• The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

2025 Women's CQ Manager game

Now that the 2025 main CQ game has been launched, I guess I ought to roll out year three of the Women's game.

Your challenge is to select 16 women riders, who have a total CQ score for 2024 of 4000 or less. The most recent download on CQ is as of 28th October, but few riders likely to feature will have scored since then. An end of calendar year download will probably appear in due course.

The goal, simply and predictably enough, will be to amass as many points from your 16 riders on the CQ scale of points, as adjudicated by CQ, by the end of 2025 (in practice, by late October, but I'll keep an eye on exact race dates and our selections) I don't impose any doping related rules: and if anyone is suspended during the year I follow CQ's schedule of removing those points or not.

Enter by sending me a PM by 23:59 (UK time) on 11th January (ie before the Australian national championships WE events starts) : I'll run the risk of the handful of points that might be picked up before that making any difference. In 2024 I removed points earned before the deadline unless teams were submitted before the race in question: it was more hassle than it was worth, so I'm not repeating that. As ever, if you can supply the name in the format that CQ uses, I would be grateful: please don't put other details like team or cost in the post, as I would only have to strip them out before I put it into the spreadsheet.

You'll have a couple of days after the main game closes to concentrate on this if you want to, or if you want to create your team rather than arguing with relatives about board games in Christmas week, feel free to send your team early (I normally try to have my team ready to send to the first participant, but I haven't thought about it yet and am travelling for Christmas, so don't hold me to that)


CQ don't do weekly downloads of the women's results, so I won't promise weekly updates, but I would aim to provide one every 2 to 3 weeks.

As ever, good luck and enjoy the game
 
Conversely I found it really easy. Probably down to me not really following the women's racing and thus having a limited amount of emotional attachment to the riders.

A "long" list of 18. Cut that down to 13 and add in 3 higher costing riders to get close to 4000. Simples.
 
OK, it is now the day of the Aussie Women's Nationals, and therefore the closing of entries for this game.

27 teams, with 131 riders selected
(teams sorted alphabetically, riders by price within the team)

Amis VeloVOLLERING Demi
9​
1839​
BUNEL Marion
13​
482​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
BÄCKSTEDT Zoe
12​
198​
BAUERNFEIND Ricarda
11​
189​
ADEGEEST Loes
1​
156​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
VAN EMPEL Fem
9​
109​
HOLMGREN Isabella
11​
96​
HOLMGREN Ava
3​
86​
MARTIN MARTIN Sara
1​
82​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
WOLFF Imogen
4​
9​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
ArchieBoyBRADBURY Neve
5​
619​
MEIJERING Mareille
1​
489​
BUNEL Marion
13​
482​
NIEDERMAIER Antonia
4​
423​
KRAAK Amber
2​
414​
TRINCA COLONEL Monica
3​
289​
GHEKIERE Justine
2​
217​
NELSON Josie
1​
210​
DE SCHEPPER Lore
5​
194​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
CIABOCCO Eleonora
1​
126​
BLASI CAIROL Paula
1​
107​
HOLMGREN Isabella
11​
96​
JOORIS Febe
1​
86​
VADILLO CRESPO Eneritz
2​
76​
AVOINE Alison
1​
24​
Armchair CyclistVAN ANROOIJ Shirin
3​
622​
GEORGI Pfeiffer
4​
620​
BUNEL Marion
13​
482​
LIPPERT Liane
12​
468​
PERSICO Silvia
11​
438​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
BÄCKSTEDT Zoe
12​
198​
BAUERNFEIND Ricarda
11​
189​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
VAN EMPEL Fem
9​
109​
VAN DEN BROEK-BLAAK Chantal
1​
84​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
JASTRAB Megan
7​
31​
GERY Célia
7​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
BminchowREALINI Gaia
5​
640​
FISHER-BLACK Niamh
5​
461​
PIETERSE Puck
7​
454​
PERSICO Silvia
11​
438​
NIEDERMAIER Antonia
4​
423​
NORSGAARD BJERG (JØRGENSEN) Emma Cecilie
3​
312​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
BÄCKSTEDT Zoe
12​
198​
BAUERNFEIND Ricarda
11​
189​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
VAN EMPEL Fem
9​
109​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
JASTRAB Megan
7​
31​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
Devil's ElbowGEORGI Pfeiffer
4​
620​
ROOIJAKKERS Pauliena
1​
531​
LIPPERT Liane
12​
468​
DYGERT Chloe
4​
449​
PERSICO Silvia
11​
438​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
VAS Blanka
2​
249​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
BÄCKSTEDT Zoe
12​
198​
CAVALLAR Valentina
3​
143​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
VAN EMPEL Fem
9​
109​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
JASTRAB Megan
7​
31​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
DJSprtschKERBAOL Cedrine
3​
771​
MARKUS Riejanne
1​
630​
VAN ROOIJEN Sofie
1​
588​
BUNEL Marion
13​
482​
LIPPERT Liane
12​
468​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
BEGO Julie
5​
299​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
BERTIZZOLO Sofia
6​
85​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
VAN DER DUIN Maike
7​
34​
JASTRAB Megan
7​
31​
WILSON-HAFFENDEN Felicity
2​
11​
ABAIDULLINA Inna
1​
2​
RUFFILLI Vittoria
1​
2​
YULDASHEVA Sevinch
1​
0​
DJWVOLLERING Demi
9​
1839​
KERBAOL Cedrine
3​
771​
BUNEL Marion
13​
482​
SQUIBAN Maeva
2​
310​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
VAN EMPEL Fem
9​
109​
HOLMGREN Isabella
11​
96​
HASHIMI Fariba
2​
76​
CHLADONOVA Viktoria
4​
40​
RAYER Eglantine
2​
26​
WOLFF Imogen
4​
9​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
GERY Célia
7​
0​
OSTIZ TACO Paula
1​
0​
SCHNEIDER Skylar
2​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
Dk OneNIEWIADOMA Katarzyna
1​
993​
BALSAMO Elisa
1​
918​
BUNEL Marion
13​
482​
ROSEMAN-GANNON Ruby
1​
367​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
BAUERNFEIND Ricarda
11​
189​
ANDERSON Solbjørk Minke
2​
164​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
ANDERSEN Susanne
1​
38​
JASTRAB Megan
7​
31​
WOLFF Imogen
4​
9​
GJERTSEN Mia Kronheim
1​
1​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
GERY Célia
7​
0​
Evans is the BestVOLLERING Demi
9​
1839​
KRAAK Amber
2​
414​
SQUIBAN Maeva
2​
310​
BEGO Julie
5​
299​
BASILICO Valentina
1​
205​
BÄCKSTEDT Zoe
12​
198​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
MOORS Fleur
3​
139​
RYO Titia
1​
136​
MAHE Océane
1​
101​
BÄCKSTEDT Elynor
1​
98​
SODERQVIST Karin
1​
45​
COMTE Ema
1​
38​
ROZLAPA Dana
1​
35​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
Hfgon1BRADBURY Neve
5​
619​
SOUREN Scarlett
2​
552​
BUNEL Marion
13​
482​
PERSICO Silvia
11​
438​
BEGO Julie
5​
299​
VINKE Nienke
2​
298​
TRINCA COLONEL Monica
3​
289​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
BÄCKSTEDT Zoe
12​
198​
BAUERNFEIND Ricarda
11​
189​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
HOLMGREN Isabella
11​
96​
BERTIZZOLO Sofia
6​
85​
KLÖSER Rosa Maria
1​
16​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
STIGGER Laura
4​
0​
Jon EzeitzaVOLLERING Demi
9​
1839​
LIPPERT Liane
12​
468​
SCHWEINBERGER Christina
1​
443​
PERSICO Silvia
11​
438​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
BAUERNFEIND Ricarda
11​
189​
COLES-LYSTER Maggie
1​
128​
BERTIZZOLO Sofia
6​
85​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
VAN DER DUIN Maike
7​
34​
RAYER Eglantine
2​
26​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
PEPERKAMP Esmée
2​
0​
SCHNEIDER Skylar
2​
0​
STEIGENGA Nicole
1​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
JosedinKERBAOL Cedrine
3​
771​
SOUREN Scarlett
2​
552​
NIEDERMAIER Antonia
4​
423​
AHTOSALO Anniina
2​
392​
VEENHOVEN Nienke
1​
241​
DE SCHEPPER Lore
5​
194​
VENTURELLI Federica
1​
192​
ANDERSSON Caroline
2​
176​
VIGILIA Alessia
1​
166​
WOLLASTON Ally
4​
162​
CAMPOS Daniela Maria Voets Sousa
1​
158​
MACKAIJ Floortje
1​
145​
CAVALLAR Valentina
3​
143​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
MOORS Fleur
3​
139​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
LeadbellyREALINI Gaia
5​
640​
VAN ANROOIJ Shirin
3​
622​
GEORGI Pfeiffer
4​
620​
FISHER-BLACK Niamh
5​
461​
LE COURT DE BILLOT Kimberley
1​
298​
ZIGART Urska
1​
273​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
DE SCHEPPER Lore
5​
194​
CAVALLAR Valentina
3​
143​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
HOLMGREN Isabella
11​
96​
HASHIMI Fariba
2​
76​
VADILLO CRESPO Eneritz
2​
76​
HINOJOSA CRUZ Romina
1​
47​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
Libertine SegurosVOLLERING Demi
9​
1839​
LIPPERT Liane
12​
468​
PERSICO Silvia
11​
438​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
KULYNYCH Olha
1​
111​
BERTIZZOLO Sofia
6​
85​
CHACON GARCIA Lilibeth De Carmen
1​
77​
HARVEY Mikayla
1​
75​
STIASNY Petra
1​
65​
ZABELINSKAYA Olga
1​
56​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
EWERS Veronica
4​
28​
UNEKEN Lonneke
3​
13​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
Los BrolinVOLLERING Demi
9​
1839​
BUNEL Marion
13​
482​
CADZOW Kim
2​
361​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
DE SCHEPPER Lore
5​
194​
BAUERNFEIND Ricarda
11​
189​
COPPONI Clara
1​
161​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
VAN EMPEL Fem
9​
109​
PLUIMERS Ilse
1​
100​
HOLMGREN Isabella
11​
96​
CHLADONOVA Viktoria
4​
40​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
GERY Célia
7​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
MadrazoBUNEL Marion
13​
482​
LIPPERT Liane
12​
468​
FISHER-BLACK Niamh
5​
461​
PIETERSE Puck
7​
454​
PERSICO Silvia
11​
438​
NIEDERMAIER Antonia
4​
423​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
MOOLMAN PASIO Ashleigh
3​
264​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
BAUERNFEIND Ricarda
11​
189​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
VAN DER DUIN Maike
7​
34​
JASTRAB Megan
7​
31​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
ManafanaVOLLERING Demi
9​
1839​
LIPPERT Liane
12​
468​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
BEGO Julie
5​
299​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
BAUERNFEIND Ricarda
11​
189​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
DE WILDE Julie
1​
102​
HOLMGREN Isabella
11​
96​
BERTIZZOLO Sofia
6​
85​
KOPPENBURG Clara
2​
72​
CHLADONOVA Viktoria
4​
40​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
VAN DER DUIN Maike
7​
34​
JASTRAB Megan
7​
31​
GERY Célia
7​
0​
Muddy WatersKOOL Charlotte
1​
637​
BRADBURY Neve
5​
619​
BUNEL Marion
13​
482​
LIPPERT Liane
12​
468​
DYGERT Chloe
4​
449​
GIGANTE Sarah
1​
404​
VINKE Nienke
2​
298​
BÄCKSTEDT Zoe
12​
198​
BAUERNFEIND Ricarda
11​
189​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
VAN DER WOLF Babette
2​
76​
VAN DER DUIN Maike
7​
34​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
MITTERWALLNER Mona
3​
0​
STIGGER Laura
4​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
NevsREALINI Gaia
5​
640​
VAN ANROOIJ Shirin
3​
622​
BRADBURY Neve
5​
619​
BUNEL Marion
13​
482​
PIETERSE Puck
7​
454​
NORSGAARD BJERG (JØRGENSEN) Emma Cecilie
3​
312​
KOPECKY Julia
2​
206​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
VAN EMPEL Fem
9​
109​
HOLMGREN Isabella
11​
96​
HOLMGREN Ava
3​
86​
VAN DER WOLF Babette
2​
76​
CHLADONOVA Viktoria
4​
40​
SHARP Isabel
2​
12​
WILSON-HAFFENDEN Felicity
2​
11​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
PostmanhatREALINI Gaia
5​
640​
GEORGI Pfeiffer
4​
620​
FISHER-BLACK Niamh
5​
461​
PIETERSE Puck
7​
454​
PERSICO Silvia
11​
438​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
VAS Blanka
2​
249​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
BÄCKSTEDT Zoe
12​
198​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
SCHREIBER Marie
1​
101​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
SHARP Isabel
2​
12​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
GERY Célia
7​
0​
MITTERWALLNER Mona
3​
0​
Redhead DaneAHTOSALO Anniina
2​
392​
NORSGAARD BJERG (JØRGENSEN) Emma Cecilie
3​
312​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
AALERUD Katrine
1​
308​
GAASKJENN Ingvild
1​
241​
EDSETH Marte Berg
1​
180​
ANDERSSON Caroline
2​
176​
ANDERSON Solbjørk Minke
2​
164​
KOERNER Rebecca
1​
124​
HOLMGREN Isabella
11​
96​
BARKER Elinor
1​
88​
DIDERIKSEN Amalie
1​
86​
HOLMGREN Ava
3​
86​
AINTILA Wilma
1​
71​
BORGSTRÖM Julia
1​
70​
GREVE Alberte
1​
42​
RufsVOLLERING Demi
9​
1839​
LIPPERT Liane
12​
468​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
GHEKIERE Justine
2​
217​
KOPECKY Julia
2​
206​
BÄCKSTEDT Zoe
12​
198​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
VAN EMPEL Fem
9​
109​
HOLMGREN Isabella
11​
96​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
EWERS Veronica
4​
28​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
PEPERKAMP Esmée
2​
0​
STIGGER Laura
4​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
RuvuBUNEL Marion
13​
482​
LIPPERT Liane
12​
468​
FISHER-BLACK Niamh
5​
461​
DYGERT Chloe
4​
449​
HENDERSON Anna
1​
404​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
TRINCA COLONEL Monica
3​
289​
MOOLMAN PASIO Ashleigh
3​
264​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
BÄCKSTEDT Zoe
12​
198​
WOLLASTON Ally
4​
162​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
VAN DER DUIN Maike
7​
34​
UNEKEN Lonneke
3​
13​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
Samu CuencaREALINI Gaia
5​
640​
CHABBEY Elise
1​
491​
LIPPERT Liane
12​
468​
DYGERT Chloe
4​
449​
PERSICO Silvia
11​
438​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
MOOLMAN PASIO Ashleigh
3​
264​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
BAUERNFEIND Ricarda
11​
189​
WOLLASTON Ally
4​
162​
MANLY Alexandra
1​
148​
BERTIZZOLO Sofia
6​
85​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
VAN DER DUIN Maike
7​
34​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
SkidmarkWIEBES Lorena
1​
1545​
LIPPERT Liane
12​
468​
PIETERSE Puck
7​
454​
PERSICO Silvia
11​
438​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
MOORS Fleur
3​
139​
HOLMGREN Isabella
11​
96​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
EWERS Veronica
4​
28​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
GERY Célia
7​
0​
MITTERWALLNER Mona
3​
0​
STIGGER Laura
4​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
Slow ClimberVOLLERING Demi
9​
1839​
BUNEL Marion
13​
482​
PIETERSE Puck
7​
454​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
BÄCKSTEDT Zoe
12​
198​
WOLLASTON Ally
4​
162​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
KOPPENBURG Clara
2​
72​
CAVALLI Marta
16​
39​
ALVARADO Ceylin del Carmen
1​
14​
UNEKEN Lonneke
3​
13​
VAN ALPHEN Aniek
1​
12​
WOLFF Imogen
4​
9​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​
TRiley36BRADBURY Neve
5​
619​
PIETERSE Puck
7​
454​
PERSICO Silvia
11​
438​
VAN DIJK Ellen
1​
365​
CADZOW Kim
2​
361​
LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
18​
311​
BEGO Julie
5​
299​
REUSSER Marlen
19​
247​
KNAVEN Mirre
1​
202​
BÄCKSTEDT Zoe
12​
198​
DE SCHEPPER Lore
5​
194​
FERGUSON Cat
23​
143​
VAN EMPEL Fem
9​
109​
EWERS Veronica
4​
28​
FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline
20​
0​
VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
19​
0​

(Superseded by team change, but not deleted as there is reference below)***: Josedin's team was overbudget. I made the same offer to him as I did to others (three, if I remember correctly) who miscalculated likewise, that I would remove the rider who brought the selection over the limit, and replace him with the most popular free or affordable rider. The other managers in that position made their own choice of how to correct the problem, Josedin didn't, so I added Ferrand-Prevot to the team.


I'll need to think about how to make a Collective Wisdom team (if at all): Vollering is popular enough that it's misleading to exclude her from one, but any CW team that includes her will be well over budget, even if I average him out with others who are in 9 or 7 teams.

But the popularity rankings for our teams are:
1​
Madrazo
195​
2​
AmisVelo
189​
2​
Bminchow
189​
4​
ArmchairCyclist
185​
5​
Rufs
182​
6​
DevilsElbow
180​
7​
Skidmark
177​
8​
SlowClimber
171​
9​
LosBrolin
170​
10​
Ruvu
166​
11​
TRiley36
161​
12​
Manafana
158​
13​
SamuCuenca
157​
14​
Postmanhat
155​
15​
Hfgon1
148​
16​
LibertineSeguros
145​
17​
MuddyWaters
139​
18​
JonEzeitza
138​
19​
DJW
131​
20​
DkOne
128​
21​
Leadbelly
124​
22​
Nevs
114​
23​
DJSprtsch
113​
24​
EvansIsTheBest
101​
25​
Josedin
91​
26​
ArchieBoy
76​
27​
RedheadDane
49​
Nothing unusual about Madrazo being top there: he has a knack for that.

I should get a chance to do some team similarity numbers and other bits in the morning, and will tidy up the spreadsheet and share it then.


Good luck to all, and I hope the game gives you an extra element of interest in following the women's racing as the season progresses.
 
Last edited:
I'm definitely not surprised that LS has picked Chacon (the same goes for Harvey and Stiasny), who I did consider, too, because I would have liked to have had someone who wouldn't be riding in Europe. It does appear that she has re-joined the Clarus Strongman team, despite not currently being listed on their roster. I thought Zabelinskaya had retired after the Tashkent implosion, but we'll see if she pops up in races anyway.

I also considered Anna Kiesenhofer, because it sounds like she'll be riding with the national team this year, which could mean she'll be doing races like Gracia Orlová, Tour de Feminin and Tour de l'Ardèche, that should suit her well.

It wasn't easy for me to choose my riders, because the teams I liked the most were like 700 points below the limit. There were many cheap riders to choose from with juniors like Wolff, Gery, Lloyd and Chladoňová available, riders who have been focusing on other disciplines like PFP, Stigger, Mitterwallner, Tata Martins, Skylar Schneider and Alexis Magner, riders who have suffered injuries like Reusser, Rayer, Van der Duin, Jastrab, Peperkamp, Steigenga, Duval, Van der Hulst, Ewers and Cavalli, and of course one big name returning from retirement in VDB.

I picked Chabbey and Dygert in the hope that they will actually ride TDU, but Dygert was also on the provisional startlist before getting removed shortly before the race, so I expect the same will happen this time. But if Dygert ever puts together the perfect season, she should be scoring more than 1000 points and gambling on that to happen seemed like my best chance of winning. So I don't expect to win the game at all.

I thought someone would have given Spratt a shot, and after seeing Manly not scoring many points in today's RR, maybe it should have been me.

***: Josedin's team was overbudget. I made the same offer to him as I did to others (three, if I remember correctly) who miscalculated likewise, that I would remove the rider who brought the selection over the limit, and replace him with the most popular free or affordable rider. The other managers in that position made their own choice of how to correct the problem, Josedin didn't, so I added Ferrand-Prevot to the team.

What a punishment for being bad at math! :p
 
  • Like
Reactions: MADRAZO
And if you also had to omit some riders from your selection, or you stumbled upon some interesting riders who have scored under 200 CQ points in their careers so far, you are of course very welcome to take part in my emerging riders game. The deadline is right before the start of the TDU, so the start list should be official by then.

 
I'm definitely not surprised that LS has picked Chacon (the same goes for Harvey and Stiasny), who I did consider, too, because I would have liked to have had someone who wouldn't be riding in Europe. It does appear that she has re-joined the Clarus Strongman team, despite not currently being listed on their roster. I thought Zabelinskaya had retired after the Tashkent implosion, but we'll see if she pops up in races anyway.
Lilibeth actually being on a roster (even not currently listed) means she's more likely to enter races this year and since she got a low score last year, if she enters anything beyond the Vuelta a Colombia she's likely to turn a profit, it's just how much racing she does that impacts how big a profit that's likely to be.

Stiasny is a good climber I have hopes for, I just don't know when it is likely to be. Harvey, as I said to Armchair when submitting the team, is somebody we know has high peak level, but has been underperforming for so long now that it's quite possible she never reaches that level at all again and it'll be a Covid-driven anomaly or she'll be a Rossella Ratto type who burns brightly but briefly very young then flames out - but I have committed to her often enough that I know that as soon as I drop her from the team she'll suddenly smash it to all parts, and besides where better to rediscover that ability than SD Worx?

Olga Z has retired and unretired more than Ric Flair and Brett Favre combined, so I expect to see her randomly crop up in some far flung races like the one day events in Turkey or some Continental Championship TTs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Samu Cuenca
So did any of you notice the deliberate mistake above? It is more visible with the sorting of riders in the table above than in the rather random order that the manager in question ordered their riders in the PM to me, although I should have picked it up at the time.


No?

@Dk one has included ANDERSEN Susanne twice. I am inclined to say that I should have picked it out at the time, and given Dk one a chance to replace her, including offering the option of the most popular affordable pick as a default replacement. It was my error not to do that, so I believe I should make that offer again. But I also offer Dk one the chance to propose any other new 16th member of the team that they might chose, within the 68 points available once the Susanne Andersen count is reduced to one.


@JOSEDIN, meanwhile, replied late to my invitation to make a team change rather than accept my offer of the cheapest affordable, and has replaced BORGHESI Giada with ANDERSSON Caroline to bring the team into budget, so MOORS Fleur is back in that team rather than FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline.
 
The last time we had a rider picked twice by the same team in the men's version, skidmark simply deleted said rider without offering a chance to replace. So I think it would be more in keeping with precedent to replace with PFP rather than offer free choice.
 
The last time we had a rider picked twice by the same team in the men's version, skidmark simply deleted said rider without offering a chance to replace. So I think it would be more in keeping with precedent to replace with PFP rather than offer free choice.
I see the thinking. I am also aware that I made the error of confirming the team, rather than pointing out the double entry which would have given them time to think again.

I like to err on the side of generosity; when all's said and done, we are talking about a game, and a game with neither entry fee nor prize, so allowing as many as possible to join in, as competitively as possible, seems fitting. If some choose to consider other entrants to be asterisks, or want to do their own calculations omitting one rider, they are free to.

However, I probably was more generous than I have been in the GT games. There, when I propose a default replacement, it is the rider who uses up the unspent budget most after deletions: more often than not, a domestique that is not a very desirable pick. If I had done the same here, BOBNAR Nika would have been put in as the alphabetically first 68 pointer.

Right: I'm off to put the 'Highlight Duplicated Cells' format on the riders' column for each team in the spreadsheet for the Emerging riders' Game.
 
Who am I supposed to root for if my entire team is made up of unique picks ?

Your entire team of unique picks.
@RedheadDane should be able to advise on that

I do not - in fact - have a team made up entirely of unique picks.

Like last year, I decided to go for a Nordics Approach.
"But, RhD" I hear you ask "what's with the two Canadians, and the Brit?"
The Holmgren sisters have a Danish dad, and Barker is married to a Dane.
 
  • Like
Reactions: EvansIsTheBest
Bminchow's average of over 500 points per rider last year was pretty amazing. It was more than Shalgo had in the men's game, and that was despite losing Shackley right from the get go.

When selecting my team, I made a guesstimate of how many points my team could achieve based on their average scores over the last four seasons. I obviously couldn't really do that for my two zero pointers, so I divided PFP's points from her best and her lowest scoring season by 4, and then divided the two lowest scoring seasons among VDB's last four (2018-21) by 4. That gave them 275 and 554 points respectively, which may very well be too generous to VDB, but also a bit harsh on PFP.

In total, it accumulated to around 7140 points; quite a bit lower than the over 8000 points bminchow ended up with in 2024. It's also less than I scored myself, although it would still have landed me in 3rd place.
 
How to win at this game? Find the cyclist who went from 327 to 1084 points. And the rider who went from 644 to 1792 points. And hope few others pick them (Vos at 5 and Longo at 10). The chances of both ever happening again are unlikely (at least for me :) ).

This year that means Niedermaier gets 1100 points and Realini gets 1800 point. Not bloody likely.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MADRAZO