La Vuelta a España

The Vuelta is one of the hardest races on the calendar to handicap, primarily because it is usually dominated by Spanish riders who are relatively unknown outside of Spain. This year could be a little different due to the structure of the new Pro Tour series, which has brought in a number of big name foreign riders who would not otherwise be there. Here is my fantasy squad for this year's edition:

1. Erik Zabel (Ger)
2. Francisco Mancebo (Spa)
3. Roberto Heras (Spa)
4. Brad McGee (Aus)
5. Carlos Sastre (Spa)
6. José Azevedo (Por)
7. Oscar Sevilla (Spa)
8. Tom Steels (Bel)
9. Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano (Spa)
10. Aitor Gonzalez (Spa)
11. Santiago Botero (Col)

After two stages (or one stage and a prologue, if you prefer) my best pick is Brad McGee who is coming off a tough Tour de France. He placed third in the prologue and second on today's road stage.