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Last week brought the teams a driving tour of Scandinavian countries, an extended PSA on the virtues of a new hybrid car, and the first disappointment of the season - meaning we had our first non-elimination and the Save and Express Pass are still in play.

Because of this fact, I looked deep in my recapping soul to determine who should be ranked where and a conflict arose. The presence of a Save and an Express Pass will naturally give their holders a death grip on the top two spots, which can be boring and predictable. So, I've decided to weigh my rankings as if those advantages didn't exist (even though they will obviously impact the game).

Here is how I view the Race aptitude of the teams:

1) Kym & Alli (Friends). Thanks to a pretty stellar leg and near flawless execution on the tasks, I think that Team Quicksilver should be feared by the others. The cyclists may a fun-loving and self-deprecating way about them that can charm viewers and other racers alike but they also have a pretty serious competitive streak. Kym approached the Roadblock with humility, knowing that waitressing was not her strong suit, but she conquered it much easier than she expected. Fortunately, the quick thinking of grabbing the extra icing saved them time, which they had a surplus of thanks to smart flight wrangling. That was a bit of luck, but their mental and physical strengths are what should propel them to the end of the Race.

2) Misti & Jim (Married). Team DDS or simply Chompers. The Save almost got played last week but Phil said they didn't need to use since it was a non-elimination. I must admit that I was disappointed because I think that they should make them use it in the same manner Survivor does for the immunity idol. If you use it and didn't need to, too bad. It adds a wrinkle of strategy. I would like to see this change should the Save be used in future seasons. Regardless of the Save, this last leg showed the infallible nature of this self-professing king and queen of all Amazing Race Land. They flubbed the Parking Lot Detour, part of the Wedding Cake task and Misti failed to read the clue correctly so she left off a vital piece of information in relaying her food orders on the Roadblock. One bad leg doesn't undo the reputation that three strong legs built, but this is a crack in the armor, so it put them in second.

3) Adam & Bethany (Married). Team Hang Ten or Soul Surfers. Similarly, this newlywed team didn't have the best outing in Denmark but they survived to Rave another day. The Express Pass isn't as valuable the Save but still worthwhile. I suspect they will be using it this week because of the pending double U-Turn. The other groups should target both Team DDS and Hang Ten to flush the advantages out. The positive and loving attitude of this young married couple is enviably sweet but also the right way to approach the Race. Being supportive and communicating wisely is always a smart Race decision, and Adam & Bethany have these traits locked in. I think they could round out our top three.

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