CQ ranking

[The Hitch]

Okay, now I have zero chance of winning this game. Screw you Ricco! Well, that's what you get for selling your soul and getting an a-hole on your team. Di Luca, you may get busted as well, I don't care anymore.

I know how you feel. I felt the same when i found out that Efimkin retired and that i had wasted my 20 points and 33rd space.

But alas, its not the end at all. 750 points could easily be made up elsewhere. There will be other flops which wont effect you but effect others.

A lot of people have Duarte and Blanco. With Geox problems its very possible Blanco goes back to getting 2 points for winning the Volta and Duarte just does domestiquing for M and S. Together they cost almost as much as RIcco and a lot of people will lose out as a result.

 

[joy118118]

ricco is a big loss definitely. I hoped he would have some big results like basso.

glad that Michael Matthews has already earned more than 2010.

 

[skidmark]

Well, I was one of the 42 seduced by Ricco. He shows up for all races (evidently 'prepares' for ones even in early Feb if the reports have any credence), so he was a solid bet to regain. And of the 'big' riders, yeah he hadn't scored more than 1100 points, but he was only like 27 so he was still improving, and if you take his last year (kicked out of the Tour) he was on pace to smash that 1100 points. Plus, a full year with Vacansoleil trying to prove himself I figured would bring extra motivation (and perhaps I was correct). So I thought he was a safe bet for 900-1000, and a possible 1500-1800 if things went nuts.

Hindsight, 20/20, etc.

Mostly, even though the 'corba red' thing was going on, I figured he wouldn't be dumb enough to get caught again, even if he were back to his old ways. Well... perhaps I was very, very incorrect.

There are other ways to points, but to win this game you've gotta be hitting on all cylinders, and he was a 756 point linchpin. I don't think I've got a chance anymore. New goal: top 10.

 

[jaylew]

Agree with most of what you say, skid. I had him figured for his best year ever. Wasted points...

I could never stand the guy but I really wanted to see him compete against the best this year, especially at the Giro.

 

[kurtinsc]

I know how you feel. I felt the same when i found out that Efimkin retired and that i had wasted my 20 points and 33rd space.

But alas, its not the end at all. 750 points could easily be made up elsewhere. There will be other flops which wont effect you but effect others.

A lot of people have Duarte and Blanco. With Geox problems its very possible Blanco goes back to getting 2 points for winning the Volta and Duarte just does domestiquing for M and S. Together they cost almost as much as RIcco and a lot of people will lose out as a result.

I don't know about Blanco, but Duarte has much less "bust" potential. 180 points isn't a huge number to reach to "equal out". Cameron Meyer last year had nearly that much and I can't think of too many races where he was a leader. Same goes for Romain Sicard with a very limited schedule of races. Frohlinger had only 16 less points and I can't remember a single thing he did last year. I think dropping to 100 points would be just about a worst case scenario for him... a true domestique who gets almost no chance to lead even in a small race.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I agree with The Hitch. I don't really care about the game when it comes to Ricco - I just wanted to see him in the Giro.

 

[hrotha]

Come on, everything is about the game! The game is EVERYTHING!

I could have bought three Hausslers with the points I spent on Riccò. I still think he was a good and rational buy, it was risky because it's Riccò but if he hadn't had any problems with his fuel I'm pretty sure he'd have improved significantly on his 2010 score. Don't forget 2010 was his comeback season, 2011 should have been better from a purely physical point of view, and while bigger races bring tougher competition, they also bring more points.

 

[kurtinsc]

Well, I was one of the 42 seduced by Ricco. He shows up for all races (evidently 'prepares' for ones even in early Feb if the reports have any credence), so he was a solid bet to regain. And of the 'big' riders, yeah he hadn't scored more than 1100 points, but he was only like 27 so he was still improving, and if you take his last year (kicked out of the Tour) he was on pace to smash that 1100 points. Plus, a full year with Vacansoleil trying to prove himself I figured would bring extra motivation (and perhaps I was correct). So I thought he was a safe bet for 900-1000, and a possible 1500-1800 if things went nuts.

Hindsight, 20/20, etc.

Mostly, even though the 'corba red' thing was going on, I figured he wouldn't be dumb enough to get caught again, even if he were back to his old ways. Well... perhaps I was very, very incorrect.

There are other ways to points, but to win this game you've gotta be hitting on all cylinders, and he was a 756 point linchpin. I don't think I've got a chance anymore. New goal: top 10.

The thing is... Basso's huge comeback was only 400 points over the 750 that Ricco cost. Even if Ricco's 2011 were as successful as Basso's 2009... the return would be only good... not great. Basso's 2010 was only 200 better then the 750 Ricco cost.

Only 43 riders cost more then Ricco did. Only about 25 scored more then 200 points above what Ricco cost. Only 13 scored more then 500 more then what Ricco cost. Only 9 had more then double the points.

Picking Ricco in retrospect seems to be a belief that he'd be somewhere among the top 25 riders next season. Were people expecting that level of season from him... or did they think "Ricco was really good before and he got caught for doping... of course he'll have a big improvement this season"?

 

[jaylew]

Yeah, but Basso is one of those Schlecklet types that only goes for it a couple times a year. Probably 80% of his points were from the Giro. Ricco is more of a Valverde/Contador type in that he generally tries to win as often as possible. Giro + Vuelta + hilly one dayers and short stage races and I truly thought he had a chance at a really big (1200+) season.

Anyway, if that clinic stuff turns out to be true, good riddance - I never want to hear from him again.

 

[The Hitch]

Really really disapointed that Riccos career is over. So i might as well find light where i can.

If you are on this list you lost a lot of points today

AAC1983
al_pacino
Armchair cyclist
Arnout
Bumeington
Contre la montre
deValtos
Ferminal
Gotland
Ham-N-Eggs
hrotha
Hugo Koblet
Jakob747
Jiaying
Jan the Man
jens_attacks
Joy118118
Jpettersen
Jukebox
Kevin Rudd's Hairdryer
Kvinto
Kwibus
luckyboy
MADRAZO
mortand
nobilis
Object
Sasquatch
skidmark
Sneekes
sosososik
Squire
sublimit
Sydney21
The_Amateur
The Cobra
theyoungest
Timmy-loves-Rabo
Vonn Brinkman
whittashau
Zaschrona

 

[jaylew]

Sadly, I had him too.

 

[Barrus]

Is it bad that one of the first things I did when I heard the news is look whether I had Ricco?

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Before anyone claims that his career is over - any news on him yet?

 

[Barrus]

Before anyone claims that his career is over - any news on him yet?

Nothing really official, nut you're best to follow this thread for info: Riccò hospitalized for possible kidney ailment

 

[skidmark]

The thing is... Basso's huge comeback was only 400 points over the 750 that Ricco cost. Even if Ricco's 2011 were as successful as Basso's 2009... the return would be only good... not great. Basso's 2010 was only 200 better then the 750 Ricco cost.

Only 43 riders cost more then Ricco did. Only about 25 scored more then 200 points above what Ricco cost. Only 13 scored more then 500 more then what Ricco cost. Only 9 had more then double the points.

Picking Ricco in retrospect seems to be a belief that he'd be somewhere among the top 25 riders next season. Were people expecting that level of season from him... or did they think "Ricco was really good before and he got caught for doping... of course he'll have a big improvement this season"?

Like I said in my last post, though, what sold me on Ricco after initial hesitation was looking at his record in races. Last year, especially, his showing in every race he was in was impressive. He got results in 10 out of 18 races he participated in last year. He shows up for everything, pretty much. Basso doesn't, only 190 of his 984 points in the last year came from non-Giro races. So Ricco was a solid bet, which in my books at least is much better than a really risky pick. But even more enticing, he was a solid bet that, if he showed up in all races and won the Giro and did well in the Vuelta or something, would pay off in spades. At least that was my thinking.

And yeah, of course I thought 'he was really good before, he'll have a good improvement'... I wasn't kidding myself about how he was achieving results. Still, I just didn't think he'd get caught. Oh well.

Edit: well, jaylew said pretty much the same thing as me, but more concisely. I should read on before I respond.

 

[ingsve]

A lot of people have Duarte and Blanco. With Geox problems its very possible Blanco goes back to getting 2 points for winning the Volta and Duarte just does domestiquing for M and S. Together they cost almost as much as RIcco and a lot of people will lose out as a result.

I'm not to worried about Blanco and Duarte etc. Eventhough they miss out on the Tour and a few other WT races it still leaves a lot of racing to be done and they will potentially be more motivated to win in the races they do get to ride so that will compenate somewhat for missing the biggest races.

 

[PCutter]

Is it bad that one of the first things I did when I heard the news is look whether I had Ricco?

You lay down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.

 

[MADRAZO]

The thing is... Basso's huge comeback was only 400 points over the 750 that Ricco cost. Even if Ricco's 2011 were as successful as Basso's 2009... the return would be only good... not great. Basso's 2010 was only 200 better then the 750 Ricco cost.

Only 43 riders cost more then Ricco did. Only about 25 scored more then 200 points above what Ricco cost. Only 13 scored more then 500 more then what Ricco cost. Only 9 had more then double the points.

Picking Ricco in retrospect seems to be a belief that he'd be somewhere among the top 25 riders next season. Were people expecting that level of season from him... or did they think "Ricco was really good before and he got caught for doping... of course he'll have a big improvement this season"?

I have Ricco too and was not in doubt that he had to be picked.

Ricco was going for the giro-vuelta double that is very good in terms of points and also he should get many points from stages and other races, like the classics (ardennes+lombardia), so he could easily have been expected to get between 1200-1500 points and I think even more with a succesful season, and nothing indicated him not having that, and yes I would definetly have expected him in the top 25 on the cq-ranking, propably close to top 10. As he was clearly back to old "form" last year, and with a raceprogram very well suited to gain cq-points.

And yes, its always a risk to pick obvious dopers, but in such a competition its an even bigger risk not to pick the riders that are the best picks if not caught. Afterall most of the time riders dont get caught again. And yes Ricco might have perhaps only gained 200 points and been a mediocre choise, but everyone had to pick a couple of the more expensive riders and none of the expensive riders can be expected to gain a very high increase in %, so 200 points extra would have been okay. But I still think it was quite reasonable to expect a lot more.

Anyways I guess there will be plenty of other dopingcases or bad crashes etc. that will affect the game, and hopefully it will all even out a bit in the end so that us with Ricco will still have a chance to do well. But otherwice at least now we have a good excuse.

 

[The Hitch]

Is it bad that one of the first things I did when I heard the news is look whether I had Ricco?

Are you telling us that you dont have your entire team memorised of by heart

For Shame


____________________________________

To those who say Ricco was a logical pick, but didnt pick Boonen and Cunego (both cost similar, Boonen 20 more, Cunego 90 less).

Could you say why you chose Ricco over those 2? Both were proven 1000+ getters, Boonen once got 2400, and both had very average 2010's. I understand why many thought RIcco was a good pick, but i dont understand why you would choose him over either of those.

 

[Ferminal]

Are you telling us that you dont have your entire team memorised of by heart

For Shame


____________________________________

To those who say Ricco was a logical pick, but didnt pick Boonen and Cunego (both cost similar, Boonen 20 more, Cunego 90 less).

Could you say why you chose Ricco over those 2? Both were proven 1000+ getters, Boonen once got 2400, and both had very average 2010's. I understand why many thought RIcco was a good pick, but i dont understand why you would choose him over either of those.

Well I have Boonen.

Cunego isn't going to double his points, Ricco could have

I guess I never wanted to accept that there was risk associated with it.

 

[Eric8-A]

Before the game started, I sort of felt stupid for not adding Ricco to my team. I think I must have missed him somehow and remembered him when I finished assembling my team. But now I'm glad I didn't pick him. I also think choosing Cobo would have been smart since several people have him.

Oh well, I'm good with that Haussler gave me today

 

[The Amateur]

Ricco caught again. What a bummer. There goes one of my two 700+ riders. Things were looking good and I was gunning for a top 15 finish (naïve and would require a lot of luck but still)…

I guess it is nemesis from believing that dopers are not dumb enough to get caught again.

 

[hrotha]

Are you telling us that you dont have your entire team memorised of by heart

For Shame


____________________________________

To those who say Ricco was a logical pick, but didnt pick Boonen and Cunego (both cost similar, Boonen 20 more, Cunego 90 less).

Could you say why you chose Ricco over those 2? Both were proven 1000+ getters, Boonen once got 2400, and both had very average 2010's. I understand why many thought RIcco was a good pick, but i dont understand why you would choose him over either of those.

Well, I'm not a computing machine. Once I picked Riccò, the niche for that price range was covered and I didn't even stop to think about Boonen and Cunego. :\

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Okay, now I have zero chance of winning this game. Screw you Ricco! Well, that's what you get for selling your soul and getting an a-hole on your team. Di Luca, you may get busted as well, I don't care anymore.

meh i'd rather lose the game, then let a snake like that still ride.

i screwed up by picking him tho (he was just a great buy... or so i thought )

@hitch
with ricco set for giro and possible vuelta, I highly doubt boonen would have gotten higher points. Plus the cobbles is more competitive then ever. And ricco would have done a lot of little stage races.. like Mediterranean.
As for cunego, I just can't see him having another dominant season (just hasn't been good enough the past couple of seasons). Had ricco not been caught, I am certain he would have gotten higher then him.

 

[ingsve]

meh i'd rather lose the game, then let a snake like that still ride.

i screwed up by picking him tho (he was just a great buy... or so i thought )

@hitch
with ricco set for giro and possible vuelta, I highly doubt boonen would have gotten higher points. Plus the cobbles is more competitive then ever. And ricco would have done a lot of little stage races.. like Mediterranean.
As for cunego, I just can't see him having another dominant season (just hasn't been good enough the past couple of seasons). Had ricco not been caught, I am certain he would have gotten higher then him.

Well, this year the world championships are also good for Boonen and the years he has done well at the worlds he has gotten over 2000 points so even with a more competitive classics season a Boonen without injuries should get 1400 points at least most of the time.