2024-25 Cyclocross Game

[Cordi333]

Sorry armchair, after commenting I intended to do the team but in the end didn't find the time to sit down with the laptop and do it right.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Weekend of 12/13 Oct
PCS doesn't have Major Taylor Day 2 results up yet, but from the results I read elsewhere, they wouldn't make much impression here. They will be incorporated into next weekend's update.

The first televised races and first outings for the bigger names.

An unforeseen effect of the change in the game is that races that are lower profile, but a good source of points for less expensive picks, come into play. That, and the strangely (to me) low classification of most of the Exact Cross races means that the names at the top of this weekend's scorers are mainly not those we were watching on Saturday afternoon.

	Armchair	Devil's Elbow	DJW	Josedin	Laurens	RhD	Samu
Boroš Michael	.	.	.	50​	.	.	.
Loockx Lander	.	.	.	.	50​	50​	.
van der Haar Lars	.	50​	.	.	.	.	.
van Empel Fem	50​	.	50​	50​	50​	50​	50​
Zemanová Kristýna	.	.	.	.	.	50​	50​
Alvarado Ceylin del Carmen	.	.	40​	40​	.	.	.
Gery Célia	.	.	40​	.	.	.	40​
Konwa Marek	.	.	.	.	.	40​	.
Vanthourenhout Michael	.	40​	.	.	.	.	.
Verdonschot Laura	40​	.	40​	.	.	.	40​
Brand Lucinda	.	36​	36​	.	36​	.	.
Vandeputte Niels	36​	.	36​	.	36​	36​	.
Aerts Toon	32​	32​	.	32​	32​	.	.
van Alphen Aniek	32​	.	.	.	.	.	.
Franck Alicia	.	.	.	.	28​	.	.
Jeřábková Barbora	.	.	.	28​	.	.	.
Kuhn Kevin	.	.	.	28​	.	28​	.
Wyseure Joran	28​	.	.	.	.	.	.
van der Heijden Inge	.	24​	.	.	24​	.	.
Verstrynge Emiel	.	24​	.	.	24​	24​	.
Norbert Riberolle Marion	.	.	.	20​	.	.	.
Vandebosch Toon	20​	.	.	.	.	.	.
Orts Felipe	.	.	.	18​	18​	18​	.
Betsema Denise	.	16​	.	.	.	.	.
Michels Jente	16​	.	.	.	.	.	.

I'll put a cut off somewhere each week: we all have other riders that got something, but I don't anticipate interest in a table that is 61 rows deep every week.

This weekend's points:
New player Laurens narrowly pips newly serious Redhead Dane.

		change	scorers
1​	Laurens147	315​	11​
2​	RedheadDane	314​	10​
3​	Josedin	294​	11​
4​	ArmchairCyclist	264​	9​
5​	DJW	252​	7​
6​	DevilsElbow	246​	9​
7​	SamuCuenca	204​	6​

I've generated a column to indicate how many of each team's riders made some contribution to the weekly total. Samu's riders are apparently either taking a break after scoring pre-game launch, or are starting late.

Standings
Already some changes in relation to where we stood before teams were submitted, and maybe the rest of us can take heart that the top two pre-launch were the bottom scorers this week.

1​	DevilsElbow	1634​	(+1)
2​	SamuCuenca	1624​	(-1)
3​	ArmchairCyclist	1224​	(-)
4​	Laurens147	997​	(-)
5​	Josedin	860​	(-)
6​	RedheadDane	836​	(-)
7​	DJW	698​	(-)

I think all is OK with the spreadsheet, but there is some testing that will only kick in after next week, so I won't share the link yet. Remind me if I don't think of it next week.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

And then that was the last lead change all season, and all was well in the world.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Two riders selected for the game were in profit before we even started: Andrew Strohmeyer for Devil's Elbow and Samu Cuenca, and Ben Askey for DJW. They are now joined in profitable territory by Barbora Jeřábková (yes, I did use copy and paste) for Josedin.

 

[Laurens147]

Thanks Armchair for organising this Gives me some incentive to follow CX a bit closer than normal.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

When I made my first draft, which ended up becoming my final selection, I had read a post from Silvia Persico saying that Tre Valli Varesine would be her last road race of the season. I hoped that meant she would be riding CX this year, seeing as her/UAE's decision not to ride any races last season didn't pay off at all on the road.

However it turned out that she would just do the gravel EC last Sunday before going on holiday in Spain. I did the same thing, by the way (well, minus the gravel EC part).

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Wysure and Michels as unique picks: not a bad race for my team there.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

The first Superprestige, and first televised C1, at Ruddervoorde, has the main impact, but a good quality midweek field in Ardoiee, an Exact race on Saturday, a French double header for Schreiber and Boros and Konwa quietly picking up plenty in the Eastern European circuit: it's getting busy.

	Armchair	Devil's Elbow	DJW	Josedin	Laurens	RhD	Samu
Alvarado Ceylin del Carmen	.	.	150​	150​	.	.	.
Norbert Riberolle Marion	.	.	.	120​	.	.	.
Vandeputte Niels	120​	.	120​	.	120​	120​	.
Vanthourenhout Michael	.	120​	.	.	.	.	.
Wyseure Joran	103​	.	.	.	.	.	.
Franck Alicia	.	.	.	.	102​	.	.
Casasola Sara	.	100​	.	.	.	100​	100​
Schreiber Marie	.	.	.	.	.	100​	.
Verdonschot Laura	96​	.	96​	.	.	.	96​
Adams Jens	.	.	.	84​	.	.	.
Loockx Lander	.	.	.	.	82​	82​	.
Clauzel Hélène	.	80​	.	.	.	.	80​
van Empel Fem	80​	.	80​	80​	80​	80​	80​
Kuypers Gerben	74​	74​	.	74​	.	74​	.
Brand Lucinda	.	70​	70​	.	70​	.	.
van Alphen Aniek	66​	.	.	.	.	.	.
Gery Célia	.	.	64​	.	.	.	64​
Orts Felipe	.	.	.	62​	62​	62​	.
van der Haar Lars	.	60​	.	.	.	.	.
Aerts Toon	58​	58​	.	58​	58​	.	.
Sweeck Laurens	58​	58​	.	58​	.	58​	.
Boroš Michael	.	.	.	50​	.	.	.
Konwa Marek	.	.	.	.	.	50​	.
Vandebosch Toon	50​	.	.	.	.	.	.

A very busy week for Josedin's team, with 16 of the 18 scoring (by contrast, only 8 of Samu Cuenca's team have scored since the season started)

1​	Josedin	931​	16​
2​	RedheadDane	828​	12​
3​	DevilsElbow	816​	13​
4​	ArmchairCyclist	815​	12​
5​	Laurens147	718​	12​
6​	DJW	640​	8​
7​	SamuCuenca	440​	6​

Celia Gery becomes the first rider who had 0 points before the launch of the game who is now in profit. The important times in the game will be when the expensive riders start to go into profit (or fail to)

Standings

1​	DevilsElbow	2450​	(-)
2​	SamuCuenca	2064​	(-)
3​	ArmchairCyclist	2039​	(-)
4​	Josedin	1791​	(+1)
5​	Laurens147	1715​	(-1)
6​	RedheadDane	1664​	(-)
7​	DJW	1338​	(-)

Iserbyt is back next weekend, I guess. When will we get an idea of the programmes for the 'big three' part-timers in the men's races, and the return of Pieterse?

And the spreadsheet seems to have survived the first week of having to sustain transfer from a previous week, so should be fit to be shared: here it is. As usual: I will update the same file so there is no archive of previous scores, but the same location will have the file throughout (which means I won't post the location every week, but will remind you from time to time. Perhaps someone will confirm that it is up and readable (even if not all of my calculations are transparent).

 

[Devil's Elbow]

1-2 for my unique expensive picks in the men's race, 1-4-5 in the women's and Van Empel already at as many losses as she suffered all of last season, what's not to like?

The answer is Denise Betsema.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

1-2 for my unique expensive picks in the men's race, 1-4-5 in the women's and Van Empel already at as many losses as she suffered all of last season, what's not to like?

The answer is Denise Betsema.

Presumably you mean the decision to pick her, not DB herself.

You're not getting an update just for this race to gloat over, you know. Indeed, I am travelling next week so might not have a chance for an update until about 4th November, with 2 weeks worth of racing in it.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Pieterse is returning in mid-December, so unlikely to be a good pick in this game.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Pieterse is returning in mid-December, so unlikely to be a good pick in this game.

I had missed that news, as presumably had 4 others. Rare and unique exclusions could be just as valuable as rare and unique picks.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I had missed that news, as presumably had 4 others. Rare and unique exclusions could be just as valuable as rare and unique picks.

The news only came out yesterday.

...although I did figure in the selection process that, if Pieterse was going to change her schedule much, it would be a reduction rather than an increase (which is why I don't have her).

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

These are mainly the races from last weekend: Heererstrand and Overijse,and the midweeker prior to those at Woerden, plus whatever else happened: managing to get in before the Koppenberg this afternoon.

	Armchair	Devil's Elbow	DJW	Josedin	Laurens	RhD	Samu
Brand Lucinda	.	150​	150​	.	150​	.	.
Iserbyt Eli	.	130​	130​	130​	130​	130​	.
van der Haar Lars	.	120​	.	.	.	.	.
van Empel Fem	116​	.	116​	116​	116​	116​	116​
Alvarado Ceylin del Carmen	.	.	110​	110​	.	.	.
van der Heijden Inge	.	110​	.	.	110​	.	.
Nys Thibau	100​	100​	100​	100​	100​	.	100​
Strohmeyer Andrew	.	100​	.	.	.	.	100​
Vandeputte Niels	92​	.	92​	.	92​	92​	.
Konwa Marek	.	.	.	.	.	90​	.
Schreiber Marie	.	.	.	.	.	90​	.
Vanthourenhout Michael	.	86​	.	.	.	.	.
Chladoňová Viktória	82​	.	82​	.	.	.	82​
Vas Kata Blanka	.	82​	.	.	.	82​	.
Verdonschot Laura	82​	.	82​	.	.	.	82​
Ronhaar Pim	72​	.	72​	.	72​	.	72​
Casasola Sara	.	70​	.	.	.	70​	70​
Orts Felipe	.	.	.	66​	66​	66​	.
van Kessel Corné	.	.	.	55​	.	.	.
Sweeck Laurens	52​	52​	.	52​	.	52​	.
Bakker Manon	50​	.	.	.	.	.	.
Boroš Michael	.	.	.	50​	.	.	.
Gery Célia	.	.	50​	.	.	.	50​
Mein Thomas	.	.	.	.	50​	.	.
Wyseure Joran	50​	.	.	.	.	.	.
Zemanová Kristýna	.	.	.	.	.	50​	50​

That week:

		change	scorers
1​	DevilsElbow	1130​	15​
2​	DJW	984​	10​
3​	Laurens147	983​	14​
4​	RedheadDane	931​	14​
5​	ArmchairCyclist	788​	13​
6​	SamuCuenca	768​	10​
7​	Josedin	767​	14​

Standings

1​	DevilsElbow	3580​	(-)
2​	SamuCuenca	2832​	(-)
3​	ArmchairCyclist	2827​	(-)
4​	Laurens147	2698​	(+1)
5​	RedheadDane	2595​	(+1)
6​	Josedin	2558​	(-2)
7​	DJW	2322​	(-)

Quite a big gap for the leader there, but early days so far.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

A full sweep of the top-5 in the men's race just now for my team, I may be the Van Empel to Shalgo's Pogacar. Which is ironic as the only team without her.

 

[RedheadDane]

So, errr... you get bonus points for having the best non-Dutch rider in an elite women's race, right?

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Koppenberg Cross and the European Championships (and whatever else has happened in the last seven days)

Apologies: I didn't save the spreadsheet after the last update, so I can't give rider by rider updates since then. Still, you saw the races, you know how your people did.

But here's how your teams did (corrected version):

1​	DevilsElbow	1471​
1​	Laurens147	1471​
3​	DJW	1304​
4​	Josedin	1275​
5​	RedheadDane	1246​
6​	ArmchairCyclist	967​
7​	SamuCuenca	874​

And here's the standings after that:

1​	DevilsElbow	5051​	(-)
2​	Laurens147	4169​	(+2)
3​	RedheadDane	3841​	(+2)
4​	Josedin	3833​	(+3)
5​	ArmchairCyclist	3794​	(-2)
6​	SamuCuenca	3706​	(-4)
7​	DJW	3626​	(-1)

 

[Devil's Elbow]

How have I finished 600 points behind Josedin in the weekly standings while extending my lead over them in the overall?

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

How have I finished 600 points behind Josedin in the weekly standings while extending my lead over them in the overall?

I tried an interim solution to the issue of having deleted the previous update data, which obviously didn't work, but I have done other things with the data since then, so I can't revisit that. Feel free to work out your own differences between the scores reported last Friday morning and the current totals. Ignore the weekly difference, but I am confident in the overall standings.
I think I have been able to correct it after all. Hopefully I can do an update after this weekend's events without such complications.