Update #2: Etoile de Besseges sees a three-star constellation atop the standings
Racing is underway, whee! It's not the multi-country, overlapping-stage-race gallop of the regular early season, but it has provided us with the unique experience of having normally overlooked races chock full of top-level talent and a sharpened focus for cycling fans. This week, there was the Etoile de Besseges 2.1 stage race in France, as well as the normal season-opener of the Aussie National Championships (although the top scoring riders there were not among the more popular picks).
This Week's Top Scorers
Interestingly, after a single day's racing last week produced a single winner at the top with a unique pick winning Marseillaise, this week's 5 days of racing produces a 3-way tie at the top, with 3 teams having the exact same combo of 6 scoring riders! And not even all of them are super popular picks. Great minds think alike, it seems. Of course the belle of the ball this week was winner Tim Wellens (145 points, 18 teams), who was a must have. But the whole podium also had Nils Politt (66 points, 65 teams), Christophe Laporte (51 points, 32 teams), Greg Van Avermaet (46 points, 33 teams), Timothy Dupont (20 points, 13 teams) and Pierre Latour (6 points, 61 teams). And no other riders scoring for any of these three.
This Week's High Movers
Well, that's a different listing! Of course things are quite movable in the first few weeks, and LosBrolin was in the right spot after last week to be able to move up nearly half the table. No Wellens for their team, but GvA and Politt make an appearance, buffered by a solid start from Jake Stewart (56, 5 teams) and 27 from Lucas Hamilton 16 teams. Devils Elbow (same combo less Hamilton plus Latour) and Salvarani (same as Devils Elbow with Laporte in place of Stewart) round out the podium.
Green Jersey Competition
Some repeat scorers this week! As well as some messy looking scores due to the tie at the top. As per the rules, the top 3 teams split the top 3 points (45-35-30) 3 ways, leading to some non-integer values. The top 3 teams overall scored last week and are now over a single week's max points for the game. Hugo Koblet is in the lead by 9.
Top 10 Overall
Speaking of our dear founder... he's on top! Hugo Koblet gets the winner's wreath and has to go through the post-race doping controls and press conferences in order to have his moment in the sun on the podium, in first with 434 points. Boris98 is having a strong debut in 2nd overall, and longtime youth game manager LaFlo rounds out the top 3! Congrats you guys. Almost 5.8% of last year's rider cost scored already.
This week is another little nibble on an appetizer for the season to come, with another 2.1 race in France, the Tour de Provence. As of this writing, the Classica Almeira is slated to go ahead on Sunday, the last Spanish race standing on the early-season calendar. But with no new news of freshly cancelled races, fingers crossed that things stabilize and this is the rockiest period of the season.
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