It is time once again to consider the young riders who will be household names in three years time, but have thus far only given slight hints of what might follow. So slight, that they have, in their entire career to date, scored fewer CQ points than Mauricio Moreira got from the Volta a Portugal this year (i.e. under 200 points).
To enter the game, pick 18 such men, and send their names (preferably in CQ format) to me by PM at Cycling News or VeloRooms* by 23:59 on 13th January (I had said 14th elsewhere, but that would mean I have last minute entries for this and the Women's CQ game simultaneously, and I might get my spreadsheets terminally entangled). There is a list of those who either have scored CQ points in the last 3 years but are short of the 200 point total (or haven't scored yet, but are on a WorldTeam or ProTeam or the development team for one in 2022 or 2023) but it is huge: many entrants prefer to use their own hunt or wait until there is a list of eligible riders from the main season-long game which will be posted in this thread around 8th January. (Now posted, reply 15 below)
Your score in the game will be the total CQ points garnered by your selection by the end of 2025, so it is a game of patience: the winner of the recently finished edition, which started in just before we first heard of Covid, was 20th at the end of Year 1, and 11th at the end of Year 2, and the lead changed in the last professional race of the third season (Tour of Langkawi). So don't despair if your selection does not triumph at the Tour Down Under in a few weeks.
I have already condemned the careers of 18 young men by selecting them for my team: I will share that with whoever is the first to send in their team (Edit: done, RHD has my list).
Please do not select riders who are only below 200 because they have had points deducted after a doping incident (I can't think of anyone to whom that would apply at the moment, but don't do it anyway, because someone more alert than I am to such things will probably grass on you).
Points and penalties are as given by CQ, unless their error is agreed here to be obvious.
And, as I usually remember to post when acknowledging entry to these games, thanks for joining in, good luck to whoever you select for your team, and enjoys the game and the net three years of racing.
*: the forum from which you submit your team will determine which team you will contribute to in the interforum challenge.
To enter the game, pick 18 such men, and send their names (preferably in CQ format) to me by PM at Cycling News or VeloRooms* by 23:59 on 13th January (I had said 14th elsewhere, but that would mean I have last minute entries for this and the Women's CQ game simultaneously, and I might get my spreadsheets terminally entangled). There is a list of those who either have scored CQ points in the last 3 years but are short of the 200 point total (or haven't scored yet, but are on a WorldTeam or ProTeam or the development team for one in 2022 or 2023) but it is huge: many entrants prefer to use their own hunt or wait until there is a list of eligible riders from the main season-long game which will be posted in this thread around 8th January. (Now posted, reply 15 below)
Your score in the game will be the total CQ points garnered by your selection by the end of 2025, so it is a game of patience: the winner of the recently finished edition, which started in just before we first heard of Covid, was 20th at the end of Year 1, and 11th at the end of Year 2, and the lead changed in the last professional race of the third season (Tour of Langkawi). So don't despair if your selection does not triumph at the Tour Down Under in a few weeks.
I have already condemned the careers of 18 young men by selecting them for my team: I will share that with whoever is the first to send in their team (Edit: done, RHD has my list).
Please do not select riders who are only below 200 because they have had points deducted after a doping incident (I can't think of anyone to whom that would apply at the moment, but don't do it anyway, because someone more alert than I am to such things will probably grass on you).
Points and penalties are as given by CQ, unless their error is agreed here to be obvious.
And, as I usually remember to post when acknowledging entry to these games, thanks for joining in, good luck to whoever you select for your team, and enjoys the game and the net three years of racing.
*: the forum from which you submit your team will determine which team you will contribute to in the interforum challenge.
Last edited: