giro d’italia 2021-fantasyland
 

mmkay...this is the giro 2021 thread for the fantasy game(s) honks. first gt of the year is upon us finally.

https://www.velogames.com/

league name: bike forums
league code: try 398952811 if you're a first-timer and that should work. *full-disclaimer...rookies buy the first virtual round
after every horrible prediction made in this thread. hint...that's pretty much the only type that'll be made here...those cryptocurrencies
gotta be good for something-right?* if you've had a dalliance or flirted here before, you should be automatically entered.
the gift that keeps on giving-eh?

entry deadline of 14:00 cest (central european summer time) on saturday, may 8th, 2021.

some interesting valuations afoot...

couldn't find a game from flobikes this giro for variety. will likely be one for from flobikes for just the tour de france
and will run that one with as many transfers/changes as the rules allow.

one disclaimer carrying over from last year...those not entered into the league by the start of the 4th stage of the 2021
giro d'italia are wholly ineligible for the coveted no-prizes and spoils of podium placement. this also extends to the
always tenacious battle for the elusive maglia nera. in bocca al lupo!

in the first few incarnations of the giro team, embraced the body glitter and lipstick of last year's squad.
quickly, tho, got down to brass tacks. it's all business this year. sorry, bee's and gee's..
the giro, vs the vuelta or tdf, is more of a calculated risk with the picks. suffer appropriately.
glad to see more than a few of the hardcore disciples of mayhem already installed...

Team v1 is in, just to get a sense of the game and the price list.

Things are much more affordable this time around. Some speculative valuations on folks without much in the way of recent results to go on. This will make some heroes and break some hearts.

I wonder how much spelunking in the Unclassed pile will make a difference this year.

^same as it ever was. water dissolving and water removing. there is water at the bottom of the ocean. headlight(s) strapped on...

It does seem to happen more than just once in a lifetime.

... How'd I get here? My god what have I done!?

Interesting valuations indeed! Version 1.0? Version oh no, big prices for Bernal and Simon. Does my inclinations favor the victors (oh to have chosen Cort over Haig, Dennis!!) or the Drop Watt till ya POP? Should probably figure out scoring in this game, there's points for combativeness right? Maybe I should look at the next tab over and see. Nah looks like just for the break. Time to read the rules today. Time to look back this spring. Time to make wildly foolish heartfelt Remco picks. Bad boy groenen picks.

I'll just stick this here and update over my ruminations...

I'm passing on Ewan, but I would not be surprised to see him contest more stages then they think. Too pricey for the Giro route.

Bernal seems too pricey to risk, Sagan too risky to snub.

Bookies say Ciccone for the KOM but I don't think so. Lot, lot of thinking to do in the 8 point range. Well not that much. Cavagna, Ganna plus non more. Guerreiro didn't make it.

Shook it up again, no Yates. Did snub Sagan.

​​​​​​

ewan supposedly bouncing after stage 17 (if he’s not crashed out, missed a mtn stage time cut or dq’d before that). not that there’s much for the sprinters after that unless you’re fighting for that color jersey starting with the letter “c.”

like uae and team jv throwing out formolo and bennett respectively, to lead out their squads. dunno if they’ll be able to hang with the better staffed teams but we’ll see. expecting sivakov to supplant bernal as the ineos leader by the halfway point. hugh, almeida and dmartin will have something to say and mollema will continue to hover/lurk within the top ten. so much depends on hindley and remco and what they bring-or don’t.

Formolo brought back Carapaz in L-B-L he'd be a good choice.

So hard to juggle big names, honestly I'm risking a lot right now with Bernal in my version 2.3 team. Oof - trying to divine those breakaway points. Cycling news had their Giro preview where I found this gem ...


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9f3058d014.jpg

cash & flash. bleep the big names. the 8-12 pointers are where the hurley burley’s done and the battles are lost and won.

Who has dared to flirt with adding Remco? I haven't, got my team close to where I want. But holy cow it's tempting. Bernal has missed the cut at the moment.

In with my initial picks...may or may not do more research...or more likely, forget about it until it's too late to change.

Good luck!

Make sure to check just before the deadline that your riders are actually starting. I've had two so far that as of today were changed out.

Yeah...who knows when a COVID test comes back positive! We could lose a whole team again!

i've penned a few fan boy letters but haven't actually mailed them-yet.

welcome back! your team/theme seems to be more vuelta-based but wth do i know?

OK. Barring Covid or something really wacky, my picking process is complete with only two Mulligans. It's all over but the crying. Three weeks of it.

I flirted more with Landa than Evenpoel but ultimately went in another direction on both of them.

I couldn't find a way to spend all 100 points without compromising my team.

well well well...the returning champion hath emerged.

my selected squad is about as exciting as a pack of broken saltines...apparently epitomizing the “no guts, no glory” ethos this spring.

I just sent mine :eek:
This post pretty much shook up my lineup just now. I made the mistake of watching some YouTube videos and almost allowed myself to actually make smart decisions.

If only I had like 20 more credits...

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...86091cae99.jpg

my perfect team, given all the parameters and classifications except for price, came in at 108 points.
trying to resist reading any more last-minute previews and rah-rah hype and dark horse plays.

It's good to be the King.

Is it better to be basking in glory, or Baskin in Robbins?

Indeed! We missed you in the spring classics, USAZorro . Welcome back to the madness.

I lied.

Me too. Sort of. I could have compromised less with 130 velobucks, but I did leave some on the table at 100.

It's sort of a strange feeling. Kind of like not maximizing your ROI at the all-you-can-eat buffet line. Which I have almost managed to leave on the table, too. Almost. As my hill climbing ability demonstrates. I can really sympathize with Froome that 2-3kg of extra "muscle" from all that "therapy" slows you down.

There's GOLD in that Portuguese one. You should watch it. :bike:

I guess I'm halfway between Lance and Mr. Merckx. I focus on the Grand Tours. Karma has a much better window to announce itself than in one day races. :innocent:

Advance warning... I actually have not zero , or one, but two Ineos riders on my squad. Not that I'm proud of it.

Rock on.

I'm not an Ineos hater. I'm all about marginal gains. Or should I just say I'm all about being marginal.

I haven't Ineosed up this go 'round but I am fairly committed. And I was thinking about doubling up.

so much for no changes. went from boring yet predictable to meh yet predictable and likely weakened what little toehold i hoped to gain and planned on defending.