The 2013 CQ Ranking Manager Game

[CQmanager]

All this pre-season excitement makes me chuckle because I know by May I will be talking to myself and very few others

 

[Hugo Koblet]

So? It's quite logical that the excitement is highest now and that's fine.

 

[gerundium]

All this pre-season excitement makes me chuckle because I know by May I will be talking to myself and very few others

true story.

TDU
stannard
thomas
rojas
schleck
dennis
bobridge
kelderman
gilbert

San Luis
Aru
Oss
hushovd
ospina

didn't bother checking the rest of san luis.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Tour Down Under
Sutton
Thomas
Rojas
Hermans
Schleck
Farrar
Henderson
Bobridge
Appolonio
Meyer
Gilbert

San Luis
Hushovd
Petacchi
Cobo
Howard

 

[Eyeballs Out]

This is my first go at the game. Interesting format. I'm guessing it's actually quite difficult to work out the best team even if you have the year's results in front of you. For example has anyone had a go at working out retospectively what the maximum score was last year (or any year) ?

 

[asdfgh101]

What site/sites are best for finding reliable startlists?

 

[Tigerion]

So... who's got most Australians?

As far as I know it was me with 11 in the squad

 

[greenedge]

I have 7 Aussies and i think out of them only Porte will not ride the TDU (hopefully the nats though). I also have Gilbert and i consider him a favourite to win the TDU, whilst i have riders like Andy and Appollonio to maybe get high placings in stages. Hopefully Hushovd can also show signs of recovering at San Luis and Ospina/ Cobo can top 10.

 

[skidmark]

Might as well jump on the Startlist bandwagon:

Australian Nats TT

Jack Bobridge
Michael Matthews
Rohan Dennis

Australian Nats RR

same plus Steele Von Hoff

Tropicale Amissa Bongo

Mattia Cattaneo

San Luis

Fabio Aru
Thor Hushovd
Matteo Trentin

TDU

Geraint Thomas
JJ Rojas
Rohan Dennis
Tyler Farrar
Steele Von Hoff
Andrea Guardini
Jack Bobridge
Wilco Kelderman
Philippe Gilbert
more later?

 

[jsem94]

My two least popular picks have been picked by 5 others. So not even close to having a unique rider... Can't see much happening in front before February really.

 

[CQmanager]

So? It's quite logical that the excitement is highest now and that's fine.

Of course its logical and I'm happy we get all these people around here. Unfortunately once they realize they are "out" of the competition they will be "out" of here too.

That being said, I think we will have more competition this year and it will be much tighter than before and that may keep more people around.

I hope you will be still around at least after Giro

 

[ingsve]

Surprised Kruopis was a unique pick (not for me I might add). Suspect he will be pretty high in the Orica sprinting hierarchy.

It's hard to know with them since they have so many sprinters. Last year he was at least one who delivered most to his ability for them. Now they also have Matthews back and some more riders perhaps focusing more on the road than on track so perhaps that changes things. With the relative success he had last year I think he might struggle to make a massive improvement considering the added competition on the team. In the end though it comes down to who can deliver the goods so there is always a chance he will outshine the other sprinters.

 

[ingsve]

Of course its logical and I'm happy we get all these people around here. Unfortunately once they realize they are "out" of the competition they will be "out" of here too.

That being said, I think we will have more competition this year and it will be much tighter than before and that may keep more people around.

I hope you will be still around at least after Giro

Still, I imagine there will be more interest than the first year when Ricco getting suspended meant that two thirds of all teams had the rug swept from under their feet.

 

[Afrank]

So... who's got most Australians?

Akubra, 31 Aussies out of 32 total riders. And that 32nd rider is Sergent...from New Zealand.

 

[Jancouver]

Last year I made Top 20 which was a surprise considering I was one of very few having doper GALIMZYANOV on my team. Not sure if I will be able to repeat that as the competition is pretty tight this year and I'm missing some "obvious" picks.

Good luck to all!

Team Jancouver

GILBERT Philippe 1086
BENNATI Daniele 578
HUTAROVICH Yauheni 413
FERRARI Roberto 412
GUARDINI Andrea 404
SWIFT Ben 388
TAARAMÄE Rein 384
ROJAS GIL Jose Joaquin 366
FEILLU Romain 352
VANMARCKE Sep 345
STYBAR Zdenek 312
REBELLIN Davide 276
DENNIS Rohan 271
KÖNIG Leopold 224
DOMBROWSKI Joseph Lloyd 194
DEKKER Thomas 186
THOMAS Geraint 181
GADRET John 179
PONZI Simone 165
TRENTIN Matteo 158
KEOUGH Jake 133
NUYENS Nick 99
COBO ACEBO Juan Jose 96
ROUX Anthony 80
HUSHOVD Thor 76
MAASKANT Martijn 37
JOEAAR Gert 29
CRADDOCK Lawson 26
SCHLECK Andy 20
ZABEL Rick 16
NOVIKOV Nikita 5
BOBRIDGE Jack 0
KENNAUGH Peter 0

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I agree with those who predict the game will be closer this year. I think so as well.

Oh, and then I just stumbled across this old message:

You know your team sucks, when you're already looking forward to next season in freaking May.

I guess no matter how much I wish it was different, there is no way to totally ignore bargains and focus solely on a pure talent-squad. It simply won't add up. Back to the drawing board!

Thanks again for an awesome game!

So one would imagine that Jakob used another tactic this year, right? Well, uhm, no. His oldest rider is Taaramäe. Jakob - what do you have to say to your defence?

 

[Hugo Koblet]

It's hard to know with them since they have so many sprinters. Last year he was at least one who delivered most to his ability for them. Now they also have Matthews back and some more riders perhaps focusing more on the road than on track so perhaps that changes things. With the relative success he had last year I think he might struggle to make a massive improvement considering the added competition on the team. In the end though it comes down to who can deliver the goods so there is always a chance he will outshine the other sprinters.

It looks as though he atleast will go head to head against Guardini in Langkawi

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

I'm content with my line up for the first few races; should do better than last year with this:

Tropicale Amissa Bongo:
CATTANEO Mattia
WACKERMANN Luca
ROLLAND Pierre

San Luis:
HUSHOVD Thor
KOCH Michel
POZZATO Filippo
COBO ACEBO Juan Jose
OSPINA HERNANDEZ Argiro Alonso

TDU:
THOMAS Geraint
SCHLECK Andy
MORTON Lachlan David
BOBRIDGE Jack
KELDERMAN Wilco
SLAGTER Tom Jelte
MEYER Cameron
ELISSONDE Kenny

 

[will10]

Watch Berhane win Tropicale now I dropped him for scoring too heavily in November

 

[GP Blanco]

Australian Road Championships Time Trial
DURBRIDGE Luke
BOBRIDGE Jack

Australian Road Championships Road Race
DURBRIDGE Luke
BOBRIDGE Jack

Tour de San Luis
HUSHOVD Thor
OSS Daniel
MALORI Adriano
OSPINA HERNANDEZ Argiro Alonso

Tour Down Under
SCHLECK Andy
BOBRIDGE Jack
KELDERMAN Wilco
STANNARD Ian
THOMAS Geraint
GILBERT Philippe

 

[Jakob747]

I agree with those who predict the game will be closer this year. I think so as well.

Oh, and then I just stumbled across this old message:

So one would imagine that Jakob used another tactic this year, right? Well, uhm, no. His oldest rider is Taaramäe. Jakob - what do you have to say to your defence?

Nothing. Guilty as charge.

My conscience just doesn’t allow me to add P. Gilbert. F. Cancellara, C. Evans. T. Hushovd or Andy Schleck. Ect – Ect… All those obvious names. I just don’t find it fun to have a squad who is similar to more or less everyone else’s.

I would rather finish dead last I guess . For me this game gives me another reason to follow the young guns extra close. That’s enough for me. So while everyone will probably be off to a great start with P. Gilbert for-example, I will instead be following Tom Jelte Slagter, Elia Favilli or Kenny Elissonde with suspense on Old Willunga.

I stand by my last sentence as well though. It truly is an awesome game and regardless of how everyone plays it, whether it’s to win or just to follow some of your favorite riders or whatever, I truly wish everyone have as much fun as I do during the year.

I strongly hope I am around in May as well… Then, we can continue the debate Hugo… I am always up for discussing some of your picks… But more so the likes of Diego Rosa or Emilien Viennet for-example than Andy Schleck or Davide Rebellin.

Good luck tonight with Rohan Dennis. I don’t know the course, but surely he will top-3?...

 

[al_pacino]

Watch Berhane win Tropicale now I dropped him for scoring too heavily in November

I think he'll do good(reasonable) numbers for the few that selected him. Of which I'm surprised tha it was only 5 of us.

 

[will10]

I think he'll do good(reasonable) numbers for the few that selected him. Of which I'm surprised tha it was only 5 of us.

I was a little cautious of picking Berhane after picking Chtioui the year before, who did ok and doubled his score but was mainly stuck riding a lot of 1.2 races and I feared the same may happen with Berhane.

 

[mc_mountain]

Watch Berhane win Tropicale now I dropped him for scoring too heavily in November

pick him for the youth game!

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Nothing. Guilty as charge.

My conscience just doesn’t allow me to add P. Gilbert. F. Cancellara, C. Evans. T. Hushovd or Andy Schleck. Ect – Ect… All those obvious names. I just don’t find it fun to have a squad who is similar to more or less everyone else’s.

I would rather finish dead last I guess . For me this game gives me another reason to follow the young guns extra close. That’s enough for me. So while everyone will probably be off to a great start with P. Gilbert for-example, I will instead be following Tom Jelte Slagter, Elia Favilli or Kenny Elissonde with suspense on Old Willunga.

I stand by my last sentence as well though. It truly is an awesome game and regardless of how everyone plays it, whether it’s to win or just to follow some of your favorite riders or whatever, I truly wish everyone have as much fun as I do during the year.

I strongly hope I am around in May as well… Then, we can continue the debate Hugo… I am always up for discussing some of your picks… But more so the likes of Diego Rosa or Emilien Viennet for-example than Andy Schleck or Davide Rebellin.

Good luck tonight with Rohan Dennis. I don’t know the course, but surely he will top-3?...

I follow you completely.

The most joy for me from this game comes from picking youngsters that do well. I don't really like picking guys like Hushovd, Nuyens etc., because I don't get any excitement from following them. I find it much more fun finding more unknown youngsters to cheer for. For instance, Schnaidt was one of the first names on my team list, and I would rather have Viennet than Bobridge or Kennaugh on my team.

I did, however, include must picks like Gilbert and Andy just to have a small chance of being just somewhat competitive

I really like your team, and I will definitely be rooting for your guys. Well, especially Sbaragli and Rosa, I guess What are your expectations from these guys this year? I think especially Sbaragli can have a very good season.

Actually, it would be very interesting to hear your thoughts on many of the riders on your team: Romero, Fumeaux and Vuillermoz I don't know at all.

Who else were in your consideration this year? I really, really wanted to fit in Cattaneo but simply couldn't. I need 1 more point, then I could have swapped Bongiorno for Cattaneo, but I guess the former will be fun to follow as well. Manfredi were in my team for a long time, while I also considered Masnada, Senechal, Reis, Van Stuyven, Fraile and Carretero if I ever needed some cheaper ones.

Regarding Dennis, then yes, I do expect him to top 3 and get an early, small lead against Lutsenko and Vino attacks everyone . In my opinion, he's the second biggest favorite after Durbridge. Porte is definitely dangerous, though, while Bobridge is an unknown factor.