The 2013 CQ Ranking Manager Game

[The Hitch]

Got to say, Hitch - Cancelara has never doubled that score. A realistic 2013 score would be 1500 so X 1.5, that makes him more a banker than a game changer.

Man, I hope I don't get punished for not having Gilbert.

Son, if you dont have Gilbert, and you think you can win this game fuggedaboudit.

I know Cancellara has never got 2000 taiwan but hes probably the best rider of his generation not to. Purito Contador Valverde Gilber Wiggins Boonen all have.

But he has the talent to do it. He already got close with 1800. Skipping the Tour and putting greater focus on autumn might just be the right ingredient.

No you are not wrong about Styby, the great el Pisti who knows everything about OPQS assured me that he will score 300% this year

I was beginning to enjoy taking credit from everyone for picking your entire team

 

[The Hitch]

I agree. With Boonen looking good and Cancellara only getting older I doubt that Canc will be beating previous scores, 1499 would be a good score for him. His TT supremacy seems to be over and even if it is not with Wiggins, Martin and Phinney he has 3 competitors who can beat him on most days. The worlds are probably too hard for him as well.

Maybe we should let Cancellara actually race Wiggins before declaring that Wiggins can beat Cancellara most days in the tt. The last time they raced both on top form Cancellara caught wiggins half way in having started 2 minutes behind. wiggins improved a lot last year but canc was coming back from an injury so we dent know that wiggis would definitely beat him


Also both Wiggins and Boonen are older than Cancellara so to dismiss fab because of age while hyping them as his new superiors, does have its flaws.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I was beginning to enjoy taking credit from everyone for picking your entire team

Argh

 

[TeoSheva]

Im quite surprised that McCarthy was so unpopular, only 12 teams have him even though he was one of the best u23 riders last season and he's joining one of the best teams in developing riders. Well, thats greats news for me

I considered him until the end, than I went for other young guys a little bit older, like Aru, Barbin, Dombrosky, Dennis and even Cherneskiy (that was selected by only 2 more teams...) plus Coquard that is cheaper and IMO stronger

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Hitch I partly, but only partly, agree with you on Cancellara.

Yes, if he scores close to 2000 he's likely a game winner, but that's a big if. Most likely he will score somewhere between 1400 and 1600 like he has previously done. I do agree, though, that if there's ever a year to score close to 2000 this will probably be it (actually, 2012 was probably the best year to do so because of the Olympics) - but that's only if he skips the Tour. Let's wait and see about that one. And besides, he's doing the Giro this year which obviously isn't a good thing.

If he ends up between 1400 and 1600, perhaps a little higher, which I think is very likely, he's really not that influential a pick because those with him are quite satisfied but so are these without him.

In my opinion, Fabian is actually a pretty conservative choice. Most likely, you'll get a somewhat decent return, with a chance of him paying off big time and with only a small chance of failure (like this year where he scored 1000 anyway).

Same goes for Cavendish by the way, though I'd rate him a slightly worse pick.

 

[FF'Wilco]

I considered him until the end, than I went for other young guys a little bit older, like Aru, Barbin, Dombrosky, Dennis and even Cherneskiy (that was selected by only 2 more teams...) plus Coquard that is cheaper and IMO stronger

I have most of them but some left out like two Italians (Aru - i doubt he will have many chances to ride for himself this season and after reading so much about doping in Italian amateurs i have big doubts about his real value. Same goes with Barbin who will ride for Bardiani where actually none of the great talents had a good first season (e.g. Battaglin) and this guy is mostly a sprinter so he will have to work for both Modolo and Collbrelli before getting his own chances. The last guy i didint pick from that group is Chernetskiy because i have absolutely no faith in young Russians.

 

[TeoSheva]

I have most of them but some left out like two Italians (Aru - i doubt he will have many chances to ride for himself this season and after reading so much about doping in Italian amateurs i have big doubts about his real value. Same goes with Barbin who will ride for Bardiani where actually none of the great talents had a good first season (e.g. Battaglin) and this guy is mostly a sprinter so he will have to work for both Modolo and Collbrelli before getting his own chances. The last guy i didint pick from that group is Chernetskiy because i have absolutely no faith in young Russians.

I do not agree on the italians... Moser, Guardini, Viviani, Modolo.... all of them are doing really well even throug the professionals..

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

and what about JTL? only 14teams selected him... it's risky because of the cost (almost 600points...) but I think he can manage to double them...he can be the leader (with Henao) of Sky in the Ardennes and take some points in races like Tour of Polonia and similar...

I took the plunge on JTL because I think Sky's marginal gains approach will work wonders on him. It's a gamble, though. The same JTL as last year could still make a reasonable profit, I guess, if he gets to focus on the smaller races (such as Poland), but Farrar and Rolland could turn out to be way better picks in that price range.

Hitch I partly, but only partly, agree with you on Cancellara.

Yes, if he scores close to 2000 he's likely a game winner, but that's a big if. Most likely he will score somewhere between 1400 and 1600 like he has previously done. I do agree, though, that if there's ever a year to score close to 2000 this will probably be it (actually, 2012 was probably the best year to do so because of the Olympics) - but that's only if he skips the Tour. Let's wait and see about that one. And besides, he's doing the Giro this year which obviously isn't a good thing.

If he ends up between 1400 and 1600, perhaps a little higher, which I think is very likely, he's really not that influential a pick because those with him are quite satisfied but so are these without him.

In my opinion, Fabian is actually a pretty conservative choice. Most likely, you'll get a somewhat decent return, with a chance of him paying off big time and with only a small chance of failure (like this year where he scored 1000 anyway).

Same goes for Cavendish by the way, though I'd rate him a slightly worse pick.

Pretty much agreed. I know Cance said so, but I highly doubt that he will skip the Tour, with the TTT and his friendship with the Schlecks in mind.

 

[skidmark]

I have most of them but some left out like two Italians (Aru - i doubt he will have many chances to ride for himself this season and after reading so much about doping in Italian amateurs i have big doubts about his real value. Same goes with Barbin who will ride for Bardiani where actually none of the great talents had a good first season (e.g. Battaglin) and this guy is mostly a sprinter so he will have to work for both Modolo and Collbrelli before getting his own chances. The last guy i didint pick from that group is Chernetskiy because i have absolutely no faith in young Russians.

Interesting take. I strongly considered McCarthy, but if he was on last year's Saxo I would've taken him. I know how Riis' reputation with talent is, but the team seems to be growing back to its CSC stature, and I felt like he'd get less chances. re: Barbin and Aru, I don't share your opinion that Colnago/Bardiani is the reason these talents don't have a good first year, rather than the riders themselves. With them changing to such a youthful squad this year, I don't see how the youth couldn't get chances. And Aru - well, I said it before, but he seems strong enough to make his own chances.

I think you've got a great team so I'm looking forward to cheering on these particular choices and seeing how it plays out (ie. I hope I'm right!)

 

[Panda Claws]

Starlist for Tour Down Under

GILBERT Philippe
ROJAS GIL Jose Joaquin
FAVILLI Elia
EISEL Bernhard
KERN Julian
SCHLECK Andy

Startlist for San Luis

KWIATKOWSKI Michael
COBO ACEBO Juan Jose
HUSHOVD Thor

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Even though the complete lists aren't up:

Tropicale Amissa Bongo:

Wackermann

San Luis:

Rosa
Cobo
Ospina
Aru

Down Under:

Gilbert
Thomas
Schleck
Dennis
Guardini
Appollonio

... Needless to say, I don't expect to be in the lead after January

 

[LaFlorecita]

San Luis
ARU Fabio
HUSHOVD Thor
VAN LEIJEN Joost
COBO ACEBO Juan Jose
OSPINA HERNANDEZ Argiro Alonso

Down Under
STANNARD Ian
THOMAS Geraint
ROJAS GIL Jose Joaquin
SCHLECK Andy
FARRAR Tyler
MORTON Lachlan David
BOBRIDGE Jack
GILBERT Philippe

 

[FF'Wilco]

I do not agree on the italians... Moser, Guardini, Viviani, Modolo.... all of them are doing really well even throug the professionals..

Yes but only Modolo is riding for Bardiani and yes, he had a nice first year but guys like Brambilla, Colbrelli or Battaglin didin't and my bet is that similar thing willl happen to Barbin. If he had joined Cannondale he would be one of my first riders to pick for the team.

I think you've got a great team so I'm looking forward to cheering on these particular choices and seeing how it plays out (ie. I hope I'm right!)

Thanks! Ive made some risky picks (like Intxausti) but thats the only way to improve my last year's place.

Imo the most important decisions for my team were:

- picking three very expensive guys (Cance, Evans, Gilbert)
- leaving out Aru, Lutsenko and Jungels (big names)
- picking McCarthy (rare pick with great potential)
- leaving out Stybar (my bet he won't score more than 500) and Breschel (similar to Styby, no more than 500)
- Bryan Coquard (also not very popular but he's a great prospect)
- Benat Intxausti (leader for Giro, perfect rider for one week races, expecting breakthrough season for him and score around 1000)
and ofc picking the full list of obvious riders like Andy, Hushovd, Kennaugh, Thomas etc. Now let's wait and see whow this will work out

 

[will10]

Aru is not listed on San Luis site but is on cyclingfever.

 

[search]

Aru is not listed on San Luis site but is on cyclingfever.

...and most importantly, he is listed on the website of Astana

 

[Vitapen]

Down Under:

GILBERT Philippe
ROWE Luke
SANTAROMITA Ivan
VALLS FERRI Rafael
KELDERMAN Wilco
SCHLECK Andy


San Luis:

GATTO Oscar
BETANCUR GOMEZ Carlos Alberto
HUSHOVD Thor
COBO ACEBO Juan Jose

 

[GP Blanco]

another rider that had a really poor consideration IMO (only 6 team!!) is Tom Dumoulin: he's still very young and in the last year as neopro he raced only minor races (no 2.WT races that can suit him very well) but he already had good results (6th in Andalucia, 5th in Luxemburg, 10th at Vuelta a Burgos). He can easily double his point and getting even something more...

Dumoulin was always a bit under the radar in my opinion. Only in 2011 he joined a Continental Team, of course only because Cervelo folded but still late.

 

[Sylvester]

Nilseu Santos, Juan Telmo Fernandez, Michel Fernandez, Ignacio Maldonado and Joaquin Coñuen into profit already.

We're fools, all of us, for not picking them!

 

[HelgeBlendet]

La Tropicale Amissa Bongo
CATTANEO Mattia

Tour de San Luis
ARU Fabio
HUSHOVD Thor
OSS Daniel
OSPINA HERNANDEZ Argiro Alonso

Tour Down Under
THOMAS Geraint
ROJAS GIL Jose Joaquin
SCHLECK Andy
ROELANDTS Jürgen
BOBRIDGE Jack
SLAGTER Tom Jelte
APPOLLONIO Davide
AHLSTRAND Jonas
MEYER Cameron

I'm really surprised that I left out some guys I considered a "must have" on my final team
The line-ups are not too bad, but not strong enough to put me somewhere near the top10 ten, I guess.

 

[Kjellus]

Starting my first season with these guys:

San Luis:
Aru
Docker
Hushovd

TdU:
Bobridge
Dennis
Farrar
Favilli
Gilbert
Guardini
Lloyd
Ponzi
Rojas
Schleck A
Thomas

La Tropicale Amissa Bongo:
Cattaneo
Kern

 

[will10]

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

 

[Squire]

So... who's got most Australians?

 

[theyoungest]

I think I'm starting the season Down Under with

Jack Bobridge
Rohan Dennis
Philippe Gilbert
Andrea Guardini
Damien Howson
Michael Matthews
Lachlan Morton
Andy Schleck
Tom Jelte Slagter
Geraint Thomas

Should be good for some points.

 

[taiwan]

Looking at other people's lists I'll have a good squad at TDU, but I can't be ased finding out exactly who.

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

I am surprised only 4 people picked Rolland.

As am I. With Besseges, Tour Med and Langkawi in the early season he will score bucketloads of points plus he was injured for part of last season and unlucky in LBL not to score more because he was extremely impressive (despite just coming back from injury). Add to all that a climber-friendly Tour de France in 2013 and he probably is not far from being (if not) the best value in his price range.

another rider that had a really poor consideration IMO (only 6 team!!) is Tom Dumoulin: he's still very young and in the last year as neopro he raced only minor races (no 2.WT races that can suit him very well) but he already had good results (6th in Andalucia, 5th in Luxemburg, 10th at Vuelta a Burgos). He can easily double his point and getting even something more...

I did not pick him for the same reason I did not pick Quintana : I had both last year and was happy with their performances so I did not wish to "tarnish" their legacy by picking them again and risking a mediocre season afterwards (I call it the Pinot rule because if only I had applied it to Pinot in 2012 after picking him in his breakthrough year in 2011 I could have greatly increased my score in 2012). Speaking of Pinot (which made my team every year for better or for worse, hopefully for the better this year), his injury isn't too serious as he was hopeful to be able to ride for FDJ's training camp which starts tomorrow. Anyway, Dumoulin is a solid pick but hardly a game changer as he will struggle to score on the WT as you pointed out yourself.

Tyler Farrar - 521:

I don't really like Tyler Farrar. But I do believe that he's a better sprinter than he showed this year. Hell, he was one of the last cuts off my team last year at 952 or whatever, I can't overlook him at 521. I feel like he had some crashes and bad luck, and maybe he's past his magic years as a sprinter despite being still young, but he's THE sprinter in Garmin and he'll get chances at the GTs, and he'll clock up points unless he crashes even more.

I just have a feeling that he hasn't been the same since Weylandt's crash unfortunately, hence why I dropped him from my team.