The 2024 CQ Ranking Manager Thread

[RedheadDane]

Yeah... this is not going to be a great week for me...

Bjerg
Skjelmose

With a very very tiny hope that any riders I might have for the Arctic Race are able to score points already Sunday. However, I'm not going to add my riders for that race until next week.

 

[skidmark]

Update #28: Strong showing for Jakob747

In a relatively quiet post-Tour week (quiet enough that I completely forgot about the update until Wednesday lol), there were points from the Olympics TT and Czech Tour, and although no great waves were made in the overall, there was some separation on the week and more shakeup in the Green Jersey competition.

This Week's Top Scorers

Rank	Team	Points this week
1	Jakob747	468
2	Bicycle_Boy	446
3	Amethyst	423
4	ILN	416
5	ingsve	400

Five teams cracked 400 points this week, and Jakob747 had the best combo of riders, hauling in 468 points thanks to Corbin Strong (166 points, 3 teams), Josh Tarling (110, 15), Marco Brenner (50, 16) and a few other smaller contributors. Bicycle Boy ends up in 2nd thanks to their team's 'go big or go home' approach finally paying off - they pulled in 250 from Remco Evenepoel's win (2 teams) and 130 from Wout Van Aert (6 teams), and may be in for more points in the Olympics RR with those two plus MvdP. Amethyst continues an incredibly strong run (sans Pogi this week) with 423 from Evenepoel, Jan Christen (80, 36) and a few minor points.

This Week's High Movers

Rank	Team	Up/down
1	Jakob747	(+10)
2	Amethyst	(+7)
3	vsd88	(+6)
4	ingsve	(+5)
5	Eric10	(+4)

Jakob doubles up here, as the only team to move up double digits, from 41st to 31st overall. Amethyst double podiums as well, moving up 7 spots, while vsd88 finishes 3rd in this ranking while finishing 17th in the Top Scorers ranking.

Green Jersey Competition

Rank	Team	Total
1	Googolplex	294
2	Jakob747	231
3	shalgo	226
4	Amethyst	207
5	HoudiniCycling	149

The gap that Googolplex pulled out in the past few weeks remains large, but Jakob747 leapfrogs shalgo for 2nd thanks to the 45 points for the weekly win, while Amethyst scores for the 5th week in a row (146 points in that time alone), staying at 4th but closing the gap to 3rd.

Top 10 Overall

Rank	Up/down	Team	Points
1	(-)	shalgo	12896
2	(-)	Earns1985	11450
3	(+2)	adamski101	11292
4	(-1)	EvansIsTheBest	11277
5	(-1)	skidmark	11204
6	(-)	MADRAZO	11087
7	(-)	HoudiniCycling	11074
8	(-)	Nakazar	10947
9	(+1)	Total Package	10857
10	(-1)	Gotland	10752

After falling off the podium last week, adamski101 rebounds to leapfrog EITB and skidmark to get back on, while lower down there is a swapping of a spot but no great shakes in the standings. shalgo's lead remains formidable.

This week coming up, unless you have riders in Portugal, it's basically the Olympics Road Race. Of course, the Olympics kind of blot out the sporting sun in these two weeks, so things will pick up in full summer swing after that.

spreadsheet link

 

[Squire]

I'm manifesting an Olympic podium consisting of Pidcock, Sheffield and Foss.

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

It's a shame the Olympic road race is today. It would have been hilarious if LosBrolin had won the week with 9 points.

 

[Squire]

It's a shame the Olympic road race is today. It would have been hilarious if LosBrolin had won the week with 9 points.

I think the Basque Street Boys would like to have a say if that was the case. The Volta might be more of a chemistry competition than a bike race sometimes, but it still gives out CQ points.

 

[RedheadDane]

My riders for the coming week:

Asgreen
Charmig
Cort
Foldager
Gregaard
Kamp
Kron
Lund
Stokbro
Würtz

 

[Shakes]

This is a depressing game, however I am close for my points to equalize the starting budget. Next year I will do better and not pick one rider who had retired (oops). For the Vuelta my money is on Gesink to relive the year 2009 but then without a fall.

I just noticed something though, website (https://www.savius.at/CQGame/cqgame.php?page=GreenJersey) has different points for the Green Jersey than posted above. Have any points been restated historically or something? As points are automatically updated every day (never restated) and then simple calculation is done for the points so not sure how that could have gone wrong.

/edit: I am seeing quite some differences when opening the Excel. Problem is the Excel is hardcoded so can't see what data was used when (probably overlooking something). Week 13 I see differences for GoogolPlex for instance, Website gives 20 while Excel gives 10. Just can't see what the 10 is based on though.

 

[skidmark]

Update #29: It's Bicycle Boy's Week

This week, aside from a few points from Volta Portugal, the only draw in town was the Olympics Road Race. And with the top riders there being very rarely picked, most of the teams in this game did not see much change.

This Week's Top Scorers

Rank	Team	Points this week
1	Bicycle_Boy	474
2	Amethyst	400
3	Simurgh	277
4	Berflamand	226
5	kingcycling	208

If you had to pick a team at the start of the season to win the week of the ORR, it'd have been Bicycle Boy, with the big-swinging strategy of picking Evenepoel, Van Der Poel and Van Aert (which left room for Carapaz and 26 riders costing less than 50 points each). It didn't go quite as well as it could have, with VdP finishing relatively low down (54 points, 2 teams) and Van Aert only getting finishing points after a late crash (10, 6). However, Remco did the double and picked up another 400 points for his two owners, which put things over the top. Obviously Amethyst, as the other Remco team, continued a torrid run these last few weeks to get 2nd on the week on Remco points alone. Simurgh was the best of the rest with 277 points, grabbing 240 for the silver from unique pick Valentin Madouas, and minor finishing points for three others.

This Week's High Movers

Rank	Team	Up/down
1	Amethyst	(+8)
2	JumboVismaFan	(+4)
3	vsd88	(+3)
3	Lortnoc	(+3)
3	jsem94	(+3)

Amethyst continues a multi-week run up the standings, moving 8 places this week and 39 in the past month. JumboVismaFan gets 2nd in this standings despit only 154 points on the week (largely thanks to being one of Tratnik's 9 owners to get his 112 points), while vsd88, Lortnoc and jsem94 split the final podium spot by moving up 3 spots each.

Green Jersey Competition

Rank	Team	Total
1	Googolplex	294
2	Amethyst	242
3	Jakob747	231
4	shalgo	226
5	Shakes	165

Googolplex remains in the lead here, but Amethyst scores points for the 6th week in a row and moves up to 2nd in the standings here. That run may come to an end this week now that both Pogi and Remco are taking a break, but it's been a notably impressive run! Further down, Shakes scores 16 points on the week to move into the top 5 overall as well.

Top 10 Overall

Rank	Up/down	Team	Points
1	(-)	shalgo	12951
2	(-)	Earns1985	11497
3	(-)	adamski101	11365
4	(-)	EvansIsTheBest	11330
5	(-)	skidmark	11257
6	(-)	MADRAZO	11130
7	(-)	HoudiniCycling	11094
8	(-)	Nakazar	10992
9	(-)	Total Package	10922
10	(+1)	Squire	10807

Nobody in the top 10 overall cracked even 100 points on the week, so differences are minimal, although Squire gained 37 points enough on Gotland, which was enough to displace the latter and re-enter the top 10.

This week we see the summer season pick back up with the 2.PS races in Burgos and Norway, with the delayed Clasica San Sebastien and two 1.1 races on the weekend.

spreadsheet link

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Update #29: It's Bicycle Boy's Week

This week, aside from a few points from Volta Portugal, the only draw in town was the Olympics Road Race. And with the top riders there being very rarely picked, most of the teams in this game did not see much change.

This Week's Top Scorers

Rank	Team	Points this week
1	Bicycle_Boy	474
2	Amethyst	400
3	Simurgh	277
4	Berflamand	226
5	kingcycling	208

If you had to pick a team at the start of the season to win the week of the ORR, it'd have been Bicycle Boy, with the big-swinging strategy of picking Evenepoel, Van Der Poel and Van Aert (which left room for Carapaz and 26 riders costing less than 50 points each). It didn't go quite as well as it could have, with VdP finishing relatively low down (54 points, 2 teams) and Van Aert only getting finishing points after a late crash (10, 6). However, Remco did the double and picked up another 400 points for his two owners, which put things over the top. Obviously Amethyst, as the other Remco team, continued a torrid run these last few weeks to get 2nd on the week on Remco points alone. Simurgh was the best of the rest with 277 points, grabbing 240 for the silver from unique pick Valentin Madouas, and minor finishing points for three others.

This Week's High Movers

Rank	Team	Up/down
1	Amethyst	(+8)
2	JumboVismaFan	(+4)
3	vsd88	(+3)
3	Lortnoc	(+3)
3	jsem94	(+3)

Amethyst continues a multi-week run up the standings, moving 8 places this week and 39 in the past month. JumboVismaFan gets 2nd in this standings despit only 154 points on the week (largely thanks to being one of Tratnik's 9 owners to get his 112 points), while vsd88, Lortnoc and jsem94 split the final podium spot by moving up 3 spots each.

Green Jersey Competition

Rank	Team	Total
1	Googolplex	294
2	Amethyst	242
3	Jakob747	231
4	shalgo	226
5	Shakes	165

Googolplex remains in the lead here, but Amethyst scores points for the 6th week in a row and moves up to 2nd in the standings here. That run may come to an end this week now that both Pogi and Remco are taking a break, but it's been a notably impressive run! Further down, Shakes scores 16 points on the week to move into the top 5 overall as well.

Top 10 Overall

Rank	Up/down	Team	Points
1	(-)	shalgo	12951
2	(-)	Earns1985	11497
3	(-)	adamski101	11365
4	(-)	EvansIsTheBest	11330
5	(-)	skidmark	11257
6	(-)	MADRAZO	11130
7	(-)	HoudiniCycling	11094
8	(-)	Nakazar	10992
9	(-)	Total Package	10922
10	(+1)	Squire	10807

Nobody in the top 10 overall cracked even 100 points on the week, so differences are minimal, although Squire gained 37 points enough on Gotland, which was enough to displace the latter and re-enter the top 10.

This week we see the summer season pick back up with the 2.PS races in Burgos and Norway, with the delayed Clasica San Sebastien and two 1.1 races on the weekend.

spreadsheet link

It seems CQ has decided to change the spelling of Aranburu's matriname from Deba to Deva.
I'd like to have his points back, please.

 

[skidmark]

This is a depressing game, however I am close for my points to equalize the starting budget. Next year I will do better and not pick one rider who had retired (oops). For the Vuelta my money is on Gesink to relive the year 2009 but then without a fall.

I just noticed something though, website (https://www.savius.at/CQGame/cqgame.php?page=GreenJersey) has different points for the Green Jersey than posted above. Have any points been restated historically or something? As points are automatically updated every day (never restated) and then simple calculation is done for the points so not sure how that could have gone wrong.

/edit: I am seeing quite some differences when opening the Excel. Problem is the Excel is hardcoded so can't see what data was used when (probably overlooking something). Week 13 I see differences for GoogolPlex for instance, Website gives 20 while Excel gives 10. Just can't see what the 10 is based on though.

Hmm, not sure where the discrepancy might be from... two guesses are 1) manual error when the excel sheet is updated or 2) discrepancy between when site updates standings and when CQ update comes out. I'd lean towards the latter, as there have been some weeks where CQ gives an updated spreadsheet that includes Monday scores for example, whereas I'd guess the website scrapes daily and is programmed to calculate Monday-Sunday as a weekly ranking.

When I have time I'll take a look at week 13 file and see. If you see any other discrepancies let me know.

 

[skidmark]

It seems CQ has decided to change the spelling of Aranburu's matriname from Deba to Deva.
I'd like to have his points back, please.

Thanks for pointing it out, change is made!

 

[shalgo]

Hmm, not sure where the discrepancy might be from... two guesses are 1) manual error when the excel sheet is updated or 2) discrepancy between when site updates standings and when CQ update comes out. I'd lean towards the latter, as there have been some weeks where CQ gives an updated spreadsheet that includes Monday scores for example, whereas I'd guess the website scrapes daily and is programmed to calculate Monday-Sunday as a weekly ranking.

When I have time I'll take a look at week 13 file and see. If you see any other discrepancies let me know.

My guess is that there are some weeks when Monday races are included in the weekly update Excel file. The website would not pick up those points, but would calculate that week’s green points based on the Sunday scores.

 

[RedheadDane]

My riders for the coming week:

Amdi
Andersen
Asgreen
Bendixen
Bévort
Bjerg
Blume
Changizi
Cort
Foldager
Gregaard
Gudnitz
Holm
Honoré
Kamp
Kragh
Kron
Larsen
Lund
Nielsen
Norsgaard
Pedersen
Price-Pejtersen
Sander Hansen
Skjelmose
Stokbro
Valgren
Wallin
Wandahl

 

[Earns1985]

*lol* what an awful two weeks after the end of the tour for my team here. Can´t believe, that I am still 2nd overall with that.

Hopefully, my team can turn the tide this week once again. Have a lot of riders in Poland this week, but unfortunately not so much in the other races..

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Au contraire, it has been a fantastic week. If only every week was like this.

Too bad Plapp crashed & injured himself in the Olympic TT, but I guess ou can't have it all.

 

[ingsve]

Au contraire, it has been a fantastic week. If only every week was like this.

Too bad Plapp crashed & injured himself in the Olympic TT, but I guess ou can't have it all.

ya, I noticed you had 3 unique picks scoring well and several uncommon picks also scoring points.

 

[Squire]

Au contraire, it has been a fantastic week. If only every week was like this.

Too bad Plapp crashed & injured himself in the Olympic TT, but I guess ou can't have it all.

Wow, you are incredibly unlucky with your three most expensive riders! I guess Ewan was a bit of a telegraphed disaster, and TGH was a risk, but still.

I mentioned your unique pick Fabio Christen as a potentially very good pick back in January, and although he has been rather disappointing until now, it's nice to see him up and running properly in the Arctic Race. He should have good options for points with all the semi-hilly stage races and one-day races that fill the calendar from now and until the end of the season.

 

[skidmark]

My guess is that there are some weeks when Monday races are included in the weekly update Excel file. The website would not pick up those points, but would calculate that week’s green points based on the Sunday scores.

I've confirmed that this seems to be the case for week 13 that was pointed out at least. I'll assume that's the case with any other weeks where there may be a discrepancy too.

Just looked on CQ and no weekly update yet, but I'll check back tomorrow and update when it's up.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Wow, you are incredibly unlucky with your three most expensive riders! I guess Ewan was a bit of a telegraphed disaster, and TGH was a risk, but still.

I mentioned your unique pick Fabio Christen as a potentially very good pick back in January, and although he has been rather disappointing until now, it's nice to see him up and running properly in the Arctic Race. He should have good options for points with all the semi-hilly stage races and one-day races that fill the calendar from now and until the end of the season.

I actually beleived in Ewan, new team and all that. So, under normal circumstances Cian, Tao and Ewan should have had around 300 points each on top of what they have now. It would not have been too much to ask for this time of the year if you ask me.

 

[Earns1985]

So no Ayuso in the vuelta, therefore C. Rodriguez in the startlist.

As a C. Rodriguez owner I fully support his participation, although form of course will be the most important factor scoring wise.

As a not Ayuso owner, I am still a bit unsure regarding the impact on this game. One day races (which he will likely ride for this) also offer a lot of points here. Let´s see..

 

[Squire]

So no Ayuso in the vuelta, therefore C. Rodriguez in the startlist.

As a C. Rodriguez owner I fully support his participation, although form of course will be the most important factor scoring wise.

As a not Ayuso owner, I am still a bit unsure regarding the impact on this game. One day races (which he will likely ride for this) also offer a lot of points here. Let´s see..

Yeah, the problem with Ayuso is that he is prone to picking up big points regardless where he races. Maybe it would have been better for us if an undercooked Ayuso did the Vuelta. Then there would have been the chance that he would only be 6th or so and be done for the season.

I'm curious to see what Pidcock does for the remaining part of the season. I don't have mega expectations. Was hoping he would have more points by now. I guess best case scenario is a Tour of Britain podium and a decent showing at the worlds.

 

[Earns1985]

I'm curious to see what Pidcock does for the remaining part of the season. I don't have mega expectations. Was hoping he would have more points by now. I guess best case scenario is a Tour of Britain podium and a decent showing at the worlds.

I am sure, you celebrated the gold medal in the MTB race in the Olympics as much as I celebrated the gold medal of B. Thomas on the track, right? Haha, at least they showed good form..

Yeah, the problem with Ayuso is that he is prone to picking up big points regardless where he races. Maybe it would have been better for us if an undercooked Ayuso did the Vuelta. Then there would have been the chance that he would only be 6th or so and be done for the season.

Yes, good thing could be, that Pogacar will likely have the same schedule than Ayuso now. Also Evenepoel and perhaps Vingegaard could race in Italy in the end of the season.

 

[Earns1985]

So Vuelta startlist nearly complete and this will be most likely my team for the vuelta:

Martinez (18 Players out of Top 20 overall, 60 players overall)
Carapaz (19,69)
Rafferty (12, 26)
C. Rodriguez (6, 24)
Arensman (19, 64)
Meintjes (2, 6)
LeCerf (6, 13)
del Toro (16, 47)
Riccitello (7, 22)
Teuns (3 , 8)

So a pretty solid team, which will potentially mean, that I will not score that much in the other races... but let´s see.

Especially I have to hope for good performances from C. Rodriguez, Meintjes, Le Cerf, Riccitello and Teuns. Carapaz is not so unimportant, because my direct neighbour adamski101 doesn´t have him. HoudiniCycling (5th overall) doesn´t have Martinez, so also not entirely unimportant.

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

Nys being terrible at time trials is such a bummer.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

If your season in the game has been no good: fear not, you can still redeem your reputation as a pundit in the Vuelta CQ Game: 8 riders, 3500 CQ points budget as of 11th Aug, submit a PM to me by the start on Saturday afternoon.


(Entry also open to those doing very well in this game)