The 2024 CQ Ranking Manager Thread

[Armchair Cyclist]

I didn't realize going in that there is a green and polka dot competition (though I vaguely thought there might be from following previous versions of the competition). Do any teams just go for those jersey? That's interesting to me because whereas the overall is obviously entirely about improvement- those two competitions are more about just getting the best riders for those categories.

Nothing to do with sprint or crest of a climb points.

But would there be a technique for actually targeting those classifications in the game? For getting lots of good weekly placings without having a great total, or of making your team oscillate up and down the rankings fom week to week without getting so high in the rankings that you don't have much room to move up?

Perhaps those teams with 3 or more 1000 pointers are the way to aim for those goals.

 

[pman]

He would enjoy simply seeing himself in a race: no contract

Whereas he seems very happy not seeing himself in a race: has retired.

Two wasted spots. You really have to invest a decent amount of time reading about these guys to get your team right.

 

[Panda Claws]

Two wasted spots. You really have to invest a decent amount of time reading about these guys to get your team right.

Been there.

 

[skidmark]

Haha even when I try to go a bit against my boring instincts I end up with the most boring team

I suppose you and me are definetly the 2 popular team specialists in these games. If only my actual results matched my ability to pick the popular riders, but maybe it will happen this year

Our teams also look very similar this year, so yours looks very strong too me. Carlos Rodriquez is definetly also a very strong pick. I just rated Mas as a bit more safe pick so with Ayuso also there Carlos never really had a chance after that conclusion even if I definetly felt he was a great pick.

I also like the rest of your team. Kyffin was never in my mind though as I had not noticed his teamchange, but that definetly makes him a interesting joker also. Hopefully you missing Walls (that I think will bounce back next year) on the other hand could give me the small edge in the end

I'll have lots to say about Rodriguez (and a small amount about Kyffin) when I get to running down my team, but I do have to say that I couldn't bring myself to pick Walls for a third year in a row. I have a rule (created just now) that if I double down on a rider and they don't double their cost of 10 points, I can't make myself pick them again.

Unless it's Grosu.

 

[RedheadDane]

Two wasted spots. You really have to invest a decent amount of time reading about these guys to get your team right.

I always look riders up on CQ. Both to catch stuff like that, and to ensure that I write the name down in the "correct CQ style", which is particularily important when you make a team entirely of Danes.

 

[Kazistuta]

I'm really curious to hearing the reasoning behind picking Sheehan. To most of us, his win in Paris-Tours came out of nowhere, and although he flew on his victory high into a decent placing in Japan, I just think it's a fluke win, like Matthew Hayman in Paris-Roubaix fx. Besides the win he doesn't strike me at all as a rider that should have a 250 points price tag.

I'm also troubled about not being vary of Oldanis switch to Cofidis. He's the kind of rider that could excel in the smaller French races and get a big return for his backers. Nice pick!

 

[Karaev1]

Is the spreadsheet out? I looked on all pages for it but could not found it...

 

[Rufs]

Two wasted spots. You really have to invest a decent amount of time reading about these guys to get your team right.

No prob. Did the same last year in the womens cq (1 pregnant and 1 retire).

 

[Rufs]

Is the spreadsheet out? I looked on all pages for it but could not found it...

Page 11 post #269. There is a link to all the teams

 

[jsem94]

I was THIS close to picking Plapp. For it to have been a worthwhile pick he needs to score 600+ anyway, so we'll see.


Also.. I picked one LESS RIDER THAN I COULD HAVE? WHAT?? I cannot believe I actually did that. **********

 

[SafeBet]

Reminds me a bit about when Van Aert signed for Jumbo in 2019. His full (and quite limited) schedule was released just after the CQ game started, and I think I asked the question whether his backers would still have picked him if they had that info. He still ended up turning a tidy profit, but not more than you'd expect as a minimum from a rider at his price. I don't rate Nys as high as Van Aert, but I also don't know what his road season will actually look like. So he could still be good. Trek tend to do a lot of small races where he can score well. The big worry is a potential early end to the season to be ready for the cyclocross winter, I guess.

Yes you did ask and yes I remember being sh*t scared he'd have 30 race days and be a total bust.
That being said, he still returned a 300 points profit while having his season cut short by the horrific crash at the TdF. He could have won a couple more stages at the Tour and score a lot of points at the WC.

But it was a valid point, and even more so with Nys. That's why I went with Hagenes instead of him in the same price range.

 

[Karaev1]

Really excited for this year and really happy with my Top 3 picks : Pidcock , Bagioli and Rodriguez!

Rodriguez was an obvious pick for me but the other 2 were really hard to decide on. At first I was going with a trio of Ayuso , Rodriguez and one of Jakobsen/Sheffield but changed my mind in the end.

I am really excited that Bagioli was only selected by only 1 more guy and I believe he could be a huge difference maker. The talent is clearly there and hopefully he can replicate his autumn form in the first part of the season. He was in my team last year too and I must say he became one of my favorite riders and I really enjoy to watch him. Really curious if any of you guys considered him and what your opinion is on this pick.

Another thing that I will follow closely is how Pidcock will perform in comparison with Ayuso. I switched those guys around in my drafts but I am happy with my final decision.

Another relatively rare expensive pick of mine is Tarling. His level as an 18 year old last year was incredible and I just could not resist not picking him.

GAUTHERAT Pierre was only picked by 4 other participants and he is another pick that I am curious if you guys thought about. He is very young and last season he got some good results in some 1 day classics and Tour de Pologne showing decent speed. He seems like a guy that could get a lot of points in France if he gets the right races.

My biggest regret is missing Capiot who could score a lot of points this season. Walls is also a regret , but in his case I at least had him in some of my drafts.

I hope I will be able to get in top 10 this year!

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

No prob. Did the same last year in the womens cq (1 pregnant and 1 retire).

And still won it...

 

[slow_climber]

For this game the torment you suffer over the riders you missed is always greater than the joy you get when one of your riders does well.

Last year I couldn’t decide between Carlos Rodriguez and Ayuso, so I picked them both. This year I couldn’t decide and picked neither.

I nearly picked Rodriguez due to the lack of stage race leaders at Ineos, which should give him opportunities. But I’m not convinced about Rodriguez level yet (given the races he is likely to do) and whether he has the punch to win week long stage races or durability for GCs. For this year I thought Tao GH gave better value.

I’ve no doubts about Ayuso’s abilities but didn’t pick him due to the number of leaders at UAE, and whether that will affect his chances. If he had been doing the Giro instead of Pog that would have been an easier choice. However, I’ve now realized he is doing a series of spring classics, so I’ve maybe missed out there. I went for a Mauro Schmid, Ethan Hayter combo instead (redemption tour).

I am annoyed about not picking Matt Walls. I’ve had him the last two years and he’s been a disappointment. However, I missed that he has just changed teams and might get more chances this year. That will hurt if he gets a few hundred points.

I also picked a suspended doper (Stannard) over Liam Slock, so will be annoyed about every point Slock wins (yes, I had him last year as well).

I’m worrying that last year’s team was actually better for this year than the team I picked!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I’m worrying that last year’s team was actually better for this year than the team I picked!

Well your team from last year would have been almost 5000 points over budget, so you don't have to feel too bad about that.

 

[slow_climber]

Well your team from last year would have been almost 5000 points over budget, so you don't have to feel too bad about that.

Good point! It's only my third year in the competition, I'll get the hang of it soon.

 

[Anderis]

You'll find exceptions to every rule when it comes to rider progression. Skjelmose is definitely one. I just don't think that expecting exceptions to repeat themselves is a sustainable strategy.

I don't think there are that many actual rules to rider progression and it's more unpredictable than some people give it credit for, as evidenced by the fact how low the winners' scores in these games often are compared to optimal teams that could have been picked.

I would also disagree with one more thing. A young rider like Van Wilder, well renowned talent on a good team, having a season with plenty of results in smaller races and some strong showings in big races like his 3rd week in the Giro, making a step-up to regular results in big races in the following year, would hardly be something particularly exceptional compared to some other stuff we've seen in cycling. The same applies to Skjelmose last year.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

I was THIS close to picking Plapp. For it to have been a worthwhile pick he needs to score 600+ anyway, so we'll see.

Plapp, yes, this year I selected him because of his change of teams. Don't know what happened last year, but he scored 341 points, and 311 of these he got before March. But I remember being frustrated at leaving him out of my team after the UAE Tour, as I had him in 2022.

Someone mentioned Buratti. I had him last year in my awesome Italian Buratti-Busatto combo. Busatto turned out impressive, whereas Buratti I feel didn't get any chances at Bahrain, only acting as a work horse during stage races. Or maybe he simply was not good enough? Anyway, even though he was cheaper this year compared to last, I ended up not picking him. Instead I went for an obscure Swedish rider, where I'll be happy if he just equals his 2023 score.
I feel the same about my Rwandian and Algerian superstars by the way. I don't pick them for my winning chances, only for having some riders to cheer for in all the other smaller races going on during the year.
But Pesenti at Ukyo - here I think I could have a strong unique pick. Don't really know anything about him though...

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I briefly touched on Cian when replying to skidmark's team, but I'm also curious to hear predictions from some more of the Cianistas.

Would also be interesting to read the thoughts on Andew August, Emil Herzog, Markel Beloki and Joshua Tarling from some of their many backers.

AJ, to me, doesn't have the race results to justify the insane hype - but apparently his "numbers" are out of this world. And his race results were still (very) good overall. Beloki didn't do that great against non-Spanish opposition, so I didn't pick him. I have no idea why Herzog sucked so badly, and didn't want to waste time on it. He never even made my long list.

There are only 15 Tarling backers, thank god. I hope he can take that ITT crown, as he wasn't that far off. His level was insane considering his age. It screams top-tier talent to me. I'm hoping for at least 380 points from the Olympics and WC alone. Yes, go ahead and laugh, I'm banking on that WC ITT win!

I know Evenepoel and Ganna are way better climbers. The former's Tour de France focus could mean he's not at 100% for the Olympics, but only if he stays in contention for, let's say, a top 5. I think Remco could get dropped by 10+ riders on the Galibier already, in which case he may already shift his focus to breakaway wins / the Olympics. In that case this obviously doesn't apply.

And, like armchairclimber, I'm hoping for more GC points than the ones Tarling scored at the Tour de Wallonie. If his level is higher, they will come.

Not at all pleased that Tarling is racing the TDU, though. At this point I will be content with 5 points, as long as he doesn't crash.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Really excited for this year and really happy with my Top 3 picks : Pidcock , Bagioli and Rodriguez!

Rodriguez was an obvious pick for me but the other 2 were really hard to decide on. At first I was going with a trio of Ayuso , Rodriguez and one of Jakobsen/Sheffield but changed my mind in the end.

I am really excited that Bagioli was only selected by only 1 more guy and I believe he could be a huge difference maker. The talent is clearly there and hopefully he can replicate his autumn form in the first part of the season. He was in my team last year too and I must say he became one of my favorite riders and I really enjoy to watch him. Really curious if any of you guys considered him and what your opinion is on this pick.

Yeah, that was my only surprise - that I only shared Bagioli with one other forumer. In similar games on other sites Bagioli was way more in demand. Though I will not be surprised if he doesn;t do that much. You always have to be careful when a rider scores big in autumn races only...

As for my team. I figured Gregoire, Penhoet and to a lesser extent, Tarling and Cosnefroy wouldn't be that popular. That was the idea.

Hayter is one rider I ended up dropping to make way for Bagioli. One decision I'm particularly iffy about. Probably a really bad call, haha. Hayter is also missing from your team. Why didn't you pick him?

 

[Rufs]

PENHOËT Paul out of competion for about 3 months due to a ligament issue in the knee. Operation next

 

[search]

Enough has been said about the more popular picks already, so I've trimmed down my list to those which are on less than ~20% of the teams:

NAME	PRICE	POPULARITY
DEMARE Arnaud	743	15
ASGREEN Kasper	565	6
TEUNS Dylan	384	8
ALBANESE Vincenzo	380	3
KELDERMAN Wilco	324	3
BATTISTELLA Samuele	224	7
HONORE Mikkel Frølich	169	13
FUGLSANG Jakob	163	4
KANTER Max	157	9
QUINN Sean	151	3
TRATNIK Jan	121	9
STEIMLE Jannik	98	4
GAZZOLI Michele	78	4
ABERASTURI IZAGA Jon	72	2
BEVIN Patrick	10	16
SOTO MARTINEZ Nelson Andres	1	2

Several of those fit the same reasoning, with Arkea und Astana currently in the WT relegation zone. Battistella has specifically said that it'll be all about points hunting in 2024 (no GT for him, only suitable races), and I'd assume that this will be a common theme on those teams. Albanese (injured) and Gazzoli (doping) have also missed significant parts of 2023, and Kanter - for the first time since turning pro - will have a designated leadout man to follow him through all/most races. Demare is a bit of a different story, as he honestly just don't seem to be quite as good anymore, but he looks happy at Arkea, will have strong support, and probably free choice what races to do, which imo should somehow accumulate to 1000+ points in the end.

Although Asgreen basically did a normal racing schedule in 2023, to me it looked fairly obvious that he wasn't at his best again yet for the first half of it - same as Teuns, who fell into kind of a hole after his divorce (?). So they should have room for improvement, same as Fuglsang, Tratnik or Kelderman, who missed (or weren't at 100% in) most of the races they initially had aimed for.

About Sean Quinn I know nothing in this regard, but he looked incredibly strong in some of the Burgos/Vuelta stages, and with some more experience, hopefully will be able to also translate this into results more than before.

Steimle and Aberasturi are a bit of a risky ones, as stepping down to PT level rarely comes with a boost of results, but Steimle also missed large parts of 2023, and will obviously have much more freedom than at Quickstep. With Zemke, Q36.5 also signed a quality (German) DS, which he could benefit from. And Euskadi needs to secure a Top 40 to stay in the hunt for the Vuelta wildcards, so they normally should send Aberasturi to as many flattish one day races as they can find (his PCS schedule currently lists 13 of those in the first 8 weeks of the season).

Soto honestly hasn't really set the world on fire during his first stints on (p)ct level, but he looks like the fastest gus at Petrolike, and with Savio on board now, the team should normally do a lot of crappy races with sprinting opportunities for him.

Can't say I'm very confident about Bevin, but he said that he was improving again (after whatever problems in 2023), and hopefully won't be quite as bad again.

 

[repre]

PENHOËT Paul out of competion for about 3 months due to a ligament issue in the knee. Operation next

Sarreau can be better than expected pick then, Pithie too

 

[Eyeballs Out]

PENHOËT Paul out of competion for about 3 months due to a ligament issue in the knee. Operation next

And so it starts

Sorry Paul. To the other 32 riders in my team, apologies in advance

 

[repre]

Enough has been said about the more popular picks already, so I've trimmed down my list to those which are on less than ~20% of the teams:

NAME	PRICE	POPULARITY
DEMARE Arnaud	743	15
ASGREEN Kasper	565	6
TEUNS Dylan	384	8
ALBANESE Vincenzo	380	3
KELDERMAN Wilco	324	3
BATTISTELLA Samuele	224	7
HONORE Mikkel Frølich	169	13
FUGLSANG Jakob	163	4
KANTER Max	157	9
QUINN Sean	151	3
TRATNIK Jan	121	9
STEIMLE Jannik	98	4
GAZZOLI Michele	78	4
ABERASTURI IZAGA Jon	72	2
BEVIN Patrick	10	16
SOTO MARTINEZ Nelson Andres	1	2

Several of those fit the same reasoning, with Arkea und Astana currently in the WT relegation zone. Battistella has specifically said that it'll be all about points hunting in 2024 (no GT for him, only suitable races), and I'd assume that this will be a common theme on those teams. Albanese (injured) and Gazzoli (doping) have also missed significant parts of 2023, and Kanter - for the first time since turning pro - will have a designated leadout man to follow him through all/most races. Demare is a bit of a different story, as he honestly just don't seem to be quite as good anymore, but he looks happy at Arkea, will have strong support, and probably free choice what races to do, which imo should somehow accumulate to 1000+ points in the end.

Although Asgreen basically did a normal racing schedule in 2023, to me it looked fairly obvious that he wasn't at his best again yet for the first half of it - same as Teuns, who fell into kind of a hole after his divorce (?). So they should have room for improvement, same as Fuglsang, Tratnik or Kelderman, who missed (or weren't at 100% in) most of the races they initially had aimed for.

About Sean Quinn I know nothing in this regard, but he looked incredibly strong in some of the Burgos/Vuelta stages, and with some more experience, hopefully will be able to also translate this into results more than before.

Steimle and Aberasturi are a bit of a risky ones, as stepping down to PT level rarely comes with a boost of results, but Steimle also missed large parts of 2023, and will obviously have much more freedom than at Quickstep. With Zemke, Q36.5 also signed a quality (German) DS, which he could benefit from. And Euskadi needs to secure a Top 40 to stay in the hunt for the Vuelta wildcards, so they normally should send Aberasturi to as many flattish one day races as they can find (his PCS schedule currently lists 13 of those in the first 8 weeks of the season).

Soto honestly hasn't really set the world on fire during his first stints on (p)ct level, but he looks like the fastest gus at Petrolike, and with Savio on board now, the team should normally do a lot of crappy races with sprinting opportunities for him.

Can't say I'm very confident about Bevin, but he said that he was improving again (after whatever problems in 2023), and hopefully won't be quite as bad again.

Took Battistella and Kanter from your list. Surprised how rare he is, but my guess that he was in not too comfortable range of points, cause i left out Hayter in order to pick him. I didn't know for sure what his calendar will be, but guessed right, that he would do easier and suitable schedule to pick up points and TDU suits him well at beginning.

My strategy for this year included picking riders from teams which will hunt for points, battle for next year's license has began. Senechal and other Arkea riders will be good picks i guess from that perspective.

I tried to stay away from EF guys since that team burned me too often in prior years. I took Quinn for 2 years in a row and every year he had impressive stages where he showed his potential. But the team are not keen to let him rip like they did for Healy last year and he is not good enough climber for GCs and not powerful enough for classics, so i didn't pick him this year. But i can't say he was too far away from breakout year too from individual level standpoint. So probably he will explode this year and score 500+ points.