The 2026 CQ Ranking Manager Thread

[armchairclimber]

I'm dropping in the rankings. I didn't really have much of a squad in the Flandrian/cobbled classics ... and have too many long term injured/sick. So I take pleasure from small victories such as Noah Isadore going into profit. And, of course, watching the largely game neutral Seixas (I did have him last year also).

I think I have a better chance of scoring reasonably well in the Ardennes.

 

[Shakes]

I extrapolated my position graph. Within a week I'll be in position 252.

 

[RedheadDane]

Paris Roubaix!

Asgreen
Blume
Changizi
Larsen
Norsgaard
M. Pedersen
Søjberg

(I also got Just Pedersen in the U23 race. I'm also secretly hoping that Bora will bring Lindholm.)

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

Seixas into profit

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Picking Bisiaux because I found Seixas too expensive was a real smart move.

 

[tobydawq]

Picking Bisiaux because I found Seixas too expensive was a real smart move.

At least you're getting a lot of monuments.

 

[Netserk]

I extrapolated my position graph. Within a week I'll be in position 252.

who would you have needed to switch out to have him on your team ?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

At least you're getting a lot of monuments.

So far it's 2/5, which Seixas still has a chance to match.

 

[Panda Claws]

Roglic ffs

 

[armchairclimber]

I think a lot of us saw points washed away in the cold rain today. Weatabix got soggy and dropped to 12th. Riccitello fared even worse.
Quite a few DNFs.

But I don't have Roglic.

 

[Shakes]

who would you have needed to switch out to have him on your team ?

Girmay

 

[YellowSocks]

You stick to this podium place Lipo! Hang on!

Phew, that was a close call.

First and second places on the podium, jerseys of every colour, four stage wins thanks to August. Well done, boys!

I’d like to thank my family, who taught me to appreciate real cycling (level crossings, horses or goats galloping alongside the peloton, dubious tactics, cars punching riders, borderline personalities, hideous jerseys, mud, sweat and snow...). Allez Poupou!

I’d like to thank those of my riders who, invisible on TV and nowhere to be found in any classification, still finished the race. It’s the little streams that make the big rivers, as they say.

And of course, I must thank the whole staff: my coaches with their secret revolutionary ideas, my cooks who make incredible porridge, my doctors who do a really good job getting my riders flying, my physios and their special techniques (sorry, I’m sure I’m forgetting someone).

Back to reality now: I have no hope for Paris-Roubaix.

 

[vladimir]

Most days this game gives you mostly frustration and disappointments. But when you have a unique pick that podiums a Monument you suddenly remember why you feel you need to participate here every year! Still cannot beleive that no one else thought Jasper Stuyven was a good pick this year.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Most days this game gives you mostly frustration and disappointments. But when you have a unique pick that podiums a Monument you suddenly remember why you feel you need to participate here every year! Still cannot beleive that no one else thought Jasper Stuyven was a good pick this year.

I think plenty of us thought he was a solid option, but the competition in his price range was insane on paper. Had he been available at this price and off the back of the QS transfer last year, when the options between 250 and 400 were nonexistent, he would probably have been picked like 10-15 times.

 

[RedheadDane]

So, almost all my riders finished...
But I'll probably still slide down to last.

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

Grisel won the Tour des 100 Communes yesterday just like Brennan last year so I expect him to have the same kind of breakthrough. At the very least it should help convince Lotto to keep Kockelmann working for him and considering I have only the Frenchman on my team you can imagine how heartbroken I am about that.

In case anybody is keeping tabs, Grisel finished 36th in Paris-Roubaix when Brennan only managed 44th last season so I guess we can settle the debate on who is going to be have a better first season as a professional.

 

[search]

Pogacar 110pt behind schedule now. I'm afraid he'll need to add Gran Camino.

 

[tobydawq]

PR could have been so good for me if my riders had a decent level and not been really unlucky. Instead it was 5th for Laporte (fine but insignificant for the game), 22nd for Vacek (again no bad luck, just bad legs), 26th for Pithie (crashed out of podium contention quite deep into the race), 33rd for Biesterbos (who might still be my best pick), 41st for Tarling, 75th for Söderqvist and outside top 100 for Brennan (wtf) and Del Grosso (who has a good excuse). And my cobbled classics ace, Bettiol, ended his spring season last Sunday on an absolute whimper.

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

PR could have been so good for me if my riders had a decent level and not been really unlucky. Instead it was 5th for Laporte (fine but insignificant for the game), 22nd for Vacek (again no bad luck, just bad legs), 26th for Pithie (crashed out of podium contention quite deep into the race), 33rd for Biesterbos (who might still be my best pick), 41st for Tarling, 75th for Söderqvist and outside top 100 for Brennan (wtf) and Del Grosso (who has a good excuse). And my cobbled classics ace, Bettiol, ended his spring season last Sunday on an absolute whimper.

To be fair, Brennan did a ton of work positionning Van Aert/Laporte in the earlier parts of the race including the lead up to Arenberg. It's understandable he would let go of the rope after that. I don't think he had a bad race at all, just one that won't show up on CQ scoring lists. Underwhelming spring for him and Magnier overall though I'll grant you that. Too soon to panic, but hopefully it's not another De Lie situation where you wait and wait for him to take the next step in the biggest classics and it just never materializes.

 

[tobydawq]

To be fair, Brennan did a ton of work positionning Van Aert/Laporte in the earlier parts of the race including the lead up to Arenberg. It's understandable he would let go of the rope after that. I don't think he had a bad race at all, just one that won't show up on CQ scoring lists. Underwhelming spring for him and Magnier overall though I'll grant you that. Too soon to panic, but hopefully it's not another De Lie situation where you wait and wait for him to take the next step in the biggest classics and it just never materializes.

It certainly is not too soon to panic regarding whether or not he is a good pick for this year's game. Apart from Australia and Kuurne, it has been an abject disaster considering his price tag.