The 2025 CQ Ranking Manager Thread

[Earns1985]

Seixas and Philipsen aren't U23 graduates but junior graduates, I deliberately didn't say neopros here. Was mainly talking about Nordhagen, Torres and (if he belongs in the same tier of obviousness) Behrens, and then Widar has also done very little in his pro races. 352 points between the four of them as of right now is almost shockingly poor, IMO.

Especially Behrens is extremely awful this year. Widar, Torres and Nordhagen are at least on their way to come into profit during the next couple of weeks. But of course, one would have hoped also for more from these three.

Other U23 riders, who don´t perform yet this year are last years l'Avenir winner Blackmore and third placed Graat.

It´s really rare, that the two riders who are coming directly from the juniors, perform better in their first Pro Season, than the riders, who have already proven themselves in the U23 races.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

I would guess Simon Yates sets a new record for accumulating the least number of CQ points while winning a GT ? Best stage result of 3rd, no CQ points for the points or KOM jersey and just 1 day in pink. Apologies for being churlish and congrats to all Simon Yates owners. Another Visma rider to make a mockery of my choice of 3 Visma riders.

 

[del1962]

With Blackmore his points from last year were already inflated due to wins in 2.1 races and top tens in pro tour races.

 

[del1962]

I would guess Simon Yates sets a new record for accumulating the least number of CQ points while winning a GT ? Best stage result of 3rd, no CQ points for the points or KOM jersey and just 1 day in pink. Apologies for being churlish and congrats to all Simon Yates owners. Another Visma rider to make a mockery of my choice of 3 Visma riders.

I haven’t crunched the numbers but even for this week Del Toro might have outscored Simon

 

[Earns1985]

With Blackmore his points from last year were already inflated due to wins in 2.1 races and top tens in pro tour races.

Yes, it´s true and this is also the reason, why he is so unpopular for a Tour de l'Avenir winner in this game this year.

But the fact, that the best U23 riders of last season, doesn´t deliver this year until now, is also transferable to him. Regardless of the previous year's score, 168 points for a Tour de L'Avenir winner until june is not a good score.

 

[SafeBet]

Ia this discussion on u23 graduates based on numbers or just general feeling?
What is the average CQ score for the top5 u23 graduate in the post COVID era?

 

[Earns1985]

Ia this discussion on u23 graduates based on numbers or just general feeling?
What is the average CQ score for the top5 u23 graduate in the post COVID era?

I didn´t analysed the complete last years, but if you compare the score of the top5 of the previous Tour de l'Avenir, there is quite a difference between last season and this season:

Top 5 L'Avenir 2023	2024 Score	Top 5 L'Avenir 2024	2025 score until June
del Toro	890​	Blackmore	168​
Pellizzari	484​	Torres	107​
Piganzoli	523​	Graat	28​
Riccitello	333​	Bisiaux	51​
LeCerf	286​	Kajamini	30​

 

[del1962]

Matt Brennan is probably the best cyclist from l’avenir but not a gc rider and he didn’t start stage 6

 

[postmanhat]

Arensman, Plapp, Ciccone, Vine, Hindley...

I dont think anyone has been more unlucky actually.

But Simon Yates. Nice.

Sorry, should have specified that was referring to your most expensive riders, including Simon Yates now !

The ones you mention surely fall into the category of risky picks due to their tendency to crash, get sick, or just be inconsistent? Despite that, Ciccone and Vine are massively ahead of their 2024 points tally, Arensman is going well, and maybe only Hindey could be described as unlucky.

Plapp (who I have as well as Ciccone), immediately became a bad choice when he got injured before the season even started and missed out on a load of Aussie and Middle Eastern points. He's got a poor record in Europe, and not surprising that he's been withdrawn from Slovenia at the last moment.

 

[Salvarani]

Sorry, should have specified that was referring to your most expensive riders, including Simon Yates now !

The ones you mention surely fall into the category of risky picks due to their tendency to crash, get sick, or just be inconsistent? Despite that, Ciccone and Vine are massively ahead of their 2024 points tally, Arensman is going well, and maybe only Hindey could be described as unlucky.

Plapp (who I have as well as Ciccone), immediately became a bad choice when he got injured before the season even started and missed out on a load of Aussie and Middle Eastern points. He's got a poor record in Europe, and not surprising that he's been withdrawn from Slovenia at the last moment.

Yeah, I thought you were only referring to the Giro since you quoted your post with your riders there.

 

[Earns1985]

So down to 50th overall now with the most popular team in this game.
Fortunately, it seems that my riders will be waking up from their may break in the next few days and will be back racing again. So hopefully I reached the bottom now.
All of my top riders (except Wout van Aert) should be back in action.

Slovenia:
Geoghegan Hart
Bagioli

Belgien One-Day races:
Demare
Magnier
Senechal
Brennan (only Hageland)
Behrens (only Hageland)

Dauphine (startlist still not complete):
Vingegaard
Lipowitz
Seixas
Kron
Gesbert
Cavagna

Suisse (Not final):
Gall
Staune-Mittet
Torres
Graat
Gloag
Riccitello
Geoghegan Hart
Bagioli

Good, that Gall and Riccitello are riding in Suisse and not in the Dauphine, as competition in Dauphine is way bigger for GC riders.

 

[del1962]

Signs of life from Tao

 

[manafana]

I didn´t analysed the complete last years, but if you compare the score of the top5 of the previous Tour de l'Avenir, there is quite a difference between last season and this season:

Top 5 L'Avenir 2023	2024 Score	Top 5 L'Avenir 2024	2025 score until June
del Toro	890​	Blackmore	168​
Pellizzari	484​	Torres	107​
Piganzoli	523​	Graat	28​
Riccitello	333​	Bisiaux	51​
LeCerf	286​	Kajamini	30​

Would love see this analysis for few years and also for some other big stage races like Baby Giro. As mentioned think Blackmore almsot flashed too hot last year and paying little for it

Torres is a WT level climber but rest of his ability needs to match that.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Would love see this analysis for few years and also for some other big stage races like Baby Giro. As mentioned think Blackmore almsot flashed too hot last year and paying little for it

Torres is a WT level climber but rest of his ability needs to match that.

Avenir, scores in italics indicate the rider was still a U23 the year after.

2022 top-5	2023 score	Notes on 2023	2021 top-5	2022 score	Notes on 2022
Uijtdebroeks	574		T Halland Johannessen	462
Staune-Mittet	108	Still a U23	Rodriguez	1131
Hessmann	69	Tested positive in June	Zana	515
Ryan	45	Still a U23 + injured	Leemreize	263
Piganzoli	177		Toumire	46

Safe to say that the current cohort is the outlier.

 

[Squire]

Avenir, scores in italics indicate the rider was still a U23 the year after.

2022 top-5	2023 score	Notes on 2023	2021 top-5	2022 score	Notes on 2022
Uijtdebroeks	574		T Halland Johannessen	462
Staune-Mittet	108	Still a U23	Rodriguez	1131
Hessmann	69	Tested positive in June	Zana	515
Ryan	45	Still a U23 + injured	Leemreize	263
Piganzoli	177		Toumire	46

Safe to say that the current cohort is the outlier.

The 2023 game also had Martinez, Gregoire and Van Eetvelt who were all pretty obvious U23 graduates and successful. The 2022 game had De Lie and Ayuso.

 

[postmanhat]

Ayuso looks like going from hero to zero as far as the game is concerned. According to the main forum, no Nationals, Tour or Vuelta.

First race will apparently be San Sebastian with a focus on The Worlds, so maybe Burgos and Luxembourg as well? Impossible to see him reaching 2000 points, which he looked liked doing easily a few weeks ago.

WVA could end up being the best of the 1000+ picks?

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I would guess Simon Yates sets a new record for accumulating the least number of CQ points while winning a GT ? Best stage result of 3rd, no CQ points for the points or KOM jersey and just 1 day in pink.

Probably. Del Toro, conversely, probably takes the record for most points while not winning overall (in the CQ era, at least)

Yates 500 pts for winning, 18 pink jersey points, 58 stage points (3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th 8th, all once each) Total 578 points

Del Toro 375 for 2nd on GC, + 11 sets of pink jersey pts (198), 258 stage points (1 win, 4x2nd place, 3rd, 9th & 10th), and even 12 points for placings (5th and 9th) in the minor classifications: 843 points.

Pedersen and Carapaz were both within 100 points of Yates in their CQ yield from the Giro.

Of course, if you had played the Giro CQ game you'd be all over this. You can always come for the Tour game...

 

[Squire]

Probably. Del Toro, conversely, probably takes the record for most points while not winning overall (in the CQ era, at least)

Not quite:

Nozal 2003 Vuelta: 887 points.
Jrod 2012 Giro: 902 points.
Jrod 2012 Vuelta: 992 points.
Roglic 2020 Tour: 975 points.
Pog 2023 Tour: 859 points.

Honourable mention to Petacchi who scored 765 points in both the 2003 and the 2004 Giro. The first of them without even finishing the race, and the second time without any leader's jerseys and only the 15 participation points for GC.

Ayuso looks like going from hero to zero as far as the game is concerned. According to the main forum, no Nationals, Tour or Vuelta.

First race will apparently be San Sebastian with a focus on The Worlds, so maybe Burgos and Luxembourg as well? Impossible to see him reaching 2000 points, which he looked liked doing easily a few weeks ago.

WVA could end up being the best of the 1000+ picks?

There are still quite a lot of points for Ayuso in whatever stage races/hilly 1.Pro race etc. that UAE send him to. Perhaps even more than another GT full of potential struggles.

I'd say the odds are pretty even between the major 1000+ picks for who will end up as the best one. There's still time for Vingegaard too, with a top2 Dauphiné and one or two GT wins or at least top2 in both.

I'm happy with my almost-1000-point-pick Almeida. He might be more valuable than all the 1000+ ones.

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

Update #19: Simon sends Senderos to the top

The Giro GC update is always one of the biggest one of the year. This year is no different with no less than 10 teams cracking 1000 points for the week.

This Week's Top Scorers

Rank​	Team​	Points this week​
1​	Senderos​	1489​
2​	triley36​	1296​
3​	RestInPunk​	1277​
4​	Blues in the bottle​	1159​
5​	SafeBet​	1148​

Senderos takes the top spot by nearly 200 points thanks to Simon Yates, Giulio Pellizari, Matthew Brennan, Thibaud Gruel, Jan Christen, Tibor Del Grosso and Wout Van Aert. Triley36 is second with Del Toro instead of Yates and no Gruel. RestInPunk is third with the most top heavy week you'll ever see: Del Toro and Yates combining for 1137 points and the rest of their team for 140.

Blues in the bottle, is fourth with Yates, Gee and a contigent of Italian riders : Tiberi, Verre and Frigo. SafeBet is fifth with a similar mix as Senderos (minus Christen and Pellizari).

This Week's High Movers

Rank​	Team​	Up/down​
1​	RestInPunk​	(+28)​
2​	SafeBet​	(+25)​
3​	Blues in the bottle​	(+22)​
4​	Anderis​	(+20)​
4​	Nakazar​	(+20)​
4​	vladimir​	(+20)​

6 teams climb over 20 spots. Senderos and triley36 not among them because they were already too high in the rankings (more on that later). RestInPunk gains an astounding 28 spots. SafeBet continues a multi week surge and Blues in the bottle nearly halve their ranking (from 46 to 24). Anderis, vladimir and Nakazar are the other teams that jump at least 20 spots, all fueled by Del Toro or Yates to no one's surprise (although vladimir got a nice boost from Quinn Simmons as well).

Green Jersey Competition

Rank​	Team​	Total​
1​	Pantani4ever​	251​
2​	Salvarani​	240​
3​	Rufs​	208​
4​	Qazaqstan​	147​
5​	hayneplane​	135​

Salvarani grabs 6 points to close the gap a little while hayneplane climbs into the top 5 but the podium is still far ahead of everybody else.

Top 10 Overall

Rank​	Team​	Points​
1​	Salvarani​	7877​
2​	Qazaqstan​	7074​
3​	postmanhat​	6999​
4​	Senderos​	6956​
5​	Nyssinator​	6876​
6​	MADRAZO​	6650​
7​	triley36​	6619​
8​	search​	6616​
9​	Rufs​	6542​
10​	Lortnoc​	6514​

Salvarani is the first to break even and pushes the lead north of 800 points. Qazaqstan is the only other team over 7000 points. Senderos rockets up 17 spots to fourth and triley36 climbs 18 spots into seventh. Nyssinator and lortnoc also enter the top 10. Abbulf, slow climber, will10 and manafana give way.

If Salvarani lead sounds like a lot, just consider that at the same point last year, shalgo had already blown past 10,000 points. Just be glad that you aren't competing against that anymore.

Skidmark had a shot at history by becoming the first manager to score over 200,000 points cumulatively over the years but they fall 217 points short so that milestone will presumably wait for next week.

spreadsheet link (xlsx version)

spreadsheet link (ods version)