about the team is the balance and strength of top riders and this all within a PCT budget more or less.

Pinot might not be strong enough for many top results. A top10 in a GC would already be nice for him due to his time trial weakness. He would need a lot more training I think before being a proper PT leader. I really hope that jph is ignoring the French focus for a while and is not sending him to the Tour de France. Instead I would like to see him in a short stage race campagne only as this should deliver him more points than riding for 15th in the tour.

Elissonde is the next best climber and he could be a nice attempt to go for KoM`s and stages in 1-2 or even 3 GT`s. He won`t score a lot in those smaller races. So sending him to all 3 GT`s could actually work when Pinot is just doing the shorter races.

In the hills Gautier has to prove that the training is helping him. Last year was good, the year before awful. This year could be a decent year on PT level I think. A couple of top10`s in classics and maybe as well in some stage races and he should score okay. Not the big points though. Roux and Kadri will support him a lot. First might even go for some top15`s himself as also taking a stage or two.

Vanderbiest is their strongest sprinter. He can survive a GT, which might become important when it`s about the point jersey or late stage wins. I`d like to see him in two GT`s because of his mountain skills. Best chances to win a few stages with him.
Petit is not really worth a shot at a GT except for the first week. He will be one of the first riders to abandon. Better take him to smaller races instead, where he could land some surprising results.

In time trials and cobbles the team is not very strong. Gaudin as best cobbler without much support could eventually grab a top10 in some classics. But he`s not a big scorer.

Definitely a relegation team for me even though I think with smart race planning they can make it more exciting than many think. Also I am not sure if they take last in the rankings. Could eventually surprise by going 1-2 spots above. That said I think jph is sending Pinot to the Tour. Eventually even with Gautier. Which would not be very good in terms of points I think.

Aker - MOT impressed in the PT after promoting back then. This season might become their best ever and all their leaders are in the best age.

Their top rider is still Boasson Hagen. As one of the best puncheurs, who can sprint a bit as well, he surely hopes to step up a bit. He can win far more than last year and should score them lots of points. The support behind him is really good.

For GT`s and stage races in general the team has some new faces. Daniel Martin, winner of last year`s Paris-Nice is an excellent addition. Just like Guldhammer, the 2nd new GT rider, he got a small mountain training making him more competive. Unfortunately for them those two are still far from the division`s top GT rider and so they might only fight for a top5 at best. But the bigger amount of race days will make them very valuable in shorter stage races.

Alexander Kristoff is their biggest FA signing. He is their lead sprinter for sure and should replace Impey and Van Heerden easily. His biggest advantage are the cobbles skills. While not being as strong as pure cobblers, I wouldn`t be surprised to see him consistently taking top spots in the classics as well. Support on both terrains is not huge but enough I think.

It`s really impressive how balanced the team is and except for Dan Martin it`s all Norwegian riders. Many of them not maxed yet. Next year 8 more riders will max out and making this team more impressive. In especially Sondre Holst Enger will become a horrific rider. They will fight for a top5 spot this year. For the title they lack a potential GT winner as also a stronger time trial squad.