The 2026 CQ Ranking Manager Thread

[ingsve]

Although Martinez looked horrible on the last km and it´s not sure, that he can stay at 2nd in GC, this was together with Steinhauser a totally unexpected really good day for me.

Depends on how much of that was his level and how much was just the weather. He's a colombian in freezing cold rain after all.

 

[slow_climber]

Don't think he'll lose three minutes. He was among the strongest overall today, after all.

Combo search on the website gives me seven (!) teams with all of DFM, Steinhauser and Gaudu. A lot more than I thought considering that Steinhauser is only picked 13 times. @slow_climber looking incredibly good with Tiberi and Kron supplementing from Tirreno too.

I have Gaudu, but not DFM or Steinhauser. So P-N is going to be a bit of a disaster in terms of losing out to other teams. DFM needs to stop this leader nonsense! Of course the other Red Bull leader for this race, who I do have, is among the worst bad weather riders in the peloton.

Steinhauser the biggest surprise if he can hold on in GC. I assumed he would only be good for breakaway stage wins and some one day points. But GC points would be gratefully received.

 

[Squire]

I have Gaudu, but not DFM or Steinhauser.

You've got to be joking ...

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Without wanting to jinx myself, that should be second place on GC for DFM and somewhere in the top-7 for Gaudu locked in at Paris-Nice barring further crashes and echelons. Things might be looking up.

NARRATOR: He did, in fact, jinx himself.

 

[armchairclimber]

Pellizzari continues to be my bright spot this week. I think someone described him as a glorified Piganzoli upthread.

 

[Earns1985]

So good to see, that for us not owners Tiberi also doesn't seem to become at least an absolutely game changing pick.. Seems, that he peaked esrly

 

[Squire]

So good to see, that for us not owners Tiberi also doesn't seem to become at least an absolutely game changing pick.. Seems, that he peaked esrly

The Tirreno climbs this year are also very anti-Tiberi, to be fair to him.

This is quite a strange week. With the exception of DFM and Steinhauser in P-N, there are barely any game-relevant picks doing anything notable despite the startlists indicating more of the opposite. If this weirdness continues, this really won't be a very high-scoring edition of the game, I think.

 

[ingsve]

The Tirreno climbs this year are also very anti-Tiberi, to be fair to him.

Ya, not all climbers are made alike. Tiberi is more of a pure high mountains climber and not a steep 2 km climb type of one day racer which requires a lot more explosiveness.

It's the same argument I make when people start comparing Nordhagen to the likes of Widar or Del Toro etc.

 

[Squire]

Ya, not all climbers are made alike. Tiberi is more of a pure high mountains climber and not a steep 2 km climb type of one day racer which requires a lot more explosiveness.

It's the same argument I make when people start comparing Nordhagen to the likes of Widar or Del Toro etc.

I guess some people would take exception with the word 'pure climber' in the same sentence as Tiberi. But you're of course correct in that he is more suited to the long and steady climbs. I'd categorize him more in the unexplosive-time-trialist-turned-climber group, like a Leipheimer or Bruseghin or Kelderman. With a bit of a flat sprint on him due to his outright power, a bit like Pinot or Ullrich, but hardly any punch.