The 2013 CQ Ranking Manager Game

[Hugo Koblet]

Combining track and road can be done for sure. Just look at Viviani's 2011 season. He rode the track World Championship in March, the track European U23 Championship in July, the track National Championship in September and the track European Championship in November, yet he still scored 532 CQ points.

That said, Viviani was Liquigas' main sprinter which can't be said for Hepburn. However, Hepburn has two advantages going for him that Viviani hadn't: 1) he's a way better ITT'er and 2) the track World Championship has been moved to February which gives him a full month more to focus on the road.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Did anyone know Hepburn was riding track this year? He did the Nationals and has now been selected for the Worlds.

I didn't pick him but that ought to be disappointing to those who did.

I think most teams have too many very cheap riders, anyway. If I could do it all over again I'd drop most of those and some relatively expensive ones in favor of a team with much less variability in terms of rider value.

 

[Ferminal]

I think most teams have too many very cheap riders, anyway. If I could do it all over again I'd drop most of those and some relatively expensive ones in favor of a team with much less variability in terms of rider value.

Hmm, Andy and Coquard are the only selections under 50 I really like. Best value seems to be closer to the 100-150 mark. Unfortunately there were too many around 300-500 that I just wasn't willing to make a hard sacrifice on.

 

[Gloin22]

Anyone that picked Ben Swift might have interesting year with him. With finally full focus on road instead of track, back from injury he might be a very nice pick. Especially seeing that he did improve his climbing, and could challenge on stages where most sprinters falter long ago. As well as with Cav gone, he's Sky 2nd sprinter after EBH so should get plenty of chances as well.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Anyone that picked Ben Swift might have interesting year with him. With finally full focus on track, back from injury he might be a very nice pick. Especially seeing that he did improve his climbing, and could challenge on stages where most sprinters falter long ago. As well as with Cav gone, he's Sky 2nd sprinter after EBH so should get plenty of chances as well.

Yeah, I considered picking him, but in the end didn't. Looking at his results last season he just didn't seem that quick. But I guess he might turn out to be a good pick; we'll see.

 

[LaFlorecita]

No Rafal Majka in Tour de Med

ROUX Anthony
PINOT Thibaut
TAARAMÄE Rein
HUSHOVD Thor
SCHLECK Andy
BOBRIDGE Jack
LÖFKVIST Thomas
CHAVES RUBIO Johan Esteban

for me then

Anyway still 4 guys who could get a good result in GC but still a shame

 

[taiwan]

Trofeo whatever today:

Niemiec

De Clercq

Man you guys are gonna get crushed.

 

[Froome19]

Med

PINOT Thibaut
ROUX Anthony
SCHLECK Andy
KISERLOVSKI Robert
HUSHOVD Thor
BOLE Grega
FELLINE Fabio

 

[Eric8-A]

Tour of Med

Christophe Peraud
Alexandre Geniez
Thor Hushovd
Andy Schleck
Thomas Dekker
Rory Sutherland
Mikel Nieve
Romain Feillu
Juan Pablo Suarez
Esteban Chaves

 

[TeoSheva]

Tour of Med
KADRI Blel
HUSHOVD Thor (NOR)
SCHLECK Andy
BOLE Grega
Romain Feillu
PINOT Thibaut
ROUX Anthony

 

[al_pacino]

PINOT Thibaut
TAARAMAE Rein
HUSHOVD Thor
SCHLECK Andy
CHAVES RUBIO Johan Esteban
SUAREZ SUAREZ Juan Pablo

this is when the points start to come for Andy.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Apparently Taaramäe DNS in Tour de Med

Wonder what's wrong? Perhaps his allergies again? Too bad as this race suited him very well.

 

[search]

according to his blog he is sick, stomach problems, diarrhae, abdominal pain and so on

 

[LaFlorecita]

Another 32 points for Rojas

 

[Kjellus]

Tour Med:

KERN Christophe
PINOT Thibaut
HUSHOVD Thor
SCHLECK Andy
FEILLU Romain
LÖFKVIST Thomas

trying to defend a top 10 spot...

 

[LaFlorecita]

First points of the season for Dowsett 8 points for 13th in the last Trofeo

 

[the asian]

Meersman earning his first points.

He's a game defining rider for me.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

My Italian sprinting task force consisting of Guardini and Pelucchi both score 10 points today. And they're off!

 

[vladimir]

Happy with Mallorca today. 4 riders in the points scoring 83 points in total. And 40 of those points by my unique pick Cimolai makes me even happier

 

[Tigerion]

I certainly have no problems with the Farrar-Rojas 2-3 today, and they both already have over 100 points, so great. But I do have a problem with last-minute exclusion (from my team) and last-year disappointment Howard actually showing his stuff over my main pick Matthews. Gawd, Greenedge bugs me.

Really like the Mallorca races though, every year they surprise a bit and give showcase to a variety of talents.

I added Howard to my team early and was tossing up between him and bling in the end. I already had Goss in the team and really didn't want 3 sprinters from OGE in the team. On the basis that Howard had a year of coaching from Robbie and his win over Cav in the TOB I went with Howard. Looks like I might have made the right choice so far.

 

[Eric8-A]

There goes Andy's first problem of the year.

 

[greenedge]

At this rate Andy might score me less points than last year.

Guardini had also got 5 points from the TDU.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Man, Mallorca soehow went horribly for me; I had quit a decent team, but ony go 6 points for Landa in the end.

 

[al_pacino]

Maxime Daniel with his first (unique)points of the year. In not bad company either.

 

[LaFlorecita]

5 points for Roux and 3 points for Löfkvist first points for him. Löfkvist also looking good for some GC points.