do not forget that csc has come out strong the past few years. this does not mean that they will dominate for the whole season. plus, although they were dominant at races like paris-nice and the critirium international, where were they at milano-sanremo which was the biggest race of the season thus far?
that is not to say that basso will not have a great season, which i think he will although it may be a mistake for him to spread himself over both the giro and the tour. watch for him to get beat at both races (but to finish on the podium) and for pundits to question if he could have won either one had he concentrated on it.
I think cunego will win the giro, and the tour will go either to armstrong or if it is one year to many for him, to a motivated jan ullrich. the team time trial, even with the new rules in place is too much for a team like eusaitel-euskadi to overcome for thier man mayo. as tallented as mayo and some of the other climbers are, t-mobile and discovery are too strong to let them do too much damage.
I also think that although valverde is perhaps the most all around tallented rider in the peleton, i do not see him getting over the highest mountains in the tour de france with the top riders, as he has proven in the past he is unable to in the vuelta. i think he has more of a future in classics like liege or even msr where he can get over the smaller hills with relative ease and then use his killer finishing spead if others are still with him.
oscar friere will win the world championships in madrid, who would bet against him regardless of petacchi's current form and his inevitable 15 wins in the giro?
cunego will win the protour by virtue of his giro win and at least one classic (just like last year) + various other small races which he will mop up once he realizes he can win the competition.
anyways, those are my predictions, sorry to bore you all, hope im right, but judging by my ncaa brackets, i will be way off......