USA pro cycling challenge

I've gone for...
Peter V
Sutherland
Tejay and Cadel
Moser
Kyer, Salas, Boily and Lewis

Thought it might be fun to go for breakaway points - its good when it works! (no Jacques-Maynes tho, hmm...) My season's record for the premium comps is ToC 24th, TdS 1st, TdP 108th, Eneco 16th, so I'm due a comedown...

Agreed today will be one for the all-rounders - sprint from a group of 40-50. I fancy Sutherland but still waiting to see if he's racing (he had dropped off the startlists but is now back on again).

I went all-American and have like 20+ points to spare. Couldn't stomach having Farrar on my team... in fact I can't really stomach the thought of having him in the race at all. It's usually pretty likely he'll spazz out and take down a bunch of legitimate riders.

I've gone for 2 stars each from BMC and OPQ, one DS who could win stages, and 4 breakaway guys from the little American teams, at least for today and tomorrow. Still might leave it as purist, I'll decide on Weds...

Yeah its a pain in the neck, only 13 stars and I only want 2 of them

Picking a team is a huge challenge. I want to pick 5 BMC guys and I only want three stars

Schleck's pulled out....no real surprise there

I take it back. I do remember Infantino Abreu, and apparently he finished 6th in the GC in last year's race, so I'd go with him

Here are my thoughts about the second incarnation of this race. The first was really bad. I mean, just not exciting racing and the coverage was awful because the picture kept breaking up with the mountains/altitude/whatever.

This year's course looks loads better (as for the coverage we'll see). This seems like a perfect race to do purist because so many of the stages look very similar. Stages 2, 4 and 6 all have hilltop/mini-mountain finishes after a lot of climbing. Stage 3 is two giant mountains (it really is too bad that they seem set on finishing in destination towns and not at any of these passes, because a final climb up Cottonwood or Independence would be sweet). Then there is stage 1 and 5 which might be sprints--or not--but they won't have huge GC ramification. Actually, the hardest stage to predict will probably be stage 1. Then there's an ITT in Denver for stage 7 (not a sprint... yes, I should have known that).

It seems to me the favorites should be Leipheimer (just had a fantastic Tour of Utah, undone only by an awful TTT where he lost over 2 minutes), van Garderen, Nibali, Evans, Fuglsang (dunno what kind of shape he'll come in) and Tschopp (just dominated the Tour of Utah). The only reason Tschopp may not win is he may be riding for van Garderen.

Other lesser names to watch: Joe Dombrowski (will probably dominate a couple climbs, though he's much better suited to the big, long ones. Watch for him on stage 6); and Lucas Euser (dropped Horner, Danielson, Vande Velde, and company on the final big climb in Utah).

KOM will be some guy from the Columbian team (I honestly don't know who any of them are), or some combination of Louder, Salas, Jacques-Maynes, or Venell.

If there are sprints (stage 5... maybe stage 1) and Farrar doesn't win (because he doesn't win this year... ever), then probably Freddie Rodriguez, Chicchi, Keough, Caruso or Hincapie are the guys to beat, though Phinney could steal one too.

Of course, Horner will finish top 5 somehow (in spite of losing a minute on a 9.5 mile TT), and Tom Danielson will be a big disappointment (though at least two separated shoulders from the TdF are a good excuse). Also Andy Schleck and Kloden will be in every day's shots falling off the pace.

That pretty much covers it. I just hope we get actual coverage this year and not just Paul and Phil chatting in a commentary box about a race that's going on off in the distance.

I retract my comments

OK, so there are basically no for sure sprints, so I suppose that is why there are no for sure sprinters

Just gone and picked my team as i'm away on hols on sat so needed to get it done.

There is the usual stars to choose from and it would be easy just to load up on 5 stars such as Schleck, Nibali etc but i think someone from one of the lesser known teams might spring a surprise.

If Tyler Farrar doesn't win the final sprint in Denver he should really find a new role. Chicchi, Rodriguez and Keough are the only true sprinters in the field besides him (as far as I can tell). I mean, maybe Hincapie and Phinney... I dunno, Tyler, it's time to win a stage.

I had fun picking mine - although Sutherland has disappeared from the startlist on Cycling Fever since yesterday...

Lack of stars should mean a lot of people have very similar top 4's, so a lot will come down to the DS selection - go for breakaway points or pick the guys that could challenge for top 6? Or just pick a random Columbian I've never heard of and see what happens...

Picked a team, but not overly happy with it....