The 2026 CQ Ranking Manager Thread

[Berflamand]

That might well be next year's most expensive pick locked in for the majority of teams.

I would also love to get the kind of lucky break the Vacek teams just did. Not having to do domestique duty for Pedersen in the classics (plus no Pedersen to finish ahead of him) radically changes his potential as a pick.

I guess today's TT neutralization already negates a little bit of that luck (at least in this race).

He can ofcourse still challenge for a good GC but that would have been a lot easier with a strong TT.

It's also not good news for Evenepoel owners as a GC win is definitely not that clear cut right now against (among others) a stacked UAE and with some of his own teammates that could potentially take their chance now if everyone's looking at Evenepoel.

I have both Evenepoel and Vacek so I'm not quite happy with today's developments.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I guess today's TT neutralization already negates a little bit of that luck (at least in this race).

He can ofcourse still challenge for a good GC but that would have been a lot easier with a strong TT.

It's also not good news for Evenepoel owners as a GC win is definitely not that clear cut right now against (among others) a stacked UAE and with some of his own teammates that could potentially take their chance now if everyone's looking at Evenepoel.

I have both Evenepoel and Vacek so I'm not quite happy with today's developments.

Yeah, that's definitely the kind of lucky break I was talking about. As much as I despise the decision.

 

[Squire]

Very good day with the Kockelmann win and Decomble not losing time in Bessèges. Was worried when the FDJ guy on the roadside after the crash outside 3km looked a bit like Decomble.

Don't know what to think about Valencia. Vlasov 2nd in the ITT is awesome, and when he's this good, the GC neutralization is obviously a bad thing. But I can't know if somebody else would have been ahead if everyone went all-out. And he can still do well on GC, especially with a good countback situation, and he does get points for his TT stage, but I'm going to be extra angry about this stupid organizer decision if he now ends up not being up there in the GC after the 'queen stage'.

 

[Berflamand]

Very good day with the Kockelmann win and Decomble not losing time in Bessèges. Was worried when the FDJ guy on the roadside after the crash outside 3km looked a bit like Decomble.

Don't know what to think about Valencia. Vlasov 2nd in the ITT is awesome, and when he's this good, the GC neutralization is obviously a bad thing. But I can't know if somebody else would have been ahead if everyone went all-out. And he can still do well on GC, especially with a good countback situation, and he does get points for his TT stage, but I'm going to be extra angry about this stupid organizer decision if he now ends up not being up there in the GC after the 'queen stage'.

I have all of Evenepoel, Vlasov and Vacek in my team.

While this is the best possible result on the day, the neutralization is (at least potentially) very bad with regards to the GC situation and prospects.

But maybe they do it all over again on Saturday and the three of them ride into the sunset on the Cumbre del Sol.

 

[LosBrolin]

I was dead sure I picked Tom Crabbe, but was super disappointed to find out I only got him in the Emerging game. Great to see Kockelmann winning, but at the same time I’m starting to worry that missing Vlasov could be an absolutely colossal mistake. Raccagni Noviero’s Aussie campaign looked promising and Hector Alvarez got off to a better start than expected, so I think we’re still on the plus side at the start of the season. Vlasov, though…

 

[tobydawq]

Houcou ready to wreak havoc on the Omani sprint field - no Bennett or Moschetti to tow around.

Zingle out of the Muscat Classic due to illness - quite annoying as that would have been a very good opportunity for a good haul.

It would be a good time for Bettiol to wake up now and ride away to glory in the Muscat Classic.

It also seems like Vlasov is a very dangerous rider to have purposefully omitted from my team. He was just so unconvincing for the whole of last season that I didn't want to bother but that looks likely to be extremely costly.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Zingle out of the Muscat Classic due to illness - quite annoying as that would have been a very good opportunity for a good haul.

In the space of 2 weeks I've had zingel illness, double completely bottling alula, Foss crash and de kleijn having a baby. Not going well for me at the minute.

 

[Squire]

In the space of 2 weeks I've had zingel illness, double completely bottling alula, Foss crash and de kleijn having a baby. Not going well for me at the minute.

You're already getting the full CQ game experience.

The amount of weird and unfortunate things that will happen to any selection of 33 pro bike riders throughout a season never ceases to astonish me.

 

[tobydawq]

In the space of 2 weeks I've had zingel illness, double completely bottling alula, Foss crash and de kleijn having a baby. Not going well for me at the minute.

Amateur hour to not check up on pregnancy status of all spouses of your riders.

Also, his name is literally pronounced "Decline", how can anyone think he would be a good pick for this game?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I feared De Kleijn was pregnant and would be out for 9 months or more, but it turns out it was his partner who had a child a month ago. I think he will be ok.

 

[Squire]

I feared De Kleijn was pregnant and would be out for 9 months or more, but it turns out it was his partner who had a child a month ago.

Axelgaard keeps calling him 'tung', so I'm still not so sure.

Houcou ready to wreak havoc on the Omani sprint field - no Bennett or Moschetti to tow around.

Let's go!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Axelgaard keeps calling him 'tung', so I'm still not so sure.

He ain't heavy, he's someone's father. Anyway, I haven't picked him to be anything but a big man sprinter, so it doesn't matter if he can't finish a GT as long as he scores some points here and there.

 

[hayneplane]

I was dead sure I picked Tom Crabbe, but was super disappointed to find out I only got him in the Emerging game. Great to see Kockelmann winning, but at the same time I’m starting to worry that missing Vlasov could be an absolutely colossal mistake. Raccagni Noviero’s Aussie campaign looked promising and Hector Alvarez got off to a better start than expected, so I think we’re still on the plus side at the start of the season. Vlasov, though…

Yeah yay for Kockelmann (one of the picks I am most excited about) but I had Vlasov in the stick a fork in him he’s done basket as his decline seemed so mysterious I didn’t expect him to snap it and have a revival.