It's often a tough task to tell at a glance which teams are doing well at the Tour de France, there are 22 of them going around France, each with their own objectives and strengths.
To keep an eye on how each team is progressing, Cycling Central is running the Zwift Power Rankings during this Tour de France. It's a quick guide from stage to stage of which teams are excelling and which are unlucky or faring poorly.
Rankings are done according to a matrix of stage results, jersey standings and a team's ability to race with panache and flair.
1. Jumbo-Visma (same)
Dylan Groenewegen narrowly missing out on another victory is why Jumbo-Visma stays put, the Dutch speedster opening up his sprint a touch too early this time after he got it just right against the Ewan pocket rocket on Stage 7.
It's not a win but combined with the team's four victories already, Steven Kruijswijk still fourth overall, plus two stages in yellow, first spot belongs to the black and yellow squad a touch longer.
Best Results: Mike Teunissen 1st- Stage 1, Yellow Jersey 2 stages; 1st- Stage 2 Team Time Trial; Dylan Groenewegen 1st- Stage 7; Wout van Aert 1st- Stage 10, 2nd- Stage 5; 2nd - Stage 11; Steven Kruijswijk 4th overall
2. Deceuninck-Quickstep (same)
Arguably a team holding yellow for six stages should own this spot outright, but for any doubters, Elia Viviani's third place in today's sprint cements it further.
How much longer Julian Alaphilippe stays in the golden fleece hinges on Stage 12's 209km and two category one climbs. Out of yellow, last year's king of the mountain Alaphilippe would relish a day like Stage 12 with some 30 kilometres of descending into Bagneres-de-Bigorre. But in the golden fleece, he will no doubt play defence and the team work to allow a non GC threatening breakaway.
Best Results: Julian Alaphilippe 1st- Stage 3, 3rd- Stage 8, Yellow Jersey 5 stages, 1st overall; Elia Viviani 1st- Stage 4, 2nd- Stage 10; 3rd - Stage 11; Enric Mas 6th overall; 3rd- Stage 2 Team Time Trial
3. Soudal Lotto (up one position)
Yes, Caleb Ewan's win was enough to leapfrog Bora-hansgrohe. Around 10 kilometres from the finish, when the sprint trains typically start ramping it up, the Aussie fastman instead had one foot on the tarmac as team mate Jasper de Buyst copped a (malice-free) elbow from a CCC rider and ended up in a ditch.
Ewan's pilot fish Roger Kluge dropped back immediately, ferrying him back to the best seat in the house, the New South Welshman with enough kick left in the tank to come around Groenewegen.
John LeLangue told SBS' own David McKenzie the team is hungry for more.
But if the Tour ended today, the sponsors should be happy with two wins (De Gendt, Ewan) and Tim Wellens in the dots for eight days.
Best Results: Thomas De Gendt 1st- Stage 8; Caleb Ewan 2nd- Stage 11, Tiesj Benoot 2nd-Stage 9; Caleb Ewan 2nd- Stage 7, 3rd- Stage 1+4, Tim Wellens Mountains Jersey 7 days
4. BORA-hansgrohe (down one position)
Down one position only because Soudal Lotto leapfrogged them with Ewan's victory. Perhaps a little harsh given Mr Consistency Peter Sagan finished fourth today and that green jersey is painted on, but two stage wins and a number of close calls for Ewan, trumps it for the moment. Emanuel Buchmann still lies in fifth overall, enjoying life under the radar.
Best Results: Peter Sagan 1st- Stage 5, 2nd- Stage 1, 3rd- Stage 7, 4th - Stage 11; Green Jersey 8 days; Emanuel Buchmann 5th overall
5. Team Ineos (same)
Perhaps Bahrain Merida has done enough to take this position given Ineos moved here only after its massive attack on Stage 10 and putting a bunch of time into some GC rivals. Unlike Bahrain Merida or Mitchelton-Scott, Ineos has still not won a stage which is not their game if it doesn't get them yellow in Paris, but it counts for our rankings. But Egan Bernal has visited the podium twice for the white jersey, he and Thomas' positions on GC and them gunning it in the Stage 10 crosswinds keep them comfy here.
Funnily enough, Bernal finished 13th in the bunch sprint today.
Best Results: Geraint Thomas 4th - Stage 6, 2nd overall; Egan Bernal- 3rd overall, 1st White Jersey; 2nd- Stage 2 Team Time Trial
6. Bahrain Merida (same)
Sonny Colbrelli finished sixth on Stage 11, his seventh top 10 finish at this year's Tour. Combined with Teuns' stage win and Tratnik's third on Stage 9, these guys are OK sitting here.
Watch out for Nibali on Stage 12?
Best Results: Dylan Teuns 1st- Stage 6; Jan Tratnik 3rd- Stage 9, Colbrelli - 4th Stages 5 & 7.
7. Wanty Groupe Gobert (up one position)
In the spirit of the Power Rankings rewarding healthy aggression, and with its previous breakaway excursions, Wanty jumps over Mitchelton-Scott's stage win with Aime De Gendt stepping away in the break on Stage 11. Not Thomas attacked his breakaway companions in the final 11kms and was only swept up by the sprint trains in the final five, the race jury rewarding his efforts with most combative.
What makes this stage a little sweeter for the pro-conti squad Power Rankings wise is 11th place in the bunchie for Andrea Pasqualon.
Best Results: Xandro Meurisse 3rd- Stage 6; Most combative Stage 11 - Aime De Gendt
8. Mitchelton-Scott (same)
Keeping their powder dry but Yates remains 7th overall. Will he try something on Stage 12?
Best Results: Daryl Impey 1st - Stage 9, Adam Yates 7th overall; Matteo Trentin 3rd- Stage 5
9. UAE Team Emirates (up one position)
With Jasper Philipsen finishing ahead of Sunweb's Cees Bol and Alexander Kristoff just behind, two riders in the top 10 sees the white shorted men improve their position again after yesterday's three spot jump.
Best Results: Alexander Kristoff 2nd- Stage 4, Dan Martin 9th overall
10. Team Sunweb (down one position)
Cees Bol finished 8th in the sprint, dropped off by Australian Michael Matthews who promised to work for him today. It's not a fantastic finish, but they're still fighting and visible.
Best Results: Michael Matthews 2nd- Stage 3; 4th- Stage 2 Team Time Trial
11. CCC (up one position)
CCC didn't really do anything today to warrant a position jump, but with a few riders in breaks, the polka dots for two days and Greg van Avermaets fourth on Stage 3, the orange team's results deserve this place more than the teams that come after it.
12. Movistar (up one position)
Nairo Quintana and a number of his teamies looked good in the crosswinds on Stage 10 and he still sits 8th overall. It wasn't poor team positioning which cost Mikel Landa time on that stage but Warren Barguil getting in his way and causing a crash. Like CCC, Movistar deserve this position more than others.
Best Results: Nairo Quintana 8th overall; Mikel Landa 21st overall
13. Cofidis (up two positions)
What Cofidis here? Why? Anthony Perez and Stéphane Rossetto were active in the Stage 11 break, plus Natnael Berhane racked up the kilometres off the front claiming the combativity award on Stage 10. Up they go.
14. Groupama-FDJ (down one position)
But for Thibaut Pinot's second place on Stage 8 and still holding 10th overall, Groupama-FDJ would be down, down, prices are down.
Best Results: Thibaut Pinot 2nd- Stage 8, 10th overall
15. Trek-Segafredo (down four positions)
Gilulio Ciccone lost over 12 minutes today in the crash with Niki Terpstra that also took down Richie Porte (who now sits 19th overall). But the Italian's time in yellow and four trips to the podium for the white jersey and they don't sink like a stone and sit above some other teams better positioned on GC.
Best Results: Giulio Ciccone 2nd- Stage 6, 1 day in yellow; Jasper Stuyven 3rd- Stage 3; Richie Porte 19th overall
16. EF Education First (same)
Hold on only because of Rigo's 12th overall and Simon Clarke finishing ninth from the day's break on Stage 9.
Best Results: Rigoberto Uran 12th overall
17. Dimension Data (same)
On Stages 4 and 7, Giacomo Nizzolo finished seventh, backing up his 4th on Stage 1. Today he finished second last ahead of Giulio Ciccone. But these three top 10 places are still slightly better than doing relatively nothing and holding on to a top 20 place on GC.
18. AG2R-La Mondiale (same)
Stil here because of Romain Bardet's 14th overall combined with a fourth place finish for Oliver Naesen on Stage 9.
Best result - Naesen 4th - Stage 9.
19. Total Direct Energie (up one position)
Lilian Calmejane in today's break! Box ticked. One position up.
20. Astana (down one position)
Rewarding Total for putting a rider in the break is the only reason Astana moved down one position.
Best result - Stage 6 - Jakob Fuglsang 9th. Stage 2 - 10th TTT.
21. Team Arkea-Samsic (same)
But we did notice Warren Barguil somehow finishing 10th on Stage 11 and moving up to 16th overall.
Best Results: Warren Barguil 16th overall
22. Katusha-Alpecin (same)
We wish we could reward Jens Debusschere's fifth place on Stage 11 with more as apart from their 5th place in the Stage 2 TTT, this has all Katusha has achieved so far, but there's no room to spare.
