Your own UCI World Tour

[Velolover2]

I've always wondered what you guys would do if you could create your own ranking system based on the classics and stage races you think deserves to be included in the official World Tour. You get to make your own calendar and determine the number of points.

It seems weird to me that winning Eneco Tour equals winning Roubaix, Down Under + Poland = Tour De France and being first in the two Canadian races is almost as good as wearing pink on the final day of the Giro.

So, how would your calendar look like?

 

[Netserk]

There wouldn't be any races in it, as I would burn that shït down to the ground.

 

[Tommy79]

I've always wondered what you guys would do if you could create your own ranking system based on the classics and stage races you think deserves to be included in the official World Tour. You get to make your own calendar and determine the number of points.

It seems weird to me that winning Eneco Tour equals winning Roubaix, Down Under + Poland = Tour De France and being first in the two Canadian races is almost as good as wearing pink on the final day of the Giro.

So, how would your calendar look like?

I don't think I would change it... no method is going to make everyone happy but the rankings do seem to be topped by guys who have been winning throughout the season. Not a Valverde fan but I think him finishing top last year is right with his one day and stage results.

 

[The Hitch]

I'd just use cq rankings.

Would like to see a jersey for the leader of the classification, but specifically the year round leader. I hate it when some guy wins TDU and then for Paris Nice they are described as the world number 1 or something.

 

[dirkprovin]

I'd engage in some "re-weighting" of various races.
- Scale up the points for GTs and Monuments
- Leave current points level for one week tours and non-monument one-day races "as is".
- Reward jersey winners at both GT & 1 week tours. Top 5 in categories at GT receive WT points equivalent to those of stage win/placings. Same scale for 1 week tours but only top 3 per category receive WT points.
- Currently only TTT at Worlds earn WT points although TTT is part of most GT & a couple of 1 week races. Any TTT wins/placings SHOULD earn WT points equivalent to those of all other stages for that race. Points to count only for Team totals not rider/nation.

 

[pastronef]

teams can CHOOSE which races to start

 

[dirkprovin]

teams can CHOOSE which races to start

How can that be managed ? This is my "opening gambit".

- All WT teams are allowed to miss TWO WT races. (Open to extending that to three)
- No more that 3 WT teams can "skip" any one race.

This may allow some of the teams with the tightest budgets to "give a miss" to the races with the longest (and therefore costliest) travel; ie North American races/Tour Down Under if they consider they have little to gain by making the trip. Likewise, some southern European teams may prefer to give some of the cobbled classics a miss. By restricting the potential 'leave passes" to 3 per event; you're not allowing too great a "dilution" and the local promoters may be happier to give the slots to domestic Pro Contis where valid.

Back to WT; I'm open to reverting to the previous system where riders from non WT teams were allowed to collect points from WT races.

 

[Velolover2]

You also get to decide how many riders a team can participate with. I'd definitely reduce the size of the teams significantly. Having huge peloton is both boring and dangerous. No more 9-man teams.

Grand Tours, 8 riders
Stage races/non-cobbled classics, 7 riders
Cobbled classics, 6 riders

At least as a start.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

There wouldn't be any races in it, as I would burn that shït down to the ground.

Ladies and gentlemen, we've got ourselves a winner

 

[Velolover2]

If they want to do the most prestigious and attractive calendar, there are definitely some races that need to be swapped.

And more races for the rouleurs. I've never understood why old and traditional classics like Paris-Tours is not on the World Tour. More days of racing in the fall to attract a new type of riders.

 

[Velolover2]

Re:

I'd engage in some "re-weighting" of various races.
- Scale up the points for GTs and Monuments
- Leave current points level for one week tours and non-monument one-day races "as is".
- Reward jersey winners at both GT & 1 week tours. Top 5 in categories at GT receive WT points equivalent to those of stage win/placings. Same scale for 1 week tours but only top 3 per category receive WT points.
- Currently only TTT at Worlds earn WT points although TTT is part of most GT & a couple of 1 week races. Any TTT wins/placings SHOULD earn WT points equivalent to those of all other stages for that race. Points to count only for Team totals not rider/nation.

You have some good ideas similar to mine.

My ranking system would be something like:

Tour, 100 points
Giro, 75 points
Vuelta, 60 points
Monument, 50 points
Major stage races, 35 points
Major classics, 25 points
Minor stage races, 20 points
Minor classics, 10 points

On this scale, winning the Tour or a Monument would more awarding than it is today.

 

[gunara]

I don't mind the basic idea of WT too much, as long as they don't demean or degenerate races I love, so far it hasn't really. As for point system, the discussion can go forever.
I know there are races that look to need swapping. But about this I'm always torn between wanting to see the best races raced by the biggest names, and fearing some races will lose their charm when raced by forced participants. Some non-WT classics and one week tours are enjoyable the way they are now, the Belgian races don't need the Movistars, the Italians don't need the Giants, etc. etc.. On the other hand, I sometimes think that the only reason that keep races like TDU or Vattenfal remotely interesting is because they are WT. I don't care much about these races, but it's good that something keep them going well, when I think races like Omloop or Paris -Tours will not lose their perceived importance without any election in UCI status.

 

[Asero831]

Just follow Tennis rankings

1. Grandslam 1(TdF) - (2000, 1200, 720)
2. World Tour Finals ( Worlds RR) ( 1500, 600, 360)
3. Masters 1000 ( Giro, Vuelta, Monuments) (1000, 600, 360)
4. Olympics (Olympic Road RR) (750, 450, 340)
5. 500 Series (Classics and Stage Races) (500, 300, 180)
6. 250 Series (HC races) (250, 150,90)

Stage races are 10% of the Final GC placings, so for TdF (200, 120, 72)

 

[ILovecycling]

Re:

Just follow Tennis rankings

1. Grandslam 1(TdF) - (2000, 1200, 720)
2. World Tour Finals ( Worlds RR) ( 1500, 600, 360)
3. Masters 1000 ( Giro, Vuelta, Monuments) (1000, 600, 360)
4. Olympics (Olympic Road RR) (750, 450, 340)
5. 500 Series (Classics and Stage Races) (500, 300, 180)
6. 250 Series (HC races) (250, 150,90)

Stage races are 10% of the Final GC placings, so for TdF (200, 120, 72)

Nice idea but I have few questions.How Giro and Vuelta can have same points as a 1 day monument?Also why TdF has 2x more points than other GT? (I know its from tennis).And the last one, I think victory in HC race shouldnt almost equal a 2nd place from T-A for example.

I think this is is not a bad idea but those points should be diveded better.

As for me I agree with Hitch CQ idea.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

The biggest problems with the World Tour as it stands are
- far too little weighting towards the points for actually winning compared with not winning
- regarding world tour status, riders getting points instead of teams
- weak squads being forced to field weak teams in races they have no interest in
- world tour status is either in or out - it would be much better if there were, say, three divisions of 6 teams with div 1 teams guaranteed 3 GTs, div 2 2 GTs and div 3 1 GTs and other world tour races divided similarly

 

[Velolover2]

What about introducing time bonuses in the middle of the stages? A GC time bonus. That would favor the attackers some more.

30 seconds could awarded to the first man on the GC time bonus like in a sprint or on the top of a mountain. 20 seconds for 2nd, 10 seconds for 3rd. They will also get awarded with 3, 2 and 1 UCI points respectively.