The 2026 CQ Ranking Manager Thread

[EvansIsTheBest]

It's fairly high up, but the most common highest-scoring week of the season (as well as the week with the highest weekly scores of all time) is Vuelta GC week, which coincides with the Canadian double-header, Fourmies and one of the busiest weeks of Italian autumn races (five of them on the current schedule). This week is not close to competing with that, and there are a couple of others that beat it too.

Yup. 14 instances of teams scoring over 2000 points in a week, 10 of those for the 2022 Vuelta GC alone. 3 for the Giro GC (two in 2014 and one in 2022). 1 for the Tour GC (in 2015). Amazingly bminchow did it twice in the same season (the aforementioned 2022 Vuelta and Giro).

It's rare to crack 1000 points in non GT weeks (and no one has ever come close to 2000 points) but this is usually one of the best candidates to do so. Itzulia/Roubaix being another. Suisse/Slovenia/Belgium is a sneaky good opportunity to stack some points too.

 

[Squire]

It's rare to crack 1000 points in non GT weeks (and no one has ever come close to 2000 points) but this is usually one of the best candidates to do so. Itzulia/Roubaix being another. Suisse/Slovenia/Belgium is a sneaky good opportunity to stack some points too.

Yeah, I was gonna mention the Suisse week. I think it was the highest scoring week in at least one of the seasons. There are also some occasional big weeks in August/early September. A lot of 2.1 stage races in addition to Poland and Renewi, and some random Belgian and Italian semi-classics. Those 'lesser' WT stage races tend to have game-relevant riders doing well, as the up-and-coming stage racey types often come alive around then. For big non-GT weeks you really want as many stage races as possible.

I think the Catalunya week isn't usually the best for high scores, as the field there is often stacked with riders who are a bit too expensive for the game. It's a bit the same with the WT cobbled classics. They don't always bring the big points either, for the same reason. But the Coppi&Bartali race can sometimes throw up some big scores for young talents which does help.

 

[skidmark]

Update #10: slow climber climbs away

The first monument of the season is in the books, and with a half-dozen single day races on the week it was a busy one, although one with a lot of underwhelming results for popular or consequential riders in this game. As a result, several teams in the weekly spotlight are taking their first bow this season, with one glaring exception.

This Week's Top Scorers

Rank	Team	Points this week
1	RestInPunk	524
2	Basque Street Boys	414
3	slow_climber	404
4	search	399
5	Googolplex	380

RestInPunk takes week 10 as the only team to clear 500 points; this is largely thanks to a career resurgence at Unibet by unique pick Dylan Groenewegen (210 points), with two wins on the week. It didn't hurt to get another win out of rare pick Jasper Philipsen (135, 7), and contributions from decent one-day sprinters like Axel Zingle (52, 65) and Gerben Thijssen (48, 26). Samu Cuenca lands in second (I still have you as your Basque Street Boys name of the last couple of seasons, let me know if you want to change it, but I think it's even funnier now that your team is hardly Basque at all), as one of the two teams who took a very fun chance by picking Tadej Pogacar (280 points). I can't imagine the thrill of that MSR finale being even more exciting, but having the winner in your team would be one way. Third belongs to slow climber, whose biggest contribution this week comes from Matys Grisel (147, 5), as everyone might expect. Seriously, I watched every single race this week and typing this update is the first time I can ever remember registering that name. Well done!

This Week's High Movers

Rank	Team	Up/down
1	RestInPunk	(+22)
2	PandaClaws	(+10)
2	Mason07	(+10)
4	vansteenbergen	(+9)
4	Googolplex	(+9)

RIP doubles up this week, rocketing up the charts a full 22 places. Panda Claws ties for second thanks to 106 from unique pick Matthew Fox, as well as 75 from Primoz Roglic (5 teams) and the Zingle/Thijssen combo; Mason07 shares that spot with contributions from Philipsen/Roglic and Pascal Ackermann (78, 8).

Green Jersey Competition

Rank	Team	Total
1	slow_climber	165
2	Rufs	101
3	peixotini	100
4	SafeBet	97
5	karaev	92

Of the top 7 teams this week, 5 had zero points in the Green Jersey coming into the week, one had 2 points, and one was already leading the competition with 135. It's perhaps no surprise then, that none of the top 5 overall apart from slow climber score this week.

Top 10 Overall

Rank	Up/down	Team	Points
1	(-)	slow_climber	3785
2	(-)	Rufs	3365
3	(+2)	jsem94	3287
4	(-1)	postmanhat	3279
5	(-1)	Shakes	3243
6	(+2)	repre	3149
7	(-1)	ingsve	3140
8	(+5)	Eyeballs Out	3120
9	(-2)	peixotini	3095
10	(+2)	Sneekes	3064

That disparity carries over to the top 10 overall, as slow climber doesn't gain any positions but does gain 243 points on Rufs to open a commanding lead. Further down things are a fair bit closer, as there's more than 400 points between 1st and 2nd, but 301 points between 2nd and 10th. Eyeballs out and Sneekes enter the top 10 this week at the expense of Nyssinator and the asian.

This week the spring rolls along with Catalunya and Coppi e Bartali as the stage races, and, uhhh, "Ronde van Brugge" and "In Flanders Fields" as the rebranded WT one-day races.

spreadsheet link

 

[slow_climber]

After another great week, my mind obviously turns to those members of my team with zero points! Human nature being what it is, I'm not happy with their contribution.

Stevie Williams and Robbe Ghys appear to be injured (so let them off)
Senna Remijn and Mikel Landa haven't raced yet
Finlay Pickering and Noah Hobbs appear to be trying but not scoring
So only Max Poole's lack of points seems to be unexplained, he is meant to be this years Oscar Onley!

However, shouldn't really complain with Matys Grisel scoring >200 points

 

[tobydawq]

After another great week, my mind obviously turns to those members of my team with zero points! Human nature being what it is, I'm not happy with their contribution.

Stevie Williams and Robbe Ghys appear to be injured (so let them off)
Senna Remijn and Mikel Landa haven't raced yet
Finlay Pickering and Noah Hobbs appear to be trying but not scoring
So only Max Poole's lack of points seems to be unexplained, he is meant to be this years Oscar Onley!

However, shouldn't really complain with Matys Grisel scoring >200 points

Remijn and Landa finally had their season debuts today.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

After another *** week, my mind obviously turns to those few members of my team who actually score some points. Human nature being what it is, I'm proud of their effort and am happy

Daniel martinez I'm.proud of your grit on the final stage of Paris nice
Nico vinokurov the streets won't forget your February 2026 performances
Giosue epis you keep trying for something, true racer
Gianmarco garofli you are electric, always attacking, a great talent
Edoardo zambanini you are going to come good this year. You are destined for greatness.
Vlasov and Laport, you have been decent and dependable for some solid points

However, I should really complain at the rest of my team, who have been completely awful. I'm fearing the worst for this year. Redhead Dane and samu cuienca being above me would be himiliating

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

Leaders after every MSR update. Slow climber not too far off the 2020/2021 scores in the end. Shalgo playing a different game than everybody else. Although I could see a pretty dramatic slow down due to all the injuries hitting popular riders.

Year​	Team​	Score​
2011​	microdose​	3377​
2012​	Mellow Velo​	3691​
2013​	Skibby the bush kangaroo​	2734​
2014​	Geraint Too Fast​	3104​
2015​	Geraint Too Fast​	3472​
2016​	Pentacycle​	3601​
2017​	Nicosix​	3451​
2018​	Nathanptz​	3290​
2019​	Nicosix​	2726​
2020​	EITB​	3939​
2021​	Otoxiep87​	3922​
2022​	Eyeballs Out​	3445​
2023​	tobydawq​	3475​
2024​	shalgo​	4779​
2025​	Jakob747​	3243​
2026​	slow climber​	3785​

 

[slow_climber]

Leaders after every MSR update. Slow climber not too far off the 2020/2021 scores in the end. Shalgo playing a different game than everybody else. Although I could see a pretty dramatic slow down due to all the injuries hitting popular riders.

Year​	Team​	Score​
2011​	microdose​	3377​
2012​	Mellow Velo​	3691​
2013​	Skibby the bush kangaroo​	2734​
2014​	Geraint Too Fast​	3104​
2015​	Geraint Too Fast​	3472​
2016​	Pentacycle​	3601​
2017​	Nicosix​	3451​
2018​	Nathanptz​	3290​
2019​	Nicosix​	2726​
2020​	EITB​	3939​
2021​	Otoxiep87​	3922​
2022​	Eyeballs Out​	3445​
2023​	tobydawq​	3475​
2024​	shalgo​	4779​
2025​	Jakob747​	3243​
2026​	slow climber​	3785​

Did the early leaders go on to win at the end of the year? Who dropped the most in the later part of the season - not that I'm concerned about my lack of cobble and Grand Tour riders............

 

[slow_climber]

After another *** week, my mind obviously turns to those few members of my team who actually score some points. Human nature being what it is, I'm proud of their effort and am happy

Daniel martinez I'm.proud of your grit on the final stage of Paris nice
Nico vinokurov the streets won't forget your February 2026 performances
Giosue epis you keep trying for something, true racer
Gianmarco garofli you are electric, always attacking, a great talent
Edoardo zambanini you are going to come good this year. You are destined for greatness.
Vlasov and Laport, you have been decent and dependable for some solid points

However, I should really complain at the rest of my team, who have been completely awful. I'm fearing the worst for this year. Redhead Dane and samu cuienca being above me would be himiliating

You are an example of a better Human Nature than me!

 

[Squire]

Leaders after every MSR update. Slow climber not too far off the 2020/2021 scores in the end. Shalgo playing a different game than everybody else. Although I could see a pretty dramatic slow down due to all the injuries hitting popular riders.

Year​	Team​	Score​
2011​	microdose​	3377​
2012​	Mellow Velo​	3691​
2013​	Skibby the bush kangaroo​	2734​
2014​	Geraint Too Fast​	3104​
2015​	Geraint Too Fast​	3472​
2016​	Pentacycle​	3601​
2017​	Nicosix​	3451​
2018​	Nathanptz​	3290​
2019​	Nicosix​	2726​
2020​	EITB​	3939​
2021​	Otoxiep87​	3922​
2022​	Eyeballs Out​	3445​
2023​	tobydawq​	3475​
2024​	shalgo​	4779​
2025​	Jakob747​	3243​
2026​	slow climber​	3785​

My main takeaway from this is that only once in 16 seasons has the post-MSR leader gone on to win the whole thing. So maybe there's still hope.

No hope this week though. Probably gonna be another bad one, continuing my streak of falling down the standings.

Catalunya (2.WT)
NORDHAGEN Jørgen
RODRÍGUEZ Carlos
REMIJN Senna
BUITRAGO Santiago
HOBBS Noah
O'CONNOR Ben
DECOMBLE Maxime
GAUDU David
KOCKELMANN Mathieu

A lot of guys, but when Buitrago (who didn't look great in Tirreno) is your only hope, you know it's bad. Whatever C-Rod does won't matter much. Gaudu already dropped by Noah Hobbs and Ivo Oliveira, so he's just a huge write-off for this season unfortunately. My only consolation is that if I had straight-swapped him, those that were likely to take his place in my team aren't scoring either (Tarling, Blackmore, Eulalio).

Coppi & Bartali (2.1)
Nobody!

And from the teams who aren't yet announced, the only possibilities for me are Dunbar and Carr. And both of those are just a DNF waiting to happen, so it won't make a difference. Curious to see Agostinacchio in his season debut, and if he will make me regret not picking him.

Ronde Van Brugge (1.WT)
KRIJNSEN Jelte

Yeah, not looking too great here either ... I guess maybe AWP, Foldager, Morgado, Asgreen or De Kleijn (where is he?) could be added, but this race is usually a sprint so none of those will score much anyway.

E3 Saxo Classic (1.WT)
KRIJNSEN Jelte
LAPORTE Christophe
HAGENES Per Strand
ZINGLE Axel

This actually has a full startlist, and the only one I can see scoring meaningful points for me is Hagenes. If he has developed a few more brain cells since last race.

La Roue Tourangelle (1.1)
Nobody!

Gent-Wevelgem (1.WT)
ASGREEN Kasper
KRIJNSEN Jelte
LAPORTE Christophe
MORGADO António
PAGE Hugo

Can Morgado save my week at the end?

 

[tobydawq]

My main takeaway from this is that only once in 16 seasons has the post-MSR leader gone on to win the whole thing. So maybe there's still hope.

No hope this week though. Probably gonna be another bad one, continuing my streak of falling down the standings.

Catalunya (2.WT)
NORDHAGEN Jørgen
RODRÍGUEZ Carlos
REMIJN Senna
BUITRAGO Santiago
HOBBS Noah
O'CONNOR Ben
DECOMBLE Maxime
GAUDU David
KOCKELMANN Mathieu

A lot of guys, but when Buitrago (who didn't look great in Tirreno) is your only hope, you know it's bad. Whatever C-Rod does won't matter much. Gaudu already dropped by Noah Hobbs and Ivo Oliveira, so he's just a huge write-off for this season unfortunately. My only consolation is that if I had straight-swapped him, those that were likely to take his place in my team aren't scoring either (Tarling, Blackmore, Eulalio).

Coppi & Bartali (2.1)
Nobody!

And from the teams who aren't yet announced, the only possibilities for me are Dunbar and Carr. And both of those are just a DNF waiting to happen, so it won't make a difference. Curious to see Agostinacchio in his season debut, and if he will make me regret not picking him.

Ronde Van Brugge (1.WT)
KRIJNSEN Jelte

Yeah, not looking too great here either ... I guess maybe AWP, Foldager, Morgado, Asgreen or De Kleijn (where is he?) could be added, but this race is usually a sprint so none of those will score much anyway.

E3 Saxo Classic (1.WT)
KRIJNSEN Jelte
LAPORTE Christophe
HAGENES Per Strand
ZINGLE Axel

This actually has a full startlist, and the only one I can see scoring meaningful points for me is Hagenes. If he has developed a few more brain cells since last race.

La Roue Tourangelle (1.1)
Nobody!

Gent-Wevelgem (1.WT)
ASGREEN Kasper
KRIJNSEN Jelte
LAPORTE Christophe
MORGADO António
PAGE Hugo

Can Morgado save my week at the end?

Why would Laporte not be able to score meaningful points in E3? Because he's too popular?

 

[Squire]

Why would Laporte not be able to score meaningful points in E3? Because he's too popular?

Yeah. Though he's not quite at the level of Seixas' popularity, so his points might mean a little bit at least. But that doesn't fit the overall narrative of my post.

Did the early leaders go on to win at the end of the year? Who dropped the most in the later part of the season - not that I'm concerned about my lack of cobble and Grand Tour riders............

Only Shalgo. Don't know how the others did, but some might have been close. The only one I remember not doing well is microdose in 2011. If I remember correctly, that was the almost exclusively Aussie team that got an enormous lead after January (when TDU was still mainly an Aussie affair). Matthew Goss winning MSR might have helped too, as he was probably in the team. People were even debating if it was at all possible to catch up to microdose. In the end he finished near the bottom I think.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Gaudu already dropped by Noah Hobbs and Ivo Oliveira, so he's just a huge write-off for this season unfortunately

Probably just not properly recovered from his illness less than 2 weeks ago at Paris-Nice. My expectations are not very high either anymore, but I would still be surprised if he doesn't score anything meaningful at all. Jebel Hafeet and Uchon suggest his base level is at least somewhat decent.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

In terms of the great race to get everyone on the scoresheets, @vladimir has moved alongside @Laurens147 in having just two riders waiting, Mintegi having picked up points last week.

They both have Max Poole, who according to PCS has no race before the Giro, but simply finishing that would be worth something, and both have an EF rider. Vladimir has Agostinacchio, due to open his season in the Settimana Coppi e Bertali tomorrow (but far from guaranteed any points), while Hobbs, for Laurens, is participating in Calalunya, where getting to the end will break his duck.

Others getting close to a full card of scorers are:
@manafana (Agostinacchio, Blackmore, Ryan)
@Eyeballs Out (Blackmore, Pickering, Pelayo Sanchez)
@peixotini (Nys, Pickering, Hobbs)
@yoyokt (Nys, Ryan, Poole)
@RestInPunk (Sbaragli, Williams, Oscar Rodriguez)*

@Avoriaz , @pman and @Jumbo Visma Fan :) are the next closest, with 4 riders each yet to open an account.

Place your bets.


It turns out that the equivalent landmark in the Women's CQ game was met more than two weeks ago by some guy called Armchair Cyclist, but whoever runs that game wasn't alert to it at the time.

*: I'm not sure whether RestinPunk should be eligible, as that is a 32 rider team. Why do people do that?

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

Did the early leaders go on to win at the end of the year? Who dropped the most in the later part of the season - not that I'm concerned about my lack of cobble and Grand Tour riders............

The history is not great although better in recent seasons. Nobody got really close besides shalgo (even tobydawq in 2023 was more than 1400 points off the winning score).

Year​	Team​	YTD Score​	Final Score​	Final ranking​
2011​	microdose​	3377​	8675​	70th​
2012​	Mellow Velo​	3691​	15309​	23rd​
2013​	Skibby the bush kangaroo​	2734​	12032​	6th​
2014​	Geraint Too Fast​	3104​	12552​	20th​
2015​	Geraint Too Fast​	3472​	14360​	18th​
2016​	Pentacycle​	3601​	12476​	60th​
2017​	Nicosix​	3451​	10053​	120th​
2018​	Nathanptz​	3290​	13013​	43rd​
2019​	Nicosix​	2726​	12040​	41st​
2020​	EITB​	3939​	8578​	8th​
2021​	Otoxiep87​	3922​	17643​	6th​
2022​	Eyeballs Out​	3445​	14981​	31st​
2023​	tobydawq​	3475​	14702​	3rd​
2024​	shalgo​	4779​	16355​	1st​
2025​	Jakob747​	3243​	13788​	21st​
2026​	slow climber​	3785​	TBD​	TBD​

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

Nice win by Barbier today picking up where Grisel left off. I'm definitely leading the totally not made up classification of most points scored in Asia by French dudes.

 

[Squire]

Nice win by Barbier today picking up where Grisel left off. I'm definitely leading the totally not made up classification of most points scored in Asia by French dudes.

I need to step up my Asia game next year.

The history is not great although better in recent seasons. Nobody got really close besides shalgo (even tobydawq in 2023 was more than 1400 points off the winning score).

Year​	Team​	YTD Score​	Final Score​	Final ranking​
2011​	microdose​	3377​	8675​	70th​
2012​	Mellow Velo​	3691​	15309​	23rd​
2013​	Skibby the bush kangaroo​	2734​	12032​	6th​
2014​	Geraint Too Fast​	3104​	12552​	20th​
2015​	Geraint Too Fast​	3472​	14360​	18th​
2016​	Pentacycle​	3601​	12476​	60th​
2017​	Nicosix​	3451​	10053​	120th​
2018​	Nathanptz​	3290​	13013​	43rd​
2019​	Nicosix​	2726​	12040​	41st​
2020​	EITB​	3939​	8578​	8th​
2021​	Otoxiep87​	3922​	17643​	6th​
2022​	Eyeballs Out​	3445​	14981​	31st​
2023​	tobydawq​	3475​	14702​	3rd​
2024​	shalgo​	4779​	16355​	1st​
2025​	Jakob747​	3243​	13788​	21st​
2026​	slow climber​	3785​	TBD​	TBD​

What on earth happened to Nicosix' 2017 team? From first to pretty much last place. Another Aussie bonanza?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

while Hobbs, for Laurens, is participating in Calalunya, where getting to the end will break his duck.

Not the most impressive showing, but that's Hobbs off the mark.