The Great Grand-Tour-Game 2014/15 "TdF Monster Edition"

[Netserk]

Cunego will take Verbania.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Decided to take punt on Ulissi for tomorrow, although I think he will struggle to beat Matthews.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Had a look at the CG... It still is very much TTT influenced. So the first provisionals will be out tomorrow. Guaranteed.

I have Caruso tomorrow. Couldn´t find a better finsiher out of the CG guys. Thus it means I think Matthews will be dropped on the 14% part.... Just in case you guys wonder how I did the amazing Caruso pick.

Ok, kidding aside. My picks in last years Vuelta were also thought trou. We know how it ended with the Sagan stages... Those hilly ones are just hard to figure out.

 

[Eshnar]

Re:

Cunego will take Verbania.

he will definitely try today. His team is based in La Spezia.

 

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

Cunego will take Verbania.

he will definitely try today. His team is based in La Spezia.

You could've pm'ed me that before I made my picks!

Tbh I still think that Matthews is the bet with most value. He will sprint for 2nd or 3rd if one rider goes clear, he can beat anyone in a sprint and he is highly motived to get as good result as he possibly can. Ulissi is also a good pick, Gilbert probably even better. Even though Cunego has a nice sprint, he will probably have to go clear on the climb and last 10km on his own.

So best picks today after watching yesterday:
Matthews
Gilbert
Ulissi

Maybe you can switch Gilbert and Matthews.

 

[Eshnar]

Re: Re:

Cunego will take Verbania.

he will definitely try today. His team is based in La Spezia.

You could've pm'ed me that before I made my picks!

Keeping relevant info restricted is key

 

[Flamin]

If Matthews survives today, that would easily be his best climbing performance ever. Gilbert did surprisingly well yesterday considering his Flèche crash (and because he was saying in the media he was going into the Giro with major doubts), but I still think he'll be dropped. Ulissi in top shape would be a great bet, but his form is a bit of a question mark.

I think Foxxy has a decent pick with Caruso.

 

[fauniera]

Re: Re:

So best picks today after watching yesterday:
Matthews
Gilbert
Ulissi

Will all get dropped.

If not, the stage was more boring than i hoped. Felline, Battaglin, Caruso, Zakarin are my picks. The little prince would be cool, too, but he doesn't really have a sprint anymore.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Re:

Cmon Mathews,one more tomorrow


Domenico(wish him the best) and Delfino out

Break will get trou. Congrats to all having wasted a Matthews stage. Ofc my Caruso pick goes down the toilet too...

But Pellizottel is back. He may erase every minute he lost yesterday with his cramps. Danielson too, and Formolo, Cataldo...

 

[Jspear]

I am so glad that stage ended the way it did. After Matthews dropped I was really hoping for a complete shake up...I haven't looked but I'm guessing no one scored today.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

No scorers today, but we´ll have a favourites CG already... Oh my, how old is Formolo? He looks like 14. Anyway, great ride... One got trou from the break (it looked like more in the middle of the race). Matthews was a waste as expected (by the circa 20 guys who did not pick him ).

Caruso was a long shot. Too bad he didn´t make the final favourite group. A 2nd/3rd was within reach then. Even though I didn´t score, I am ok with my pick for today...

One had Visconti ("Geraint Too Fast") who finished fourth. My condolences to that great pick that just fell short.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

1st Provisional Standings after Stage 4: (Links: see frontpage)

Let the line-ball begin...
... relieved, in the middle of the pack with a 3 point cushion

The Anquetil Division:
22.5 ILovecycling
21.0 Geraint Too Fast
21.0 Vino attacks everyone
20.5 FoxxyBrown1111 (DC)
20.5 vladimir
20.0 Pricey_sky
18.0 Poursuivant
-----------------------------------------
17.5 Pantani_lives
17.5 Tigerion

The Bartali Division:
23.5 Flamin
21.0 al_pacino
21.0 Wallenquist
20.0 Eshnar
20.0 Jspear (DC)
19.5 jaylew
19.5 Ruudz0r
-----------------------------------------
19.0 Mellow Velo
17.0 greenedge

The Coppi Division:
23.0 Hugo87 (DC)
23.0 Sasquatch
21.5 aarnold517
21.0 LosBrolin
19.0 mutschi
18.5 diggercuz
18.0 Ferminal *
-----------------------------------------
18.0 l.Harm
16.5 Netserk
(* Ferminal wins the tie-breaker vs l.Harm on step four with a 48 off-score vs 57)

The Defraeye Division:
22.0 the sceptic (DC)
21.5 Arredondo
21.5 Jorik112
20.0 kiilike
20.0 minessa
19.5 The Hitch
19.0 mortand (WC)
-----------------------------------------
17.5 fauniera
17.5 search

 

[Eshnar]

still way to go. Not sure if my pick for tomorrow (Zakarin) is to be considered ridiculous now.

 

[Netserk]

I still think Porte is a fine pick, but given how easy Ulissi took it today, I can very well see him contending as well. BTW I have 21, 22 and 23 in my GC top-20, so I feel a little robbed by the provisional

 

[Pricey_sky]

Happy to have a 2.5 point buffer after the first big GC shake up. Tomorrow should tell us more and I hope Porte can win me another point.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Facts the world doesn´t need but are interesting anyway:

No player was drawn to the same group in all three rounds.

Only "The Sceptic" and me played in their same divisions trou-out. Which comes by "nature" since I am set in Division A by rule, and "The Sceptic" was/is set in Divison D since he was/is the lone division champion who defended his title...

still way to go. Not sure if my pick for tomorrow (Zakarin) is to be considered ridiculous now.

I think the whole Zakarin picks shall be considered ridiculous now. Those 29 of us having him in CG pretty much wasted a pick...

I still think Porte is a fine pick, but given how easy Ulissi took it today, I can very well see him contending as well. BTW I have 21, 22 and 23 in my GC top-20, so I feel a little robbed by the provisional

See the positive: The possible comeback (once 21, 22, 23 make it into the T-20) will look more impressive then. Future generations would talk about it, it may will go right up there with "Timmy-loves-Rabo" last day miracle at the Giro 2011.

Happy to have a 2.5 point buffer after the first big GC shake up. Tomorrow should tell us more and I hope Porte can win me another point.

Hope not. Since I am stuck with Uran, who seems not as good in-form as I thought (have him 3 times btw )... So it would be a perfect time for a break being successful, while AST and Saxo use the stage to save some engergy for their trains...

 

[Sasquatch]

Re:

Facts the world doesn´t need but are interesting anyway:

No player was drawn to the same group in all three rounds.

Only "The Sceptic" and me played in their same divisions trou-out. Which comes by "nature" since I am set in Division A by rule, and "The Sceptic" was/is set in Divison D since he was/is the lone division champion who defended his title...

still way to go. Not sure if my pick for tomorrow (Zakarin) is to be considered ridiculous now.

I think the whole Zakarin picks shall be considered ridiculous now. Those 29 of us having him in CG pretty much wasted a pick...

I still think Porte is a fine pick, but given how easy Ulissi took it today, I can very well see him contending as well. BTW I have 21, 22 and 23 in my GC top-20, so I feel a little robbed by the provisional

See the positive: The possible comeback (once 21, 22, 23 make it into the T-20) will look more impressive then. Future generations would talk about it, it may will go right up there with "Timmy-loves-Rabo" last day miracle at the Giro 2011.

Happy to have a 2.5 point buffer after the first big GC shake up. Tomorrow should tell us more and I hope Porte can win me another point.

Hope not. Since I am stuck with Uran, who seems not as good in-form as I thought (have him 3 times btw )... So it would be a perfect time for a break being successful, while AST and Saxo use the stage to save some engergy for their trains...

Only the final climb will be ridden hard, if at all I think, so I think you're fine

 

[Ferminal]

Was Uran just *** yesterday?

 

[Netserk]

Re:

Was Uran just **** yesterday?

I heard he had a cold and a blocked nose. I also don't think he liked the heat so far.

 

[Sasquatch]

Re:

Was Uran just **** yesterday?[/quote

Maybe, but, he wasn't that strong in Romandie. It doesn't matter though. Come the third week that Uran will be fine and will get back to 2nd.

 

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

Maybe, but, he wasn't that strong in Romandie. It doesn't matter though. Come the third week that Uran will be fine and will get back to 2nd.

Hmm, he was far better in Romandie than he was a year ago. Actually he has been far better in all races than he was last year (Tirreno and Catalunya).

 

[Sasquatch]

Re: Re:

Maybe, but, he wasn't that strong in Romandie. It doesn't matter though. Come the third week that Uran will be fine and will get back to 2nd.

Hmm, he was far better in Romandie than he was a year ago. Actually he has been far better in all races than he was last year (Tirreno and Catalunya).

I don't remember what he was like last year in the races prior to the Giro, so if he is indeed better, then he'll be fine

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Good, the mega pick (Porte) juuust failed

 

[fauniera]

Polanc winning the wrong stage. No discipline in my team.

 

[l.Harm]

Aru delivered Didn't expect him to hold, especially when Porte did his final jump.


and top 3 already in the right order, new provisional standings requested