ALPECIN DECEUNINCK. 8.5. They are here for the stages and have already won two with Philipsen. Adding to their tally, a 3rd with Planckaert and an 8th with Debruyne.

ISRAEL PREMIER TECH. 8. For what they have to overcome every day, just to get out of the hotel, we should give them an 8 for encouragement and solidarity. It's not easy to ride a bicycle, put yourself in the game and do a grand tour. Then if along the way there are those who slow you down or insult you, it becomes almost impossible. The numbers show four placements, two second places with Vernon and our Frigo: for me they have only honors.

MOVISTAR TEAM. 6. Cepeda, for the moment, is still far from the top of the rankings. For the historic Spanish team, six placements, some good sparks and some good actions. But we're really at the bare minimum.

LOTTO. 6.5. They are here for the stages and with Elia Viviani they came very close. A fourth place and a second that still cries for revenge after being canceled by an overzealous jury. Three placements recognized, a tenth place in the team time trial that does honor to the entire team.

Q36.5 PROCYCLING TEAM. 7.5. The podium is there, within reach. A Pidcock finally confident, trying to have his say even in a grand tour. Eight placements, for a team that has shown itself, stood out, which in these first nine days has definitely given meaning to its Vuelta.

COFIDIS. 5. A placement in the first stage: 7th with Coquard. Then nothing more.

CAJA RURAL SEGUROS RGA. 5.5. Eighth in the team general classification, a couple of riders in the top 20. A couple of placements with Silva. Things like that...

EF EDUCATION EASY POST. 5.5. Six placements, but very few chances for the general classification. A waiting race, hoping for better days.

VISMA LEASE E BIKE. 10. They didn't kill themselves, but those who tried to keep up with Vingegaard (two stage wins for him) did. Reference team, which has gotten ahead of the work: it just needs to be completed.

LIDL-TREK. 6.5. Seven placements, enriched by a couple of second places that could have been wins. Third in the team time trial, but with Pedersen in the green jersey and Ciccone 6th in the general classification. The merit? Always fighting, knowing that the Visma Dane is not a tough nut to crack for the general classification: and more.

GROUPAMA-FDJ. 6. A stage win with Gaudu, plus four other placements. For the classification, at the moment, we're not there. Very far, the situation can only improve and, perhaps, it won't take much.

INEOS GRENADIERES. 6. Bernal is just out of the top ten for now, but the race is still all to be done. For now, ninth in the team general classification, 11th with the Colombian, plus a stage win with Turner.

UAE TEA EMIRATES XRG. 8.5. Joao Almeida is third in the general classification, the team is already there at the top and has three stage wins: team time trial, plus stage wins with Vine and Ayuso. There's a super like Vingegaard to put in crisis, but they have several bullets to try to invent something.

DECATHLON AG2R LA MONDIALE. 7. Felix Gall is always there, the news would be the opposite. The Austrian is currently 5th in the general classification, his team also 5th. Placements? What questions, five. Two with Gall, one with Labrosse, one with Armirail, plus a 7th place in the team time trial. Five placements, but the performance is a seven.

RED BULL BORA HANSGROHE. 6.5 Control race, waiting for better times, for stages that will make the difference and, hopefully, they can also differentiate themselves. Perhaps there's a choice to be made, but for now they decide not to do so. Parallel and symbiotic race for the Hindley-Pellizzari couple. Two riders in the top ten, one 9th, the other 10th, clearly at the same time. Four placements in the top ten, three with Hindley, one with the entire team, which closed the team time trial in fourth place.

BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS. 7.5. They could have gone adrift after taking on water with Antonio Tiberi, who in this Vuelta is already almost half an hour behind. Yet, with wisdom and determination, they had the merit of seizing all opportunities, particularly with the no longer young Norwegian Torstein Traeen, who leads the race and has been in the red jersey for four days. Three placements, with Buitrago (7th), Buratti (10th) and indeed Traeen (2nd).

TEAM PICNIC POSTNL. 5.5. Less brilliant than at the Tour, but that's okay. Two placements, Koerdt (9th) and Veermeke (6th).

ARKEA B&B HOTELS. 6. Sixteenth in the team merit ranking, three placements with Biermans and Garcia (two). For a team that is said to be in the process of being dismantled, the only mission: surprise history, which has not yet been written.

XDS ASTANA. 6.5. As a team they are in 3rd place behind UAE and Visma. In the general classification they have Fortunato in 7th place, who also gave his team two top-ten placements: a 3rd and a 10th, plus Tejada's 4th. In short, more than good.

SOUDAL QUICK-STEP. 6. Landa took on water from the start, but the Belgian team is currently floating with 22-year-old Junior Lecerf, who is 4th in the young riders' classification, as is his team in the special team ranking. One top-ten placement, with Vervaeke (7th in stage 6).

INTERMARCHE-WANTY. 5.5. A third-place stage finish with Marit, then nothing more. The 33-year-old Meintjes is their classification man: 22nd at 7'58". What can he do in the next stages? We hope - and they hope especially - something more.

TEAM JAYCO ALULA. 5.5. One top-ten placement with Fondager (4th in stage 8). Clearly now comes the good part, with the harder and more selective stages, and the hope that the sky will turn for the better for them too.

BURGOS-BURPELLET.BH. 5.5. The 24-year-old Guatemalan Sergio Chumil is the one doing best, since he is 23rd in the general classification, just over 8' from the "roja". The team in the special team classification is currently 18th: in short, not bad. Of course, in these first nine stages they haven't managed to put a rider in the top ten, but the road to travel is still long.