Intel-Action
Polish
Team Manager: Piotr Kosmala
Key Rider: Cezary Zamana, past Polish Champion and past Tour of Poland winner.
Depth: 1/10, they're nobodies.
Expectations: A good Tour of Poland and miscellaneous wins in small races.
Karpin-Galicia
SpanishTeam Manager: Rodrigo Rodriguez
Key Riders: Isidro Nozal, 2 stages and 2nd overall in the 2003 Vuelta; Ezequiel Mosquera, 5th overall in the 2007 Vuelta; Santos Gonzalez, 4th overall and a stage in the 2000 Vuelta.
Depth: 4/10, one of the stronger Spanish Pro Continental teams.
Expectations: A good Vuelta and strong performances in Spanish stage races.
Landbouwkrediet-Tonissteiner
BelgianTeam Manager: Claude Van Coillie
Key Rider: Tom Steels, four-time Belgian champion, 9 stages in the Tour, twice winner of Ghent-Wevelgem.
Depth: 2/10, not much here outside of Steels.
Expectations: A good classics season and some wins in Belgian races.
Navigators Insurance
AmericanTeam Manager: Beamon Edward
Key Riders: David O'Loughlin, thrice Irish Road Champion; Kristian House, winner of many domestic races and other small races.
Depth: 3/10, one of the stronger teams in the American peloton.
Expectations: A strong showing in domestic races and good performances in Europe.
OTC Doors-Lauretana
Italian
Team Manager: Pier Giovanni Baldini
Key Riders: None. Seriously.
Depth: -5/10, I would give them a worse rating but I have a soft spot for Italian teams.
Expectations: Win some small Italian race.
Relax-Gam
SpanishTeam Manager: Guillermo Marcos Guerrero
Key Rider: Francisco Mancebo, Best Young Rider in the 2000 Tour, twice a podium finisher in the Vuelta and 4th in the 2005 Tour.
Depth: 4/10, good riders, but many of them have been tainted by
Operacion Puerto.
Expectations: A solid Vuelta would be the highlight of their campaign.
The final segment, Part 7, will be along in a few days. It will cover the remaining seven teams, from Serramenti-Selle Italia through Tinkoff.
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