LAST EDITED ON 03-02-09 AT 05:05 PM (EST)

I like all of the remaining teams... that's a first!
Now, on to ranking them:

1. Mel/Mike (5,8) Because it's obvious they have a very strong bond that is unlikely to be strained by the race, and they have proven themselves to be formidable competitors. Good work!

2. Margie/Luke (1,1) Another solid leg. Even though Luke's getting all of the attention I think Margie is an excellent racer in her own right and deserves some acknowledgment!

3. Jaime/Cara (8,5) People are going to criticize them for getting frustrated with the taxi driver, but to me that is actually a good sign- unlike past "girl teams" that have unsuccessfully tried to coast through on their looks, you can tell these two are very competitive and driven. That's refreshing. They also seem to be genuinely appreciating this experience.

4. Christie/Jodi (9,7) I mean, they probably aren't contenders to win, but they are working hard and I have yet to see them cry or complain, even when they were on the cusp of elimination. Also, I saw that they have straps so they can carry their rolling luggage on their backs when necessary. That's actually pretty clever - they're not in the best of shape, so being able to wheel their stuff through airports and train stations will help fend off fatigue.

5. Kisha/Jen (4,6) Nice to see them have a more harmonious leg this time around... but they also ran under the radar. I want to see more of these two!

6. Amanda/Kris (6,3) Good on Amanda for keeping positive during their scare at the detour. I like her attitude.

7. Mark/Michael (7,9) They're still not my favorites, but compared to hated teams from the past (Freddy and Kendra, BJ and Tyler, the Weaver Family), they're pretty cool guys.

8. Tammy/Victor (2,2) Wow. These two completely lost it on this leg, and it wasn't all Victor's fault... although his breakdown was pretty painful to watch. I was very impressed how Tammy handled that, though, throughout the detour and at the pitstop. I won't be surprised if they pull it together and last quite a bit longer.

Philiminated 9. Brad/Victoria (3,4) I liked them, and they probably would have knocked Tammy and Victor out had they not made a very poor decision with their flights, but so it goes...

Loser Lodge:
Preston/Jennifer (11)
Linda/Steve (10,10)