The 2022 CQ Ranking Manager Thread

[Earns1985]

So glad to have Carlos Rodriguez in my team this year!!

 

[Salvarani]

Fuglsang looking good.

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

So glad to have Carlos Rodriguez in my team this year!!

Same

 

[Martin]

Unfortunatelly there no points for not including Vlasov, because you thought three guys from Bora are just enough...

 

[armchairclimber]

***. Jumbo Visma pull out. I was looking forward to a few points from Vader.

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

Van Gils into profit. One down, 32 to go

 

[Salvarani]

Van Gils into profit. One down, 32 to go

Thats great!

I had him on my team for so long... but only got him in the emerging riders game in the end. Softens the blow a little bit.

 

[bminchow]

***. Jumbo Visma pull out. I was looking forward to a few points from Vader.

Yep, he had good GC position.

 

[will-10]

At least my longlist is doing well

 

[Jakob747]

Kudos to all the Carlos Rodriguez and Tobias Halland Johannessen backers, looking very strong at these early stages! I would lie if I said I considered them myself - Carlos Rodriguez was a team hierarchy thing, I honestly didn't think it was his time (yet) and Halland Johannessen points-tag I thought was too risky to gamble with, ha.ha.ha, and even though it's still only early February, I feel they will be excellent investments. Let's wait and see!

I don't have anything point-wise to show for it yet, but I am super optimistic about my Alejandro Osorio gamble. In theory, he should be the best Colombian bet out of the new generation by far! Post Egan. His engine is fantastic, - good rouleur, and when on his climbing is pure poetry. Last year he finally started to show glimpse of his potential (Maurizio Fondriest and Gabriel Jaime Velez) predicted him a HUGE future already 3 years ago, but he was diagnosed with mononucleosis last year and didn't ride a single race after July.

However now fully recovered, he is putting in beastly rides here locally. 2 days ago he averaged 400watts on the climb to La Union, where he broke Jose Tito Hernandez, Strava record by 41 seconds - this is at 2600 meters of altitude climbing with over 30 km/h. Absolutely sick potential!

 

[BlueRoads]

Kudos to all the Carlos Rodriguez and Tobias Halland Johannessen backers, looking very strong at these early stages! I would lie if I said I considered them myself - Carlos Rodriguez was a team hierarchy thing, I honestly didn't think it was his time (yet) and Halland Johannessen points-tag I thought was too risky to gamble with, ha.ha.ha, and even though it's still only early February, I feel they will be excellent investments. Let's wait and see!

I don't have anything point-wise to show for it yet, but I am super optimistic about my Alejandro Osorio gamble. In theory, he should be the best Colombian bet out of the new generation by far! Post Egan. His engine is fantastic, - good rouleur, and when on his climbing is pure poetry. Last year he finally started to show glimpse of his potential (Maurizio Fondriest and Gabriel Jaime Velez) predicted him a HUGE future already 3 years ago, but he was diagnosed with mononucleosis last year and didn't ride a single race after May 15th.

However now fully recovered, he is putting in beastly rides here locally. 2 days ago he averaged 400watts on the climb to La Union, where he broke Jose Tito Hernandez, Strava record by 41 seconds - this is at 2600 meters of altitude climbing with over 30 km/h. Absolutely sick potential!

Really glad to hear that since I have him, too.

 

[Jakob747]

Really glad to hear that since I have him, too.

I really believe he will give us a lot of joy this season, maybe one of the riders with the most x-factor around. Fragile yet with so much untapped potential. You have Higuita too and he and Osorio have been training a lot together. On Instagram Higuita even wrote Osorio is pure fire at the moment. Btw I expect the best Higuita as well this season, he looks sharp, I guess we will see already in some days at Nationals.

We will need it because this competition is fierce and the other teams are so strong!

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

Kudos to all the Carlos Rodriguez and Tobias Halland Johannessen backers, looking very strong at these early stages! I would lie if I said I considered them myself - Carlos Rodriguez was a team hierarchy thing, I honestly didn't think it was his time (yet) and Halland Johannessen points-tag I thought was too risky to gamble with, ha.ha.ha, and even though it's still only early February, I feel they will be excellent investments. Let's wait and see!

Besides Carapaz who's good for a GT podium every year and Bernal who's a legit Tour de France contender (unfortunately won't happen this year), I really don't think the hierarchy at Ineos is settled. Part of why I picked Rodriguez (and Martinez) is that I expect they'll get their chances in a number of one week races. I think at least one of them is going to get pressed into leadership duties during a GT and get a bunch of points.

What are the alternatives ? Geraint Thomas ? He'll be 36 before the start of the Tour de France and he has exactly two top 10 in grand tours in his career. Adam Yates ? Zero podiums in GTs in his life. Why should I trust them to get results in GTs. Historically that is not who they are. So when they predictably falter I expect Rodriguez and Martinez to pick up the slack.

I'm slightly concerned by the form displayed by Johanssen and Bettiol.

 

[Jakob747]

Besides Carapaz who's good for a GT podium every year and Bernal who's a legit Tour de France contender (unfortunately won't happen this year), I really don't think the hierarchy at Ineos is settled. Part of why I picked Rodriguez (and Martinez) is that I expect they'll get their chances in a number of one week races. I think at least one of them is going to get pressed into leadership duties during a GT and get a bunch of points.

What are the alternatives ? Geraint Thomas ? He'll be 36 before the start of the Tour de France and he has exactly two top 10 in grand tours in his career. Adam Yates ? Zero podiums in GTs in his life. Why should I trust them to get results in GTs. Historically that is not who they are. So when they predictably falter I expect Rodriguez and Martinez to pick up the slack.

I'm slightly concerned by the form displayed by Johanssen and Bettiol.

I definitely think your team is looking lethal and you might be right on all parameters regarding Carlos Rodriguez and his role within Ineos, however, especially in 1-week stage races, Adam Yates is bombing and usually in shape from the get-go... I get it, GT wise I don't believe in Yates either, but in 1-week stage races I think he is live and someone Ineos still very much are banking on. However, it's yet to be seen whether Yates or Rodriguez will even ride the same calendar. So might not even be an issue.

Where I was wrong? And this is the part mainly relevant to our debate - Is the fact that Sivakov doesn't seem to have evolved further and Rodriguez already has leaped frogged him in the pecking order, then I wanna add TGH in the equation, OK to me he looks like a luxury domestic (that's just my hunch) but we can not forget he is a GT winner and his win is only dated 14 months back. And it was not just some fluke win, the wattage ridden at that Giro was extremely high - well I just don't wanna count him out yet, even though as I said, I see him more as a luxury right-hand man.

Daniel Martinez, you also have on your squad so no need to elaborate much on him in this regard.

However, I have a small few words on Ethan Hayter and Tom Pidcock! Hayter for me isn't there yet climbing-wise, at least on multiple climb mountain stages. but his potential is absolutely brilliant and barring accident I think he will fight with the best on Montagne de Lure next Sunday and in the future, this kid is so good I even see him challenging for a GT down the line. I wouldn't be the slightest surprised. He can minimize his losses to the pure climbers and then he is bomb everywhere else (TT/hills/sprint for bonus seconds etc etc) the whole lot. I rate this kid insanely high.

Pidcock is a fantastic climber, some 58kg. He won on Planche des Belles Filles, and in the Baby-Giro he toyed with everyone and won without even breaking a sweat, maybe his priorities this year again are the 1-day classics I understand that, but I am sure stage-race wise he will be in the mix as welll, maybe his focus there is not to the extent (yet) of a determined and super-talented Rodriguez, but a hors category talent like Pidcock should always be considered in any form or regard, so that's why I add him here as well.

All in all Carlos Rodriguez is an exceptional talent and I wish I had added him myself, but I don't think Skidmark accept a quick swap at this point??? Ineos in general is probably the team I rate the highest based on pure potential, they made some fantastic signings lately and will be a factor everywhere in the years to come

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I definitely think your team is looking lethal and you might be right on all parameters regarding Carlos Rodriguez and his role within Ineos, however, especially in 1-week stage races, Adam Yates is bombing and usually in shape from the get-go... I get it, GT wise I don't believe in Yates either, but in 1-week stage races I think he is live and someone Ineos still very much are banking on. However, it's yet to be seen whether Yates or Rodriguez will even ride the same calendar. So might not even be an issue.

Where I was wrong? And this is the part mainly relevant to our debate - Is the fact that Sivakov doesn't seem to have evolved further and Rodriguez already has leaped frogged him in the pecking order, then I wanna add TGH in the equation, OK to me he looks like a luxury domestic (that's just my hunch) but we can not forget he is a GT winner and his win is only dated 14 months back. And it was not just some fluke win, the wattage ridden at that Giro was extremely high - well I just don't wanna count him out yet, even though as I said, I see him more as a luxury right-hand man.

Daniel Martinez, you also have on your squad so no need to elaborate much on him in this regard.

However, I have a small few words on Ethan Hayter and Tom Pidcock! Hayter for me isn't there yet climbing-wise, at least on multiple climb mountain stages. but his potential is absolutely brilliant and barring accident I think he will fight with the best on Montagne de Lure next Sunday and in the future, this kid is so good I even see him challenging for a GT down the line. I wouldn't be the slightest surprised. He can minimize his losses to the pure climbers and then he is bomb everywhere else (TT/hills/sprint for bonus seconds etc etc) the whole lot. I rate this kid insanely high.

Pidcock is a fantastic climber, some 58kg. He won on Planche des Belles Filles, and in the Baby-Giro he toyed with everyone and won without even breaking a sweat, maybe his priorities this year again are the 1-day classics I understand that, but I am sure stage-race wise he will be in the mix as welll, maybe his focus there is not to the extent (yet) of a determined and super-talented Rodriguez, but a hors category talent like Pidcock should always be considered in any form or regard, so that's why I add him here as well.

All in all Carlos Rodriguez is an exceptional talent and I wish I had added him myself, but I don't think Skidmark accept a quick swap at this point??? Ineos in general is probably the team I rate the highest based on pure potential, they made some fantastic signings lately and will be a factor everywhere in the years to come

Jakob, I gotta say that your comments are are joy to read. You have so much knowledge about young riders, and especially Colombian riders it seems - you from Colombia your self? Just wanted to say that as I learn a lot about upcoming youngster from you

Also, I'm pretty bummed that I didn't pick Van Gils on my "all sub 23 year olds team" this year. But hey, we'll probably all have a lot similar situations this year with riders you contemplated winning something

 

[Jakob747]

Jakob, I gotta say that your comments are are joy to read. You have so much knowledge about young riders, and especially Colombian riders it seems - you from Colombia your self? Just wanted to say that as I learn a lot about upcoming youngster from you

Also, I'm pretty bummed that I didn't pick Van Gils on my "all sub 23 year olds team" this year. But hey, we'll probably all have a lot similar situations this year with riders you contemplated winning something

Thanks, man I appreciate it a lot. I hope we can keep the discussions going as it adds to the game in my opinion.

No, I am not. I only lived here for almost 15 years by now, my wife and children are.

I have followed South American cycling for like 2 decades now and I have a major interest in countries like the United States and Australia as well for example, Spain, Italy, and France goes without saying, but in general Belgium and the Netherlands are like weak points, especially since all major websites now have pay-walls it seems, so it's not so easy to google the news anymore.

So while I knew of Van Gils as a talented climber judging by his results solely, I hadn't pegged him beyond that, so it would be a lie to say he was even on my short-list, I didn't consider him at all honestly. Started strong though.

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

Pretty succesful week despite Bagioli and Ewan leaving easy points on the road. It's going to be hard to maintain the momentum next week. I'm basically counting on Girmay to bring in the points.

Looking at the provisional startlists, I have the following riders competing:

Antalya
Nobody

Oman
VAN TRICHT Stan

Provence
SKJELMOSE JENSEN Mattias
BATTISTELLA Samuele
BARONCINI Filippo
GONZALEZ RIVERA Abner
VAN WILDER Ilan

Spanish one day races
GIRMAY HAILU Biniam
QUINN Sean
KÄMNA Lennard
UIJTDEBROEKS Cian
KORETZKY Victor

Colombinan nationals (I guess, I couldn't find an actual startlist)
HIGUITA GARCIA Sergio Andres
MARTINEZ POVEDA Daniel Felipe

Pretty much everybody on my team will have started their season by the end of next week. Vermeersch is a notable exception which is odd because his objectives are fairly early in the year.

 

[Salvarani]

Pretty much everybody on my team will have started their season by the end of next week. Vermeersch is a notable exception which is odd because his objectives are fairly early in the year.

Seems like he will have a warm-up race before Omloop.

He listed in the provisional startlist for Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var.

 

[armchairclimber]

Nice week if not too spectacular ... but Rodriguez looks a good pick for me at the moment and is not on too many teams. Jakobsen too looks in seriously good shape.

Next week looks ok ... the calm before the following week's storm.

Antalya
David Martin ... read good things said about him, but he's very young and a bit of a wild card for me.

Oman
Ethan Vernon
Gaviria
Gross

Provence
Michael Storer
Paret-Peintre (A)
Victor Lafay
Verschaeve
Baroncini

Just Cian in Spain I think.

 

[Salvarani]

I think it was a good week for myself. Fuglsang and Ciccone scored points. Jakobsen looking really good. The same can be said for Bettiol. Minor points from Pinot, Kämna, Ayuso and Tiberi.

Tiberi very good in the final two stages of Bessèges. Will be interesting to follow his development.

Shame that JV had to leave Valenciana. Vader looked good and would have been off to a great start scoring points in his first race. A positive sign for the future, at least. "Only" 13 teams in total have him.

 

[adamski101]

Decent enough week. Bettiol and Evenepoel top scoring. Jakobsen looking good. Ewan left some points on the road, but got his first win. Some decent GC points from Ciccone and Geoghegan Hart.

 

[jon ezeitza]

Pleasant surprise from Tobias Johannessen and Carlos Rodriguez and unpleasant surprise from Juan Ayuso. Well Evenepoel too, although the sterrato gobbles him up.

 

[repre]

Pleasant surprise from Tobias Johannessen and Carlos Rodriguez and unpleasant surprise from Juan Ayuso. Well Evenepoel too, although the sterrato gobbles him up.

Ayuso had a mechanical on sterrato, so maybe he is not that bad

 

[armchairclimber]

Ayuso had a mechanical on sterrato, so maybe he is not that bad

I think he was dropped before the gravel.

 

[SafeBet]

I think he was dropped before the gravel.

He wasn't.
He was on Carlos Rodriguez wheel with 2.2 km to go. something must have happened for him to lose more than 3 minutes.