The 2023 CQ Ranking Manager Thread

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Yeah, Heiduk is not doing terribly. Yesterday, he even looked very strong too, so maybe he ends up being a great pick (considering how very cheap he was).

yeah, I think at the moment the competition is a bit too strong, but if he can show this shape for less contested races later in the season again (let's say Paris Tours, for example, where he looked strong last year) big points could be within reach indeed. Maybe also at the German championships.

 

[Anderis]

Fisher-Black into profit.

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

Fisher-Black into profit.

Some (that enjoy terrible puns) might even say Fisher-in-the-Black.

 

[Riverside]

I love our game, seriously. last stage at Sicilia I was watching like PR last weekend. rooting for FFB
that was even more special watching with polish commentators who were with a heart-breaking voices cheering for Rafal and considering him (not w/o reason) as the strongest one on that stage

 

[adamski101]

Good day, after a quiet few weeks. Lutsenko finally showing signs of life with stage win and GC and then Martinez with 2nd and into profit.

Line up for Amstel;
PIDCOCK
TARLING
SIMMONS
GAUDU
GREGOIRE
MILAN
ONLEY
LUTSENKO
MOSCON
STYBAR

 

[Kazistuta]

Is the war in Ukraine affecting the mental state of Padun and Ponomar?
Ponomar has been praised by Savio as a big talent, but this year especially the young man hasn't been showing signs of improvement at all.
It's clearly understandable, if that's the case, but game-wise not so promising, as he was supposed to make the next step this year.

 

[repre]

Is the war in Ukraine affecting the mental state of Padun and Ponomar?
Ponomar has been praised by Savio as a big talent, but this year especially the young man hasn't been showing signs of improvement at all.
It's clearly understandable, if that's the case, but game-wise not so promising, as he was supposed to make the next step this year.

Of course, everyone in Ukraine is affected.

Padun showed signs of life at Coppi Barttoli, he isn't someone who easily finds his form with weight related issues. Ponomar is searching himself in peloton and rebuilding his body as he and Arkea chose him to become a more cobble-rider. Visually he is much more bigger this year than in previous and this is affecting his hills riding. It's an ongoing process and i'm not quite sure this is right decision as he had more potential as a puncheur... I guess he can bring some results later this year or next year, but for this game he may be not valuable as he will be working for others.

 

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Visually he is much more bigger this year than in previous and this is affecting his hills riding. It's an ongoing process and i'm not quite sure this is right decision as he had more potential as a puncheur

I read more or less the same about Vacek in an interview last week, who also moved to the pro scene pretty early. He said he's like 5kg heavier than last year at the moment, and just doesn't have the body of a teenager anymore.

 

[postmanhat]

My teams are always biased to one-day races, but this year's classics have brought very little return so far. Still possible to salvage something from Ardennes week?

Amstel

Pidcock
Schelling
Strong
Piccolo
Battistella
Moscon
Lutsenko
Simmons
Honore
Vacek
Kragh Andersen

Only Schelling, Strong and Lutsenko have shown any kind of form recently, but would be disappointed with less than one top ten placing,

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Amstel Gold Race
Jonathan Lastra
Alex Aranburu
Gorka Izagirre

Aranburu has finished 11th and 19th in the last two editions, so a top 15 and another rider in the top 30 will probably be the best I can possibly get.

My team did pretty well in the Jura Mountains today, and if the rain tomorrow will be strong enough to give my team a lot of extra watts, then there might be some more points in store for me.

Tour du Doubs
Nans Peters
Pelayo Sánchez
Gotzon Martín
Unai Iribar
Xabier Azparren
Joan Bou

 

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Only Schelling, Strong and Lutsenko have shown any kind of form recently, but would be disappointed with less than one top ten placing,

while I'd be happy if anyone* scores more than ten points

PIDCOCK Thomas
PICCOLO Andrea
SIMMONS Quinn
STYBAR Zdenek
MOSCON Gianni
HOELGAARD Markus
HEIDUK Kim
SVRCEK Martin

*apart from Pidcock, of course, but he doesn't make much of a difference anyway.

 

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Amstel went about as bad as expected, but 80 surprise (unique) points from Italy!

 

[Anderis]

Does anyone still believe in Piccolo?

 

[Salvarani]

Does anyone still believe in Piccolo?

There is still a lot of racing left in the season... his teammate has just scored 210 points from two races in one week. A good run of form can yield many points quite fast.

However, with how things are looking, most would probably be happy to just breakeven at this point or take a smaller profit.

 

[Anderis]

his teammate has just scored 210 points from two races in one week.

His team mate has been in great form all season, though.

 

[will-10]

Healy looks like a decent pick

 

[del1962]

Had Healy last year, did reasonably well, just wish I picked him again

 

[manafana]

Had Healy last year, did reasonably well, just wish I picked him again

i didn't see this coming, some step up to now podium the first two big one days post Roubaix. Massive step up from last yr

 

[postmanhat]

Only picked Haig because realised late on, that I had hardly any GC riders. Wasn't particularly looking forward to following him, and really regretting it now. Seems to be going down the same route of career mediocrity as Formolo was a coupe of years ago?

In contrast, chose Lutsenko for the pretty much same reasons, and he looked like a terrible pick until the last seven days. Surely he can hold this form through the Ardennes and Romandie?

 

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what's the issue with Haig? Looked like a pretty good attack to me today.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Only picked Haig because realised late on, that I had hardly any GC riders. Wasn't particularly looking forward to following him, and really regretting it now. Seems to be going down the same route of career mediocrity as Formolo was a coupe of years ago?

In contrast, chose Lutsenko for the pretty much same reasons, and he looked like a terrible pick until the last seven days. Surely he can hold this form through the Ardennes and Romandie?

Haig was stronger today than he what his end result implied, so I wouldn't count him out completely yet.

 

[postmanhat]

Haig was stronger today than he what his end result implied, so I wouldn't count him out completely yet.

Thanks. Couldn't watch the stage, so hopefully he'll get stronger through the week.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Thanks. Couldn't watch the stage, so hopefully he'll get stronger through the week.

That said, the team is riding for Buitrago by the look of it, so there is a chance that Haig will be sacrificed and won't be scoring too many points this week. But his season will probably mostly depend on whether or not he finishes the Giro without any misfortune anyway.

 

[will-10]

Had Healy last year, did reasonably well, just wish I picked him again

to be honest, I mainly had him as a fanboy pick, thought he'd maybe double up but didn't expect a breakthrough like this in '23

 

[Whoops]

to be honest, I mainly had him as a fanboy pick, thought he'd maybe double up but didn't expect a breakthrough like this in '23

Same for me, didn't expect him to be this strong.
Healy really saved me this week, rest of my team scored less than 20 points