2024-26 Emerging Riders CQ game

[Salvarani]

Well, I don't agree here, as I think Soderqvist has a nice potential to be a good WT riders, and I think his ceiling is yet unknown. I wouldn't compare riders just because they're from the same nation and did well in similar races so far, or at least I wouldn't expect the 2nd one to have similar success than the 1st one just based on that.

Soderqvist is a rider that until last year was almost solely focused on the mtb, and with almost no background at road racing he did great results. That tells me there should be a lot of room to grow, which has already shown in his first race as a pro rider completely focused on the road.

Cool, time will tell.

 

[RedheadDane]

Not to brag, but five of my riders are already into profit!

 

[Armchair cyclist]

The only cost in this game of a rider is that they fill up a place in the team (opportunity cost, I think they called it when I did O-level Economics), so everyone is at least breaking even.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Year 1, month 2 5th Feb to 3rd March

Apart from Del Toro, who did his thing last month, the rest of the popular picks (bar August) have made themselves visible this month. But a couple of rare picks outdid them.

TRONCHON Bastien	179​	3 (DJ Sprtsch, Larry Langosta, Rufs)​	Jaen Paraiso 2nd, Alpes-Maritimes 5th, Drome 6th
BLACKMORE Joseph	179​	2 (Leadbelly, Riverside)​	2 stage wins and GC win in Rwanda
LECERF William Junior	110​	33​	stage win, 2 snds and 4th GC in Rwanda
MORGADO Antonio Tomas	104​	36​	2nd in Le Samyn, 10th in Algarve
PINARELLO Alessandro	95​	1 (Larry Langosta)​	2nd in Tour of Antalya GC
GAUTHERAT Pierre	75​	17​
RAFFERTY Darren	64​	36​
BOVEN Lars	63​	8​
CHRISTEN Jan	61​	35​
KULSET Johannes	55​	25​

Getting your name in the list above for having a rare pick (or even 2 of them) that did well doesn't necessarily make up for having missed out on a couple of the more popular performers, but it can put you right up there.

1	Leadbelly	747​
2	Rufs	676​
3	JPettersen	660​
3	Riverside	660​
5	Anderis	645​
6	Madrazo	638​
7	JonEzeitza	630​
8	Cordi	621​
9	SafeBet	620​
10	Salvarani	608​
11	Squire	593​
12	Karaev	568​
13	RoteLaterne	566​
14	Bminchow	558​
15	Skidmark	542​
16	Kazistuta	540​
16	Nyssinator	540​
18	Peixotini	534​
19	DevilsElbow	532​
20	DJSprtsch	527​
21	Hfgon1	524​
22	EvansIsTheBest	520​
23	Ingsve	514​
24	JumboVismaFan	512​
25	Nakazar	506​
26	Berflamand	500​
27	Laarsland	483​
28	Boris98	470​
29	LarryLangosta	458​
30	Ray10	450​
31	Armchair_Cyclist	447​
32	18Valve	445​
33	Houdini	437​
34	Vladimir	416​
35	Laurens147	391​
36	Fivezzz	375​
37	Blues_in_the_Bottle	372​
38	AmisVelo	363​
39	DJW	338​
40	LosBrolin	335​
41	Josedin	159​
42	SamuCuenca	140​
43	RedheadDane	66​
	CollectiveWisdom	635​
	CollectiveIgnorance	582​
	MainGame2024	544​
	Goodin2023	388​
	PopularLastEdition	517​

Standings
Not having performed much in January didn't really matter, plenty of change. But not at the very top.

1​	JonEzeitza	1375	0​
2​	Leadbelly	1312	15​
3​	Anderis	1305	1​
4​	Madrazo	1298	0​
5​	SafeBet	1270	1​
6​	Cordi	1263	1​
7​	JPettersen	1255	5​
8​	RoteLaterne	1247	-5​
9​	Salvarani	1240	-1​
10​	Hfgon1	1231	-8​
11​	Rufs	1225	8​
12​	Squire	1173	2​
13​	DJSprtsch	1125	-2​
14​	Karaev	1115	6​
15​	Kazistuta	1110	1​
16​	EvansIsTheBest	1103	-3​
17​	Riverside	1099	18​
18​	Nakazar	1084	-3​
19​	Bminchow	1082	4​
20​	Peixotini	1062	2​
21​	Houdini	1060	-12​
22​	DevilsElbow	1054	2​
23​	JumboVismaFan	1047	-2​
24​	Nyssinator	1030	4​
25​	Skidmark	1020	4​
26​	Armchair_Cyclist	1009	-8​
27​	Berflamand	995	0​
28​	Boris98	982	-2​
29​	Laarsland	950	2​
29​	DJW	950	-19​
31​	Ingsve	934	5​
32​	18Valve	915	-2​
33​	Ray10	893	1​
34​	Blues_in_the_Bottle	892	-9​
35​	Vladimir	874	-3​
36​	Fivezzz	824	-3​
37​	LarryLangosta	780	4​
38​	Laurens147	774	-1​
39​	AmisVelo	730	0​
40​	LosBrolin	668	0​
41​	Josedin	531	-3​
42​	SamuCuenca	305	0​
43​	RedheadDane	66	0​
	CollectiveWisdom	1304
	CollectiveIgnorance	1118
	MainGame2024	1066
	Goodin2023	990
	PopularLastEdition	745

Hope to get the other 2 emerging games done tomorrow.

 

[RedheadDane]

I can only improve!

 

[Anderis]

I can only improve!

Not really. There's a possibility that you'll stay on the same level.

 

[RedheadDane]

Not really. There's a possibility that you'll stay on the same level.

It can't get worse!
I would appreciate if people would not be so eager in destroying my sense of optimism!

 

[Anderis]

It can't get worse!
I would appreciate if people would not be so eager in destroying my sense of optimism!

Sorry, I'm just a natural pessimist, forgive me!

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

It can't get worse!
I would appreciate if people would not be so eager in destroying my sense of optimism!

Technically you could get a rider suspension and lose points. Although it can't possibly be as bad as laarsland going like -200 points during a week in the main game due to Quintana's DQ from the Tour. At least not until your total climbs a little. How that's for optimism ?

 

[Cordi333]

Already kicking myself for leaving Tronchon out in the last edition of the team. But well, this is a long game and I'll have to hope and wait to see if Bisiaux eventually surpasses him.

Overall, the team is looking good (still the edition that I'm performing better so early in the game) so I really shouldn't be mad.

 

[Cordi333]

Not really. There's a possibility that you'll stay on the same level.

I'm confident *s*he'll eventually surpass Samu's team, as that is the weakest by far.
But yes, unless some of Redhead early pickings outscoring in big fashion, *s*he's doomed to end 42nd.

 

[RedheadDane]

I'm confident he'll eventually surpass Samu's team, as that is the weakest by far.
But yes, unless some of Redhead early pickings outscoring in big fashion, he's doomed to end 42nd.

She...

 

[rote_laterne2]

I can only improve!

You already have as your team scored their first points.

 

[RedheadDane]

You already have as your team scored their first points.

Already had by the time the update was posted.

 

[Laurens147]

Didn't have much expectation for my first game, so not being dead last so far is satisfying

 

[RedheadDane]

I had an idea! This is my "get 'em while you can" tabel. Basically riders where you'd have had to follow my tactic of including them right out of the junior years, otherwise it would have been too late.

Adrien Costa	2016	274
Evenepoel	2019	952
Simmons	2020	205
Uijtdebroeks	2022	253
Tarling	2023	530

Ironically, by the time the 2016-2018 game concluded, Costa was already retired...

 

[Cordi333]

I had an idea! This is my "get 'em while you can" tabel. Basically riders where you'd have had to follow my tactic of including them right out of the junior years, otherwise it would have been too late.

Adrien Costa	2016	274
Evenepoel	2019	952
Simmons	2020	205
Uijtdebroeks	2022	253
Tarling	2023	530

Ironically, by the time the 2016-2018 game concluded, Costa was already retired...

With Costa I wasn't playing yet, but I would have taken him no doubt. He was an awesome talent.
I took obviously Evenepoel but also Simmons, Tarling and many others who didn't do so well the first year. The only one I missed was Uijtdebroeks, because in the 22-24 game I took the bad decision of betting in some older riders so it was the only year I didn't took any 1st year. Anyway, if I remember well both Hagenes & Gregoire were before him in my list.

In conclussion, taking some top 1st years is good, in the 24-26 game I have 3 (Nordhagen, August, Bisiaux). But taking 18 1st year is not a sensible tactic imo haha

 

[RedheadDane]

But taking 18 1st year is not a sensible tactic imo haha

 

[Samu Cuenca]

As long as you pick the right 18 year olds, you'll be okay. Eržen was CTF Victorious today

 

[RedheadDane]

As long as you pick the right 18 year olds, you'll be okay. Eržen was CTF Victorious today

Yay!

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Year 1, Month 3 4th to 31st March

Three of the four most popular picks suggest that we might not be as stupid as we look.

DEL TORO ROMERO Isaac	187​	4th in Tirreno Adriatico	41 teams​
MORGADO Antonio Tomas	141​	5th in Ronde	36​
BLACKMORE Joseph	140​	Tour de Taiwan win	2​
DE PRETTO Davide	93​	4th in Coppi e Bartali	4​
CHRISTEN Jan	78​	2nd in Milan-Torino	35​
EDVARDSEN-FREDHEIM Stian	67​		11​
GACHIGNARD Thomas	61​		1​
HERZOG Emil	55​		12​
ISIDORE Noa	52​		1​
HOLLYMAN Mason	47​		1​
UHLIG Henri	45​		1​
TEUTENBERG Tim Torn	41​		1​
GAUTHERAT Pierre	40​		17​

Points this month: (Assume the Del Toro/Morgado/Christen combo)

1	Karaev	691​	Edvardsen, Herzog, Gautherat
2	Ray10	683​	Edvardsen, Gachignard, Isidore
3	Leadbelly	674​	Blackmore, Gautherat
3	Riverside	674​	Blackmore, Edvardsen
5	Squire	671​	Edvardsen, Herzog, Gautherat
6	JumboVismaFan	643​
7	Nyssinator	642​
8	RoteLaterne	638​
9	SafeBet	626​
10	Salvarani	621​
11	Vladimir	611​
12	Rufs	606​
13	Cordi	595​
14	Nakazar	590​
15	DevilsElbow	587​
16	JPettersen	583​
17	Laurens147	582​
18	EvansIsTheBest	565​
18	AmisVelo	565​
20	Berflamand	562​
21	JonEzeitza	555​
22	Ingsve	552​
23	Anderis	542​
23	Kazistuta	542​
23	Armchair_Cyclist	542​
26	Madrazo	531​
27	Skidmark	528​
28	Peixotini	518​
29	Houdini	515​
29	18Valve	515​
31	Blues_in_the_Bottle	506​
32	LosBrolin	492​
33	Hfgon1	479​
34	Bminchow	477​
35	Laarsland	465​
36	Boris98	419​
37	DJW	412​
38	Josedin	405​
39	LarryLangosta	395​
40	DJSprtsch	384​
41	Fivezzz	352​
42	SamuCuenca	106​
43	RedheadDane	70​
	CollectiveWisdom	573​
	CollectiveIgnorance	605​
	MainGame2024	562​
	Goodin2023	544​
	PopularLastEdition	420​

Standings
The scores were high, but the gaps weren't (because of prevalence of popular picks) so the changes are, for so early in the game, rather modest.

1​	Leadbelly	1986	1​
2​	JonEzeitza	1930	-1​
3​	SafeBet	1896	2​
4​	RoteLaterne	1885	4​
5​	Salvarani	1861	4​
6​	Cordi	1858	0​
7​	Anderis	1847	-4​
8​	Squire	1844	4​
9​	JPettersen	1838	-2​
10​	Rufs	1831	1​
11​	Madrazo	1829	-7​
12​	Karaev	1806	2​
13​	Riverside	1773	4​
14​	Hfgon1	1710	-4​
15​	JumboVismaFan	1690	8​
16​	Nakazar	1674	2​
17​	Nyssinator	1672	7​
18​	EvansIsTheBest	1668	-2​
19​	Kazistuta	1652	-4​
20​	DevilsElbow	1641	2​
21​	Peixotini	1580	-1​
22​	Ray10	1576	11​
23​	Houdini	1575	-2​
24​	Bminchow	1559	-5​
25​	Berflamand	1557	2​
26​	Armchair_Cyclist	1551	0​
27​	Skidmark	1548	-2​
28​	DJSprtsch	1509	-15​
29​	Ingsve	1486	2​
30​	Vladimir	1485	5​
31​	18Valve	1430	1​
32​	Laarsland	1415	-3​
33​	Boris98	1401	-5​
34​	Blues_in_the_Bottle	1398	0​
35​	DJW	1362	-6​
36​	Laurens147	1356	2​
37​	AmisVelo	1295	2​
38​	Fivezzz	1176	-2​
39​	LarryLangosta	1175	-2​
40​	LosBrolin	1160	0​
41​	Josedin	936	0​
42​	SamuCuenca	411	0​
43​	RedheadDane	136	0​
	CollectiveWisdom	1877
	CollectiveIgnorance	1502
	MainGame2024	1628
	Goodin2023	1534
	PopularLastEdition	1165

Was it Leadbelly who had a self-imposed limit of 100 (rather than 200) pre-game points in previous editions? If so, finally deciding to play the same game as the rest of us is proving good for him.

 

[Cordi333]

I was sleeping on Blackmore but he looks really great. Congrats to the 2 players that have him in their team