slcbob

The action in Argentina starts Sunday.

The one code to rule them all for Velogames is league: bike forums, league code: 877037911

In three minutes, I made some tough choices and fielded an aimless team bound to produce middling results. You can do better. Please do.

GrainBrain

Oh my I was like "is there anything special about this race?" because I don't know much about the whole pro cycling offerings but jeeze! That is quite the start list. Notable Americans like Quinn Simmons and Kevin Vermaeke caught my eye ... but there is another. Matthew Riccitello? Interesting.

I'm going to show a card and say I will definitely be putting Mr. Bernal on my team. That is one fearless and talented dude. I made multiple demands of my chosen Diety to see him once again command his bike expertly across the gravels of Italy, memories of his outstanding bike handling on the Strade Bianche still seared within my mind.

slcbob

I would love to see Bernal back in his splendor, and I vaguely recall pre-season talk of him being slated for a Grand Tour. I know Ineos wouldn't do that lightly, without promising signs. But watching Froome flounder after a similarly horrific event means I will not be an early adopter of Egan 2.0 on any Velogames team. And I sincerely hope I pay for it.

GrainBrain

Got a few climbers so I'm getting a little spicy with such a flat race. Hoping some breaks get away!

diphthong

low expectations on this end. will have issues in that regard until the onset of the spring classics. still, nice trying to swim through the fog of memory
regarding newer riders that started to make a mark in 2022. wake me up in late late march.

GrainBrain

I reneged and swapped in more sprinters. Still have Bernal. No Remvo. Really want to fit in Quinn Simmons but don't think I will.

slcbob

TBD whether the end of tour points for a GC rider or the stage wins for a sprinter on all but the hilly stage will pencil out in the end. You're taking a wide stance, there, GrainBrain

TBD if Jakobsen can stay on the correct side of the traffic furniture.

It looks like semroc made it to the start line for this one, and most of our regulars and new regulars from Down Under. Shadco is messing about elsewhere, while our top & tail Hermann and Marcel, maglia rosa and nera, have chosen to let others vie for the honors.

Shadco 

Shad has been messing around with this and not paying attention. Will try to do better.




.

GrainBrain

I'm happy with my choices, glad to see Bernal up there! Shadco that's wonderful, did you buy the frameset and build it up from there?

Shadco 

Yes sir.

slcbob

Dogs and bikes. Outstanding!

Do you have a Lagotto Romagnolo to go with the posh Campy groupset?

Whether or not, many happy miles and barks.

slcbob

I just stumbled across this anomaly...

San Juan does not have a sprint points competition tab in the PCS standings, and there is no table for end of tour points standings the Velogames rules. https://www.velogames.com/san-juan/2023/scores.php

Might there be nothing for sprinting other than the stage points? Gotta be patient, but those GC riders may pay off in the end.

Shadco 

Nope just the Lucy dog and Freddy the kitten.

GrainBrain

Awesome

Eric F 

Interesting to see that they mandated using regulars road bikes for the TT today. I don't think I have seen that before at the World Tour level.

slcbob

Eric, are you talking about last week's Tour Down Under?
There was a little discussion here: velogames 2023-and so it begins...
No TT in the Vuelta a San Juan this year.

Eric F 

OOPS! I was watching the wrong YouTube video - d'oh! It was Stage 3 of San Juan 2020.

EDIT: Finally found the right one. A Cancellara-like effort for Quinn. Very nice!

slcbob

Don't cry for GrainBrain , Argentina. He's crushing it with his Nizzolo / Gaviria combo. Though I'm sure he's a little misty after leaving the Mighty Quinn off his roster. Outstanding result for Simmons.

For my part, I'm sad that I couldn't hear the drums, Fernando, and there was nothing in the air that night when I was picking my roster. It was a conscious opt out. So, yeah, I'm a little misty, too.

semroc

Even Sagan likes it.

diphthong

three for three with the stage winner on the squad but currently 5th out of seven in our little league...i'm beginning to see how this year is going to play out pour moi-not well.

MinnMan

That was pretty exciting.
I've been enjoying the battles royale in CX land, but still, it's good to see some road racing again.

MinnMan

I'm not sure I'd like the explanation behind his "horizontal peace sign" though. I'll root for Simmons for.a bunch of reasons, including that I like seeing all these young Americans doing so well. But to do so, I have to look past his politics.

diphthong

let's just get stuff outta the way...first absolutely ridiculous and uninformed/bad/horrible prediction of the year...dani martinez...stage 4 san juan.

slcbob

Thomas de Gendt, Taco Van Der Hoorn, Dani Martinez. Notorious breakaway specialists all.

Fixed it for you, amigo. Now it seems to be am eminently reasonable, perhaps even insightful, horrible prediction. Which, of course, means it's doomed.

I wish I had something to offer for today that rose to those lowly heights of ridiculous and uninformed. All I've got is worse. Jose Luis Rodriguez has 292k in the lead group so far. Maybe today is his day!

MinnMan

bzzzzt