The 2015 CQ Ranking Manager Thread

[postmanhat]

Well, would you look at that. One of my unique picks starting the year out with a bang. I can't really believe that no one else picked Stephen Cummings this year.

I replied earlier in the thread that he was first on my team sheet, and pretty much the last to go. Got cold feet about his tendency to crash. Knew I'd regret it If he stays upright, he could be one of the picks of the year

Nice to see a couple of my expensive, uniqueish picks getting some early points (Viviani yesterday and Konig today)

 

[shalgo]

Well, would you look at that. One of my unique picks starting the year out with a bang. I can't really believe that no one else picked Stephen Cummings this year.

Five out of nineteen of the players in the Career in Decline game (including me) picked him. But you are looking smarter than us at this point.

 

[ingsve]

Five out of nineteen of the players in the Career in Decline game (including me) picked him. But you are looking smarter than us at this point.

To me he is such a textbook type of guy for this game. He has switched teams to a team where he is one of the few guys for thougher races so he is bound to get a lot of chances and he said in an interview at the end of last year that he was happy with having had a lot of ITT success and that he is looking to do even better with high GC placings in the new year. Such a natural pick in my mind.

 

[search]

well, he also was on my longlist because of the team change, but he is still old, fairly limited, and, most importantly not exactly cheap. Of course, he might become your winning pick in the end, but I don't think it's too surprising no one else has taken him.

 

[ingsve]

well, he also was on my longlist because of the team change, but he is still old, fairly limited, and, most importantly not exactly cheap. Of course, he might become your winning pick in the end, but I don't think it's too surprising no one else has taken him.

Well, those are reasons why he isn't one of the top picks of the year or even in the middle of the pack but being a unique pick is still astonishing to me.

 

[Jancouver]

Well, Cummings was never on any of my lists but I'm glad that Visconti is showing signs of life.

 

[search]

Well, those are reasons why he isn't one of the top picks of the year or even in the middle of the pack but being a unique pick is still astonishing to me.

yes, that's true, I was surprised for Wegmann being a unique pick as well, as for him applies more or less the same as for Cummings (although he was injured most of last year, but also cheaper)

 

[ingsve]

yes, that's true, I was surprised for Wegmann being a unique pick as well, as for him applies more or less the same as for Cummings (although he was injured most of last year, but also cheaper)

Yes, I had Wegmann at a list I made at work but then forgot about him when I made my team. Otherwise he would have had a given spot as well.

 

[Vesica]

wait what?! winners of those Mallorca races get 80 points? that's ridiculous!
come on, it's nothing more than a trainings course with a finish line...

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

wait what?! winners of those Mallorca races get 80 points? that's ridiculous!
come on, it's nothing more than a trainings course with a finish line...

To be honest I think Valverde going in the break and soloing the two final climbs which earned him 80 points in Mallorca just now isn't really overpriced.

Dennis earning 220 points for having a stronger punch than Porte, who isn't very explosive and Evans who is half-retired is very much overpriced.......

To be fair, Valverde today was awesome but in general Mallorca can be a bit overpriced, but it's right up there with TDU or even races like Langkawi or Turkey in my opinion.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Also I picked Wellens hoping the final part of last season was a definitive breakthrough and he would now step up and perform consistently on that level and although some January race in Mallorca doesn't mean much, the first results for Wellens are okay at least.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Also I picked Wellens hoping the final part of last season was a definitive breakthrough and he would now step up and perform consistently on that level and although some January race in Mallorca doesn't mean much, the first results for Wellens are okay at least.

I strongly considered Wellens for my team. In fact, he was one of the first riders in my first draft. Eventually he got cut because I couldn't fit in both him and Betancur, but I have no doubt that he will have a very good season and I might end up regretting cutting him.

 

[Jancouver]

wait what?! winners of those Mallorca races get 80 points? that's ridiculous!
come on, it's nothing more than a trainings course with a finish line...

Haha, says a person who collected boat load of points from the lamest race on the WT calendar

 

[skidmark]

Well, I looked at the standings on Monday and thought 'hmm, nobody above me has Sagan so if I can tread water through Mallorca and the weekend, I've got a good chance'. Since then I've learned that Sagan isn't racing Dubai, and I believe the 3 Mallorca races have netted me zero points. Sigh. Don't ever count your chickens in this game, I guess.

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

wait what?! winners of those Mallorca races get 80 points? that's ridiculous!
come on, it's nothing more than a trainings course with a finish line...

I agree that having those Mallorca races award as many points as a Tour de France stage is a pretty obvious flaw of the CQ ranking. But it's not that big a deal because even though they are overpriced these Mallorca races don't give out insane amounts of points (and the absence of GC means it's kind of hard to fit in a traditional 2.1 scoring format which would make more sense). The TDU bothers much more because the winner gets a lot of points. Dennis scoring more points from the TDU than you can get from winning Paris-Roubaix (or any other monument for that matter) is just wrong.
There are other races that give out too many points (Turkey, Langkawi, Qinghai Lake to name the most (in)famous) but I feel that, in general, it has more to do with how UCI classifies those races than with how CQ handles the situation.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I agree that having those Mallorca races award as many points as a Tour de France stage is a pretty obvious flaw of the CQ ranking. But it's not that big a deal because even though they are overpriced these Mallorca races don't give out insane amounts of points (and the absence of GC means it's kind of hard to fit in a traditional 2.1 scoring format which would make more sense). The TDU bothers much more because the winner gets a lot of points. Dennis scoring more points from the TDU than you can get from winning Paris-Roubaix (or any other monument for that matter) is just wrong.
There are other races that give out too many points (Turkey, Langkawi, Qinghai Lake to name the most (in)famous) but I feel that, in general, it has more to do with how UCI classifies those races than with how CQ handles the situation.

I was about to post something similar. Yes, for the sprint races 80 points might be a bit much (remember Howard 2 years ago) But for riders like Valverde, remember that if it had been a 2.1 race he would have scored points for GC.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Haha, says a person who collected boat load of points from the lamest race on the WT calendar

Uhhhh at least the point system for that race makes sense.

Challenge Mallorca is basically a stage race with in-race transfers yet awards 80 points to each stage winner and none for GC at all (AFAIK there is a sort of general ranking)

 

[Jancouver]

Uhhhh at least the point system for that race makes sense.

Challenge Mallorca is basically a stage race with in-race transfers yet awards 80 points to each stage winner and none for GC at all (AFAIK there is a sort of general ranking)

The system is not perfect but TDU is way more generous with points than Mallorca. You would have to win all 4 Mallorca races and you would still collect fewer points than what Rohan Dennis got in total from TDU!

I actually like how they have the Mallorca races structures. 4 different stages and riders can pick and choose. Climbers dont have to do the flat stages and sprinters can skip the hilly races.

 

[LaFlorecita]

The system is not perfect but TDU is way more generous with points than Mallorca. You would have to win all 4 Mallorca races and you would still collect fewer points than what Rohan Dennis got in total from TDU!

I actually like how they have the Mallorca races structures. 4 different stages and riders can pick and choose. Climbers dont have to do the flat stages and sprinters can skip the hilly races.

I'd argue TDU is a more important race than Mallorca Challenge.

 

[Jancouver]

I'd argue TDU is a more important race than Mallorca Challenge.

Perhaps, but that was not my point. My point was that you would have to win all four Mallorca races and you would still earn fewer points than Dennis at TDU where he won one stage ...

In other words, I dont believe TDU GC has more value than winning 4 one day races in a row and yet you still rake more CQ and WT points.

Actually, they will not get any WT points for any of the wins at Mallorca ...

 

[LaFlorecita]

Perhaps, but that was not my point. My point was that you would have to win all four Mallorca races and you would still earn fewer points than Dennis at TDU where he won one stage ...

In other words, I dont believe TDU GC has more value than winning 4 one day races in a row and yet you still rake more CQ and WT points.

Actually, they will not get any WT points for any of the wins at Mallorca ...

And my point was that I believe the TDU GC has more value than the Mallorca races.

Races are on different levels and higher levels are worth more points. It's logical.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I was so close to picking Pelucchi! but I scored 34 at the Cuddles ocean road race

 

[LaFlorecita]

I was so close to picking Pelucchi! but I scored 34 at the Cuddles ocean road race

Lasca 12th and Enger 20th in Mallorca... 14 points

Edit:

this week
Hivert 32
Moser 24
Lasca 6 + 9 = 15
Enger 5
Stannard 5
Porte 5

86

 

[rote_laterne]

Points:

Challenge Mallorca (4x 1.1)
BOASSON HAGEN Edvald 5
K?NIG Leopold 72
ROELANDTS J?rgen 5

Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (1.1)
STANNARD Ian 5

Total: 87

Next races:

45th Etoile de Bess?ges (2.1)
SEP?LVEDA Eduardo
TURGIS Anthony

Herald Sun Tour (2.1)
EWAN Caleb

Dubai Tour (2.HC)
CAVENDISH Mark
K?NG Stefan
ZURLO Federico

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

So this week wasn't too important with only some 1.1 races going on. I think I scored ~150 points or something. But next week with Dubai, Herald Sun Tour and Besseges will have some more points

Etoile de Bess?ges
HIVERT Jonathan
GROENEWEGEN Dylan
JUNGELS Bob

Herald Sun Tour
EWAN Caleb
HOWSON Damien
GOSS Matthew

Dubai Tour
LUTSENKO Alexey
CAVENDISH Mark
POLANC Jan
RODR?GUEZ Joaquim

Jungels to do well in Besseges; if he's got an okay shape he should be able to manage to hills and do well in the TT.

Dubai this year doesn't have a TT and judging from the map it looks like they made the hilly stage a bit harder. However it still has the same finish, so unfortunately it's probably still too easy for Purito.