A bit of fun -- another fantasy game

[LukeSchmid]

I am second, I really cannot believe it. I am relatively new to cycling, know next to nothing compared to most here. What is happening?????????

 

[joy118118]

I am second, I really cannot believe it. I am relatively new to cycling, know next to nothing compared to most here. What is happening?????????

your riders going well:

GOSS Matthew 808
CUNEGO Damiano 505
MATTHEWS Michael 471
BOONEN Tom 430
URAN URAN Rigoberto 358
HAUSSLER Heinrich 314
GERRANS Simon 279
SÖRENSEN Chris Anker 252
DUARTE AREVALO Fabio Andres 196

not weird

 

[Passista]

weekly ranking Apr 26th - May 1st

Rank - Team - Weekly ranking
1. Passista - 588
2. al_pacino - 553
3. Joy118118 - 550
4. microdose - 550
5. jens_attacks - 547
6. Jakob747 - 510
7. Squire - 502
8. Tuarts - 487
9. Kwibus - 482
10. LukeSchmid - 462

download:http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ESNSJHJO

this week Pavel Brutt becomes a good pick - costs 91 now 369 points.

my 15 minutes! <o/

 

[Handbrake]

My team obviously took it easy this week before the Giro. I've got 11 riders from 10 teams to share the podium around.

Anton
Cobo
Duarte
Renshaw
Di Luca
Masciarelli
Ciolek
Bos
Lovkvist
Myer
Popovych

 

[kurtinsc]

I now only have three riders with 0 points.

Pellizotti... who's got no chance of ever getting any.
Lloyd... who's chances don't look good.
Sicard... who's been injured but still has a chance to get over his injury if I'm lucky.

Nine of my 30 riders have equalled or surpassed last year's total:

Cobo, Degenkolb, Duarte, Haussler, Hermans, Seeldrayers, Swift, Talansky and Vandevelde.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I just hit a jackpot with the Vuelta a Asturias; Javier Moreno just picked up another 126 points today in keeping the GC and a 2nd place finish on the final stage, which puts him 50+ points better off than last year and moves Caja Rural a step closer to a Vuelta slot.

I didn't dare gamble on Hernâni Broco in case he didn't repeat his Volta form and considering LA-Antarte-Paredes Rota dos Móveis don't race much outside Portugal... now regretting that as Tavira, who I was banking on for André Cardoso, didn't race Asturias and Broco did - he's now at nearly 3/4 last year's total and the Portuguese season hasn't even begun yet.

Alejandro Marque has similarly pushed himself close to last year's total before the points-paying Portuguese races start in earnest.

 

[bicing]

What happened! The last few weeks were a bomb for me, dropped 15 places I think. I knew I had to wait until the Giro...

Pavel Brutt's big moves reminded me of this team selection strategy I was considering when making my team - to use the PCMdaily's database as a way to evaluate rider ability. Brutt was always attacking early in the GT climbs in PCM 2009 (usually a clue that they're a second-tier contender like Chavanel, Devolder supposedly were). Certainly if I'd employed that strategy I'd have chosen him big time! DID ANYONE use PCMdaily's database to help them in team selection?

Anyway onto the Giro, my riders + the # teams in the top 25 who also have them:
Gadret (1), Sella (5), Rujano (5), Ballan (6), Anton (6), Sastre, Bruseghin (2), Rasmussen (2), Renshaw (8), Di Luca (10), Navarro (6), Meyer (5).

I am the only person in the top 25 who has Sastre! I'll be cheering big for Gadret, Sastre and Bruseghin the most. From these guys I fancy my chances on a top 10 (150+), a stage win (70) and some top 5's (10+15+25).

But I'm really counting on Anton to top 3 (315+) or top 5 (245+) and some stage wins (70).

P.S.
Disappointing riders: Cunego (his season is finished), Gasparotto (don't see anywhere he can get more points), Gadret (hasn't done enough pre-Giro), Kroon (his season is finished), Roche (done nothing!), Pelli, and my token Romanian and Polish riders.
Riders I need to perform: Anton, Gadret, Roche, Sastre.
6 riders without score (3 will definitely not).
Riders I've got on positive score: Di Luca, Goss, Haussler, Meyer, Renshaw, Sella, Vandevelde.
What I think my riders will get up to by year end compared to 2010:
Anton +300
Ballan +150
Bruseghin +200
Cunego breakeven
Di Luca +250
Goss +350
Haussler +150
Meyer +300
Roche -400 !!!!!!
Rujano +200
Sastre +150
Sella +300
Taarame +100
Vandevelde +100
APPROX TOTAL: 9650

 

[Hugo Koblet]

These last two comments made me realize how much I love this game.

Libertine, whose team I've praised several times for including a lot of unique riders and for having this special "feel" of mostly spanish/portugese/etc riders, is cheering for his guys who are doing great in Asturias.

bicing who still isn't far away from a top 10 spot is hoping for some Giro points from Gadret, Sastre and Bruseghin - riders almost noone else has.

My point is that even though a few riders probably are "must haves" - and I don't even know about that - people can still have fun and have created competitive teams without including the top bargain buys and just by including riders that they really root for.

I don't mean to sound self-satisfied or to sound as if I've made the greatest invention ever, I'm just really glad that people are enjoying the game and have fun cheering for the riders they like for different riders. And glad that the game has had a quite large impact - I mean who would be following races like Tartu GP, Handzame Classic and Route Adélie de Vitré if it wasn't for this game (no offence intended)?

 

[will10]

Your last line sums the game up perfectly. Hell I even check the startlists for races I didn't care about before, let alone studiously going through the results to see if I've picked any points up

 

[Parrulo]

indeed this game was amazing idea. no doubt hugo gets the honorary member of the year award for his genial idea

i was extremely biased when picking my team. and tbh now i even regret not having rui costa XD still i have all portuguese guys racing pro tour (cept rui costa who was banned at the time) and i don't regret it 1 bit even tho i am 100% paulinho won't pay himself back XD

 

[taiwan]

Where did the idea come from though? Is it based on VDS? I mean it's probably superior: it's harder and CQ is a more comprehensive system.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Are points taken as being fixed as of the end of the Giro, or the end of the season? If Contador wins the Giro, but the CAS rules against him in June, what happens to points?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

it feels pretty prestigious also.
As far as competitions on cn go, this is the top dog. The winner here, is a king

That's why 2011 I'm gonna AC you all

 

[ingsve]

These last two comments made me realize how much I love this game.

Libertine, whose team I've praised several times for including a lot of unique riders and for having this special "feel" of mostly spanish/portugese/etc riders, is cheering for his guys who are doing great in Asturias.

bicing who still isn't far away from a top 10 spot is hoping for some Giro points from Gadret, Sastre and Bruseghin - riders almost noone else has.

My point is that even though a few riders probably are "must haves" - and I don't even know about that - people can still have fun and have created competitive teams without including the top bargain buys and just by including riders that they really root for.

I don't mean to sound self-satisfied or to sound as if I've made the greatest invention ever, I'm just really glad that people are enjoying the game and have fun cheering for the riders they like for different riders. And glad that the game has had a quite large impact - I mean who would be following races like Tartu GP, Handzame Classic and Route Adélie de Vitré if it wasn't for this game (no offence intended)?

Well, I did back in 2002 when Team Fakta was fighting against Bankgiroloterij and CCC-Polsat etc for the top spots in the UCI Trade Team II ranking which would give an automatic spot as Trade Team I the following year. When they changed the rankings with the introduction of the ProTour those races weren't interesting anymore.

 

[ingsve]

I have a feeling I may have peaked with my team. I managed to get around 100 points away from the top spot but from now on I think others have better teams for the stage races than I do so I expect to drop down a bit from now on unless someone emerges with some amazing shape the rest of the season. I'm looking at you Siutsou, Chavanel, Navardauskas and Duran.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I've entered. Can't BELIEVE who I found for just 2 points!

I went over the 2 pointers a number of times, and can't find anyone who is an amazing buy. There are a couple of good buys, but no one amazing... dammit i'm curious as to whom you refer to.

there is one guy, whom if didn't have a leader to pull would be a pretty great buy.

 

[Ferminal]

I'm having difficulties choosing between a few.

Ideally I would have all of them, but because they are in categories it's impossible to do so.

i.e. there are 3 climbers I would like, and 4 all-rounders, but only two for each plus the wildcard.

My best team may actually be with 96 pts. I think my choice is Visconti for 10, or Rodriguez for 14.

And yeh the Menchov vs Scarponi is hard now that I think about it (originally I put Boots in without even considering Menchov).

I just want selections to close so we can reveal our teams

 

[Sydney21]

Thats it i'm in too

 

[bicing]

Yeah Hugo you made an awesome game. YOu are honorary member of the year. Until of course, the game's winner is decided ;P Cycling News should buy this idea from you and commercialise it, although I wouldn't want that to happen, it's nice and rustic as it is. Props2 Joy11881818169 for the "statistics" ranking sheet to, that's awesome I love it.

Just heard the news about Ballan and Santamgrobio being pulled from the Giro.
What are the chances that the Mantova investigation cyclists get busted this year? (WILL WE LOSE THEIR POINTS THIS YEAR????>?>?>?>????)
Wonder how therankings will change.

 

[bicing]

I have a feeling I may have peaked with my team. I managed to get around 100 points away from the top spot but from now on I think others have better teams for the stage races than I do so I expect to drop down a bit from now on unless someone emerges with some amazing shape the rest of the season. I'm looking at you Siutsou, Chavanel, Navardauskas and Duran.

I must say, you peaked with attitude! Rocketing up to #2,
But the big question is, are you still the future winner of the game?

 

[Tuarts]

When does it get confirmed? I'm sort of hanging out waiting before I put in lists to these games for as long as possible in case someone is dropped.

 

[ingsve]

I must say, you peaked with attitude! Rocketing up to #2,
But the big question is, are you still the future winner of the game?

Ya, I started the first week at around 60th place somewhere but then I gained in position every single week until I reached #2.

As for winning, I'm starting to have doubts. Neither Boonen nor Cunego are doing as well as I hoped and with Ballan also in trouble that leaves a lot points that needs to be made up by other riders. I'll be lucky to stay in the top 10 I think.

 

[Tuarts]

If he wins the Giro and you picked him, he gets the points. No need to make it harder with retrospective rulings.

 

[Eric8-A]

I'm waiting til the day before.

 

[roundabout]

I wouldn't count on Cobo riding FWIW