The 2014 CQ Ranking Manager Thread

[vladimir]

The game works fine as it is, I cannot see any reason to change anything. For returning players it is always nice to compare scores against earlier years and maybe aim for an all time high. With any changes to number of riders or max points allowed this would be meaningless.
Only addition that I can think of is to put a ranking for the weekly winners in the updates. Could lead to more people following the game even if they are out of the picture overall.

 

[Ferminal]

One season is always going to differ from the next based purely on the availability of picks. In that sense it can feel like a change without having to change anything. It may just be me but 2015 seems like the hardest year yet (alternatively, the least like any previous season).

 

[Netserk]

I haven't checked out the amount of really good cheap picks yet, but depending on that, I think I'll go with a couple of big hitters. There would have to be a lot of good cheap picks before going down the route of >60% of my budget going to three riders.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I haven't checked out the amount of really good cheap picks yet, but depending on that, I think I'll go with a couple of big hitters. There would have to be a lot of good cheap picks before going down the route of >60% of my budget going to three riders.

My first draft was 34 riders at 12500 points. I removed the two 1000+ picks and I was still way over budget! And I didn't even try to fit in Alberto

Most of the riders I see as good value are between 200 and 700 points... meh

 

[oliveira]

Only addition that I can think of is to put a ranking for the weekly winners in the updates. Could lead to more people following the game even if they are out of the picture overall.

Very good idea imo! One that could make the game better.

About the budget I think 7500p is just fine. True that a WT team has some more value, CQ wise, but every year we can pick riders that are cheap CQ wise, but costly $budget$ wise. Guys like tommeke in 2014 or Henao/Stannard/Gesink in 2015. So with 7500p we have enough budget to make what would be a dream team out there in the road. A 8500p team would be a dream team + Purito! Too much imo.

 

[vladimir]

Very good idea imo! One that could make the game better.

About the budget I think 7500p is just fine. True that a WT team has some more value, CQ wise, but every year we can pick riders that are cheap CQ wise, but costly $budget$ wise. Guys like tommeke in 2014 or Henao/Stannard/Gesink in 2015. So with 7500p we have enough budget to make what would be a dream team out there in the road. A 8500p team would be a dream team + Purito! Too much imo.

Finally the first spoiler or name dropping for next year. I have three of the four on my (starting to get very long) shortlist already so no help for me, but I wonder how many Sky riders that will be on the average CQ manager team next year? Probably three or four and even more I guess if you include those that have left

 

[LaFlorecita]

I could use 1000 extra points

am trying to fit all my faves in, got 7110 with 6 riders

Sagan-Jrod-Alberto + several others not going to fit

So now I have 33 riders at 7480 with Alberto included

I have given up on a good position

 

[mc_mountain]

Only addition that I can think of is to put a ranking for the weekly winners in the updates. Could lead to more people following the game even if they are out of the picture overall.

Do you mean the equivalent of a points jersey? I do like that idea, could be points jersey for high scorers and KOM jersey got high movers. I did try and get my head round something similar at the start of the year but I reckon it probably needs to be done on a separate spreadsheet.

Might be the best way to do it would be if someone would take responsibility for collecting and reporting on the data, to take the pressure off the people doing the updates (which can be quite time consuming).

Some really good points being made about maintaining the budget.

 

[SamJourno]

As this year's Lanterne Rouge I am very keen for the new season to get underway so I can make amends for my disgraceful performance!

When will we be able to start submitting teams for 2015?

 

[oliveira]

Something like a CQ game green jersey will be great.

One could just use TDF points system for a flat stage for every weekly update to keep it simple.

 

[skidmark]

Hi all, pardon my absence, I've been taking a bit of a break for some 'life' stuff. I appreciate the responses. It's definitely too late to make any changes to the game for this year (I'm conscious of the fact that my own longlist would affect the way I think about team budgets for next year), but I'm also hearing that many people like the current amount of points. I have the same feeling as Jancouver that any changes should be on the level of # of riders or points only. The game is very good, and it's good without micro-managing - up to 33 riders truly allows you to have a good team without 'trades' even if you have some setbacks like injuries and underperformance. So yes, if there are ever going to be any changes in the points scoring (I'll take this feedback into consideration) they'll be announced mid-way through the season so people can know and prepare.

As for a weekly 'points' competition, I really like that. I could see how if you take a big gamble on an expensive pick who ends up hurt or something, your overall team could suffer, but if he's a unique pick you could really rack up the points some weeks. That would be pretty cool. I'll try to see how that can happen.

With regards to next season, the new thread will be up about a month before the Aussie Nationals, giving people plenty of time to submit a team. I just have to get my ducks in a row - my goal is to get it up by December 10th. Keep your eyes on this forum.

 

[ItalianGigolo]

Hi everyone! I'm pretty happy with my 89th place I got this year considering this was my first participation and my main rider Quintana got that injury in Vuelta. I hope I can be in top 50 next year.

I really like the game as it is and I don't think it needs any changes. I really want the budget to stay at 7500 because this way it makes teams more diffrent. The only change I would consider is that all players should have a chance to switch one of their riders with one of the same value (both points scored in current season and points scored in previous season) if he picks up a season long(or very long injury). This might aply only in the first monthis or all season long.

PS: I also like the idea of Points jersey and even KMO jersey. I have 1 question to put you:

Is there anyway I can check the 2014 0 pointers?

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Is there anyway I can check the 2014 0 pointers?

Yeah, go to "subrankings" -> "compose your own subranking" and you'll get to this page: http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/cqSubrankingRider.asp. Once you're here, choose year = 2014 and CQ value = 0 and press search. Voila!

 

[Jancouver]

Yeah, go to "subrankings" -> "compose your own subranking" and you'll get to this page: http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/cqSubrankingRider.asp. Once you're here, choose year = 2014 and CQ value = 0 and press search. Voila!

Once again, this may be a sign that stuffing your team with zero pointers is a sign that teams of 33 are too big. What is the limit for WT teams? 28? Perhaps that would be a worth of trying.

 

[Netserk]

I'd rather have more spots and fewer points than the opposite.

Preferably I'd like things to stay as they are. Don't fix what ain't broken. I do however like the idea of a points/green jersey.

 

[ItalianGigolo]

I just completed my list of 15 "Must Have" cyclists and it only costs a little over 2500 points. Now I need to decide which 1000+ rider/s I will add to my team. Got to say there is a good number of 200-700 cyclists that might prove to be very good next year. There are also some 1000+ cyclists that might be decisive. Now I don't know what should I follow for those 1000+ riders, my heart or my brain.

And thanks for your answer Hugo. It helped me found 3-4 intersting riders.

 

[Ruvu75]

Yeah, go to "subrankings" -> "compose your own subranking" and you'll get to this page: http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/cqSubrankingRider.asp. Once you're here, choose year = 2014 and CQ value = 0 and press search. Voila!

Doing that, riders like Firsanov, Kruopis, Napolitano and Colli for instance also appear in the selection... And they al scored points
I've added 'Cat. Group World Tour' to my search filters...

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Doing that, riders like Firsanov, Kruopis, Napolitano and Colli for instance also appear in the selection... And they al scored points
I've added 'Cat. Group World Tour' to my search filters...

In that case, you get all riders who scored zero points in WT-races. Some of those will have scored points in non-WT-races. Hopefully that solves the mystery.

 

[skidmark]

Hi guys, just touching base to let you know that the new thread for 2015 will be up and ready in about a week. I'm just on vacation right now and will be home in a week, so I've decided to wait until I'm home to start it up since I'll be better able to process early entries, will have time to get all the scores for dopers, etc. In the meantime, I appreciate all the feedback. If you already have your team picked, hold onto it for just a bit longer, and please feel free to start hyping the game to anyone and everyone. 150 teams was great this year, and the more the merrier.

 

[vladimir]

Enjoy your vacation Skidmark
I really hope the later date for the new thread won't affect the numbers of participants negatively. My short list of riders I need to have in my team for next year have already reached 50, and I am quite sure I have forgotten quite a few... The dopers list could be a bit tricky for next year. Not sure how to handle the likes of e.g. Sergio Henao. Anyway; as always looking forward to this game getting started!

 

[Roude Leiw]

Enjoy your vacation Skidmark
I really hope the later date for the new thread won't affect the numbers of participants negatively. My short list of riders I need to have in my team for next year have already reached 50, and I am quite sure I have forgotten quite a few... The dopers list could be a bit tricky for next year. Not sure how to handle the likes of e.g. Sergio Henao. Anyway; as always looking forward to this game getting started!

I would treat all the riders who were suspended part of the season (convicted or not) the same, i.e. as "dopers" in the sense of the game. If not, there are too many "easy" picks out there and a lot of the teams will look the same

 

[Netserk]

As I read the rules it's only officially suspended riders that will cost more (or the same), therefore Henao is treated as any other normal rider as he hasn't been suspended. Kreuziger however has been suspended and it has affected his score, so even though he has been cleared he should cost his 2013 value. At least that's my interpretation.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I think I would propose scrapping the returning dopers rule.

It is not for us to sanction riders (not that being omitted from teams in a fantasy league is any sanction) or to impose some sort of ethical standard. There are many reasons why a rider might have under-performed last year: injury, tactical deployment, suspension with subsequent exoneration, head "not in the right place", etc. Why would we make one reason a limit on selection and not the others? If the game is a test of knowledge, then knowledge of returning dopers is just as valid as any other.

At worse, it means that some riders, some years, become almost universal picks: that happens anyway (eg with Schleck in 2013 with Boonen in this year's edition): at worst, it simply means that the competition is effectively between squads of 32 rather than 33. There is still a call to be made: will rider X who can return in August find any team to take him on at that stage and what form will he have, and might up and coming youngster Y, with a new contract in an established team and a whole season's racing ahead of him, be a better pick?

 

[Jancouver]

I think I would propose scrapping the returning dopers rule.

It is not for us to sanction riders (not that being omitted from teams in a fantasy league is any sanction) or to impose some sort of ethical standard. There are many reasons why a rider might have under-performed last year: injury, tactical deployment, suspension with subsequent exoneration, head "not in the right place", etc. Why would we make one reason a limit on selection and not the others? If the game is a test of knowledge, then knowledge of returning dopers is just as valid as any other.

At worse, it means that some riders, some years, become almost universal picks: that happens anyway (eg with Schleck in 2013 with Boonen in this year's edition): at worst, it simply means that the competition is effectively between squads of 32 rather than 33. There is still a call to be made: will rider X who can return in August find any team to take him on at that stage and what form will he have, and might up and coming youngster Y, with a new contract in an established team and a whole season's racing ahead of him, be a better pick?

Bad idea IMO because if there is a zero cost doper, it would be almost mandatory to include him and it would be more about who forgot.

In that case majority would have the same dopers on a team and the teams would be very similar.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Bad idea IMO because if there is a zero cost doper, it would be almost mandatory to include him and it would be more about who forgot.

In that case majority would have the same dopers on a team and the teams would be very similar.

I believe I anticipated and disposed of both criticisms: must-pick riders who are on just about every team happen anyway, and teams of 33 that share one rider ubiquitously still compete through the 32 man composition of the remainder of the team.