94th Ronde van Vlaanderen - April 4

[auscyclefan94]

On a skil shimano team bike...

 

[mr. tibbs]

On a skil shimano team bike...

That's really cool. What a monster of a race.

@flicker: I was surprised to see so many deep carbon rims out there, too--even Hincapie, who you think would have learned a lesson by now. Still, it didn't slow Cancellara down one bit.

And speaking of him slowing down, what's the story on his mechanical? Bad derailleur?

EDIT: wheeltalk.

 

[Anonymous]

The ASO isn't going to use CQ rankings in October for their seventeen automatic Tour de France invitations.

It's really simple. Radio Shack has 23 teams ranked above them by the International cycling organization that issued their license. Heck, Astana finished last year as the top team, and Radio Shack took all the best riders and left Contador with...what did they call it...? "the dregs"?. Where will RS win points to move up the ladder? There are none to be earned in Circuit de la Sarthe, or in California. Other teams will be earning big points at the Giro d'Italia. So where does RS make it's move? Which of their riders are going to finish in the top five or top ten at races? Will Armstrong do it? Will he encourage teammates to finish way ahead of him since he's on the perfect training arc for the Tour de France?

Pais Vasco top ten overall, top five stage
Paris-Roubaix top ten
Amstel Gold top ten
La Fleche Wallone top ten
Liege Bastogne Liege top ten
Tour de Romandie top ten overall, top ten stage
Dauphine Libere top ten overall, top five stage
Tour de Suisse top ten overall, top five stage

Or will they be ranked last when they get to Paris for the TdF?

I thought you quit posting? Hopefully that was an April Fools joke. I took it as such.

 

[Moondance]

The problem with the CQ system is that it's based on a points "rollover" model. In other words, points earned in a race stay on the books for a year, or longer if the race date is changed (ala the Tour of Cali). A lot can happen from season to season, so the potential exists for a team, heavy with riders showing strong performances mid to late season 2009, to be ranked much higher in 2010 than it's more contemporaneous results would support.

No it isn't. Those rankings are completely year-to-date.

 

[MacRoadie]

No it isn't. Those rankings are completely year-to-date.

Then I must be reading something incorrectly:

Individual ranking

The CQ value of a rider is based on his results of the past 12 months. After a race, the points scored by a rider are added to his previous CQ value, while the points scored in that same race the previous year are subtracted.

The previous rule keeps counting when the date of a race changes. This means that it is possible that some points are taken into account for a period longer or shorter than 12 months.

When a race is not organized in the course of a year, the points of the previous edition are subtracted 52 weeks later.

Points scored in a stage race will be added to a rider's CQ value after the final stage.

When the result of a race is changed afterwards (doping sanction, disqualification,...), the changes will be taken into account:

Immediately, when the result is changed less than a month after the race.
At the end of the season, when the result is changed more than a month after the race.

In a team time trial the points on the scale will be awarded to the team. For the individual ranking, these points will be divided by 4 and rounded downwards. The points will be awarded to all riders classified in the time that counts for the team classification.

Exception: In the ProTour TTT in Eindhoven all riders who finish receive points.

In a duo time trial the points will be divided by 2 (and rounded downwards).

Ex-aequo's:

Inside the top-5: All riders receive the average amount of points.
Outside the top-5: All riders receive the amount of points corresponding to their position.

Cycling Quotient

 

[theswordsman]

I thought you quit posting? Hopefully that was an April Fools joke. I took it as such.

No, I meant it at the time. If we could just delete our accounts like I did Facebook, maybe I could stay away. I think I just come here for the aggravation because I can't afford to take up golf But I'm unemployed (now without benefits), I haven't had a TV in three years, and I can only read so many cycling articles a day before I feel the need to share some of it. Cheers.

Meanwhile, Armstrong has dropped out of three more races that offer UCI points - Amstel Gold, La Fleche Wallone and Liege Bastogne Liege. Does Radio Shack have anyone else who can score a top ten at those races?

 

[thehog]

No, I meant it at the time. If we could just delete our accounts like I did Facebook, maybe I could stay away. I think I just come here for the aggravation because I can't afford to take up golf But I'm unemployed (now without benefits), I haven't had a TV in three years, and I can only read so many cycling articles a day before I feel the need to share some of it. Cheers.

Meanwhile, Armstrong has dropped out of three more races that offer UCI points - Amstel Gold, La Fleche Wallone and Liege Bastogne Liege. Does Radio Shack have anyone else who can score a top ten at those races?

Question: What's the implication if they don't score the points? Do they get demoted or loose ProTour status?

 

[luckyboy]

Question: What's the implication if they don't score the points? Do they get demoted or loose ProTour status?

Top 17 in UCI points ranking at the end of the season get invites to the TdF.