The 2026 CQ Ranking Manager Thread

[Panda Claws]

I had a baseline cost of 7456 for my winning team in 2024. In 2023, I finished 8th with a baseline of 7477. Last year, I was at 7490 and finished 41st. My team is 7499 this year, so I can only assume I am heading for the bottom of the table.

7456 😱 I could never

 

[RedheadDane]

My total is at 7461, so not quite as far below budget as I have been.

 

[Wvv]

I entered a team two days ago at 7498 points with 33 riders. My 5 most expensive ones are all Belgians, oops #notbiased

 

[RedheadDane]

My 5 most expensive riders are all Danes.

So are my 5 cheapest.

And the 23 in-between.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

I am also pretty obsessed by the 7500 number. This year my total is 7499.
A few days ago I noticed I missed out on a rider (rider A) that I had in 2025 and all year knew that I would have again in 2026. Only to forget about him before submitting my team. If I replace him for another rider closest at hand, points wise, it would mean my total would be 7487. In the end I believe rider A has a greater potential than rider B.
But I can't get myself to change the team now. And that is partly because of the points, but also...what if rider B has a break through season?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I have submitted a team with a price of 7496 points, a new personal record. None of the riders are Icelandic.

 

[ingsve]

I made a substitution last year to get exactly 7500 points but that certainly didn't work out. Even now I made a substitution from 7496 down to 7469 which is what I submitted. There simply wasn't anyone I wanted to upgrade with the last points.

 

[del1962]

My team cost 7487 which may be a record low for me

 

[armchairclimber]

I am a couple of points under budget, but that's because I only have one 0 point pick this year. Usually I have several. There actually not that many viable 0 point picks this year ... but lots of options in the 0 to 300 bracket. I see that I have a few engaged in the Aussie championships ... but, unlike in previous years, they are unlikely to score many points.

 

[JOSEDIN]

Send Team

 

[Ilmaestro99]

What is the deadline. I am a busy boy and it will take me time to spell all the rider names when making a team

 

[Salvarani]

What is the deadline. I am a busy boy and it will take me time to spell all the rider names when making a team

In about 2 hours

 

[Ilmaestro99]

The file is no working. Disaster. Also I thought mods banned PM so how can I PM my team

 

[Ilmaestro99]

I have read the opening post 4 times and still don't understand how to submit a team.

 

[Salvarani]

I have read the opening post 4 times and still don't understand how to submit a team.

You can PM @skidmark with your team in the right format. 33 riders. Budget 7500 points.

He has temporary mod privileges, so it is possible to message him. Mods are the only ones you can send a message to.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

You can PM @skidmark with your team in the right format. 33 riders. Budget 7500 points.

He has temporary mod privileges, so it is possible to message him. Mods are the only ones you can send a message to.

Thank you mate seen that you won lasy year, congratulations

 

[ingsve]

What is the deadline. I am a busy boy and it will take me time to spell all the rider names when making a team

Easiest way is to copy the name from the CQranking website, you'll just have to remove a space at the end usually. That way you know you get it right.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

What is the deadline. I am a busy boy and it will take me time to spell all the rider names when making a team

If you PM me your team then I'll happily do a spell check.

 

[Squire]

What is the deadline. I am a busy boy and it will take me time to spell all the rider names when making a team

If you really struggle with the deadline, I think skidmark is often a bit lenient with it. After all, the big reveal is 24h after tonight's submission deadline, and part of the reason stated in the opening post is so that stragglers might have a chance at late submissions. Always great to have new participants, especially someone as enthusiastic as you!


I just submitted my team. Kept the 7498 point version I've had for a couple of days now. I have made one scary omission which might be stupid and which might haunt me and I'll be livid if the other guys I have in his price range don't do extremely well. But I will only have myself to blame, and in any case I don't think he's in Brennan territory of points potential.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I finally submitted my team too - 7500 points on the dot (and I wasn't even aiming for it). Not particularly happy with the way the last few puzzle pieces fit together, no matter what I did I simply had to pick a sub-100 point rider I wasn't especially confident in and in the end I made some changes much higher up in my roster to make myself feel like I wasn't wasting a pick. I'm more scared than I've ever been about some of the riders I've had to leave out (I will kick myself if the two 200+-pointers I took out in the final hours come back to bite me). On the other hand, that was kind of inevitable given the options this year, and spending more time than ever researching my picks probably just amplifies things.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Submitted my team with exaclyy 7500 points. I picked riders I liked and didn't allow myself to pick any belgien riders.

 

[Panda Claws]

I finally submitted my team too - 7500 points on the dot (and I wasn't even aiming for it). Not particularly happy with the way the last few puzzle pieces fit together, no matter what I did I simply had to pick a sub-100 point rider I wasn't especially confident in and in the end I made some changes much higher up in my roster to make myself feel like I wasn't wasting a pick. I'm more scared than I've ever been about some of the riders I've had to leave out (I will kick myself if the two 200+-pointers I took out in the final hours come back to bite me). On the other hand, that was kind of inevitable given the options this year, and spending more time than ever researching my picks probably just amplifies things.

Analysis paralysis

 

[skidmark]

Hey guys, thanks to everyone who submitted so far! I've got a bunch of DMs to sort through which I'll be getting to in the next couple of hours, so I can confirm teams very soon. There's still almost 24 hours until publication deadline, and as Squire noted a few posts up, I will generally accept entries right up until teams are made public. So if you forgot about the deadline or just missed it, feel free to throw together a team and send it to me right up until then. Looking forward to the start of the season.

 

[Wvv]

I am a couple of points under budget, but that's because I only have one 0 point pick this year. Usually I have several. There actually not that many viable 0 point picks this year ...

I have 4 of them... Furthermore I have one with 1 point, one with 5, one with 10 and two with 11.

 

[Nevs]

I have no zeros this year; two single digits and six double digits.

And double-digit Belgians