Fantasy Tour de France + general TdF discussion...
#26
bored of "Senior Member"
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: MD / metro DC
Posts: 2,883
Bikes: Cross-Check/Nexus commuter. Several others for various forms of play.
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 642 Post(s)
Liked 593 Times
in
453 Posts
I, too, predict chaos but my spin is that the new blue train puts Viviani into yellow.
I am revisiting my lineup searching for more hard men. This tour and this scoring system play to the puncheurs.
I don't even know what to make of that stupid way of awarding team points - by daily stage, not GC.
I looked around in the official game. It seems to have put the Eurosport and NBC games out of business, as well as George's hobby. At least I can't find how to get past looking at my Eurosport team from, I think, last year's Vuelta. Anyway, back to ASO's very graphic abomination. I felt dirty (that's saying a lot). I don't like it. I mostly built a team but I'm not messing with it any further and won't post a league. The straw that broke the camel's back, after I maintained tolerance while struggling with the skimpy budget and awkward through-a-straw view of the rider list, was finding the pyramid marketing scheme that awards you bonus budget to enable transfers by leg humping other people to join. Nope.
I am revisiting my lineup searching for more hard men. This tour and this scoring system play to the puncheurs.
I don't even know what to make of that stupid way of awarding team points - by daily stage, not GC.
I looked around in the official game. It seems to have put the Eurosport and NBC games out of business, as well as George's hobby. At least I can't find how to get past looking at my Eurosport team from, I think, last year's Vuelta. Anyway, back to ASO's very graphic abomination. I felt dirty (that's saying a lot). I don't like it. I mostly built a team but I'm not messing with it any further and won't post a league. The straw that broke the camel's back, after I maintained tolerance while struggling with the skimpy budget and awkward through-a-straw view of the rider list, was finding the pyramid marketing scheme that awards you bonus budget to enable transfers by leg humping other people to join. Nope.
#27
bored of "Senior Member"
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: MD / metro DC
Posts: 2,883
Bikes: Cross-Check/Nexus commuter. Several others for various forms of play.
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 642 Post(s)
Liked 593 Times
in
453 Posts
P.S. so my focus shifts now to down-selecting amongst the many paths not taken with riders (and now teams? !!) added only to be subtracted. Its best to consolidate on a short list of legit regrets -- the paths not taken but really seriously considered and probably shoulda taken, really. The key for me is to not feel bad about everything, just a few things, in the near future when @dstrong is calmly out front and @one4smoke is well behind him but still feeling pretty smug. And to relish finishing ahead of our gracious host.
#28
Senior Member
Yes! Please! Copy me! We can all go down together!
This morning I re-read the scoring system and commenced to way overthink things! I like the fact that I don't have a budget to work within because I've proven I suck at picking riders from the bottom of the barrel...this system allows me to pick top riders and teams throughout...but the challenge is to balance the spinters/climbers/teams...it's a multi-dimensional problem!
I do find it interesting that a rider will get points when they take over a jersey...but not for holding the jersey day after day.
I've changed my team three times since Wednesday...and I'll probably change it one more time later today.
Bonne chance mes ami!
This morning I re-read the scoring system and commenced to way overthink things! I like the fact that I don't have a budget to work within because I've proven I suck at picking riders from the bottom of the barrel...this system allows me to pick top riders and teams throughout...but the challenge is to balance the spinters/climbers/teams...it's a multi-dimensional problem!
I do find it interesting that a rider will get points when they take over a jersey...but not for holding the jersey day after day.
I've changed my team three times since Wednesday...and I'll probably change it one more time later today.
Bonne chance mes ami!
__________________
2014 Specialized Roubaix2003 Interloc Impala2007 ParkPre Image C6 (RIP)
2014 Specialized Roubaix2003 Interloc Impala2007 ParkPre Image C6 (RIP)
#29
velo-dilettante
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: insane diego, california
Posts: 8,316
Bikes: 85 pinarello treviso steel, 88 nishiki olympic steel. 95 look kg 131 carbon, 11 trek madone 5.2 carbon
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1628 Post(s)
Liked 3,114 Times
in
1,683 Posts
that little race in july starts mañana. last chance to get your predictions and teams in for stage one. i’m down with ewan. slcbob haz vivi. anyone else down to prognosticate? fortune favors the bold...
#30
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Central Io-way
Posts: 2,673
Bikes: LeMond Zurich, Giant Talon 29er
Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1221 Post(s)
Liked 629 Times
in
472 Posts
Sagan. I swapped out viviani at the last second for Herrada. Had both but really feel like Sagan will go hard for green. Practically the first time he's riding in normal team colors He will be anxious to quickly wear something different, like yellow for maybe a few stages
#31
bored of "Senior Member"
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: MD / metro DC
Posts: 2,883
Bikes: Cross-Check/Nexus commuter. Several others for various forms of play.
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 642 Post(s)
Liked 593 Times
in
453 Posts
I hope we don't see this in the closing kilometers.
5000 bikers, cycling 50mph downhill with a choke 15 yards wide, what could go wrong (2019/)
May Le Tour live up to all your fantasies. And mine.
I wonder if we'll have any exact match teams in the league. I bet 90%+ of the teams will be 50%++ identical, but the small differences may compound. The last week is going to score completely differently and we'll have some teams pedalling squares.
5000 bikers, cycling 50mph downhill with a choke 15 yards wide, what could go wrong (2019/)
May Le Tour live up to all your fantasies. And mine.
I wonder if we'll have any exact match teams in the league. I bet 90%+ of the teams will be 50%++ identical, but the small differences may compound. The last week is going to score completely differently and we'll have some teams pedalling squares.
#32
velo-dilettante
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: insane diego, california
Posts: 8,316
Bikes: 85 pinarello treviso steel, 88 nishiki olympic steel. 95 look kg 131 carbon, 11 trek madone 5.2 carbon
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1628 Post(s)
Liked 3,114 Times
in
1,683 Posts
I hope we don't see this in the closing kilometers.
5000 bikers, cycling 50mph downhill with a choke 15 yards wide, what could go wrong (2019/)
May Le Tour live up to all your fantasies. And mine.
I wonder if we'll have any exact match teams in the league. I bet 90%+ of the teams will be 50%++ identical, but the small differences may compound. The last week is going to score completely differently and we'll have some teams pedalling squares.
5000 bikers, cycling 50mph downhill with a choke 15 yards wide, what could go wrong (2019/)
May Le Tour live up to all your fantasies. And mine.
I wonder if we'll have any exact match teams in the league. I bet 90%+ of the teams will be 50%++ identical, but the small differences may compound. The last week is going to score completely differently and we'll have some teams pedalling squares.
probably not.
probably.
#33
velo-dilettante
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: insane diego, california
Posts: 8,316
Bikes: 85 pinarello treviso steel, 88 nishiki olympic steel. 95 look kg 131 carbon, 11 trek madone 5.2 carbon
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1628 Post(s)
Liked 3,114 Times
in
1,683 Posts
well well well...gva wasting no time...
#35
bored of "Senior Member"
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: MD / metro DC
Posts: 2,883
Bikes: Cross-Check/Nexus commuter. Several others for various forms of play.
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 642 Post(s)
Liked 593 Times
in
453 Posts
GROAN-awegen. Ouch. Did one of Elia's boys make that happen?
Oh well. No regrets about not picking Teunnison. Well, no rational regrets. The only regrets I will allow myself this year are Cobrelli, Naesen, Nizzolo, and maybe Dennis, in lieu of any of the sprinters, or Fuglsgang. We'll see how the first three do in the tough man stages, and whether the Rider of Rohan creates a result somewhere other than the ITT. I could almost regret no Trentin, too, but made a conscious decision he's in on the team GC workload. Similar for J-V Wout. I am all in on the Nibali-the-stage-hunter idea. Let's see how this scoring system net's out and whether 2 wins from Viviani (or that crew) offset a bunch of Top N finishes from the guys who ride between the GC group and the laughing bunch.
Stage 2: flip a coin between Mitchellton-Scott and Ineos on the top step. Lotto and Quick-Step duke it out for 3rd. Wait... Jeanne tells me it will be Ineos, M-S, DQ, and L-S.
Oh well. No regrets about not picking Teunnison. Well, no rational regrets. The only regrets I will allow myself this year are Cobrelli, Naesen, Nizzolo, and maybe Dennis, in lieu of any of the sprinters, or Fuglsgang. We'll see how the first three do in the tough man stages, and whether the Rider of Rohan creates a result somewhere other than the ITT. I could almost regret no Trentin, too, but made a conscious decision he's in on the team GC workload. Similar for J-V Wout. I am all in on the Nibali-the-stage-hunter idea. Let's see how this scoring system net's out and whether 2 wins from Viviani (or that crew) offset a bunch of Top N finishes from the guys who ride between the GC group and the laughing bunch.
Stage 2: flip a coin between Mitchellton-Scott and Ineos on the top step. Lotto and Quick-Step duke it out for 3rd. Wait... Jeanne tells me it will be Ineos, M-S, DQ, and L-S.
#36
bored of "Senior Member"
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: MD / metro DC
Posts: 2,883
Bikes: Cross-Check/Nexus commuter. Several others for various forms of play.
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 642 Post(s)
Liked 593 Times
in
453 Posts
P.S. a saved round on allowed regrets -- Paul. Nice highlight clip by NBC, nice article in Velonews. I'm sure there were some words in the airing that I may hear on tape delay. End of an era. Riders will still carry their suitcases full of courage forward with the big, black, angry mass of the peloton over their shoulder (if they look), but it won't be the same. Kwaheri.
Likes For slcbob:
#37
Senior Member
Having two of my riders (Greenwagon & Fuglsang) go down in Stage 1 is an inauspicious start...hopefully everyone settles down and rides safely.
__________________
2014 Specialized Roubaix2003 Interloc Impala2007 ParkPre Image C6 (RIP)
2014 Specialized Roubaix2003 Interloc Impala2007 ParkPre Image C6 (RIP)
#38
velo-dilettante
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: insane diego, california
Posts: 8,316
Bikes: 85 pinarello treviso steel, 88 nishiki olympic steel. 95 look kg 131 carbon, 11 trek madone 5.2 carbon
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1628 Post(s)
Liked 3,114 Times
in
1,683 Posts
P.S. a saved round on allowed regrets -- Paul. Nice highlight clip by NBC, nice article in Velonews. I'm sure there were some words in the airing that I may hear on tape delay. End of an era. Riders will still carry their suitcases full of courage forward with the big, black, angry mass of the peloton over their shoulder (if they look), but it won't be the same. Kwaheri.
#39
velo-dilettante
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: insane diego, california
Posts: 8,316
Bikes: 85 pinarello treviso steel, 88 nishiki olympic steel. 95 look kg 131 carbon, 11 trek madone 5.2 carbon
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1628 Post(s)
Liked 3,114 Times
in
1,683 Posts
stage two horrible prediction. the ttt...teams ef education, team jv (also motivated to keep the maillot jaune), astana and trek-segafredo jumped out. i'll go with trek.
so which team's gc guy(s) loses the most time tomorrow? thinking it'll be the movistar boys.
so which team's gc guy(s) loses the most time tomorrow? thinking it'll be the movistar boys.
#40
bored of "Senior Member"
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: MD / metro DC
Posts: 2,883
Bikes: Cross-Check/Nexus commuter. Several others for various forms of play.
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 642 Post(s)
Liked 593 Times
in
453 Posts
No. The Spanish will TT slightly better than the French. I think of all the favorites, Roman steps off on stage 3 deepest in the hole.
#41
velo-dilettante
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: insane diego, california
Posts: 8,316
Bikes: 85 pinarello treviso steel, 88 nishiki olympic steel. 95 look kg 131 carbon, 11 trek madone 5.2 carbon
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1628 Post(s)
Liked 3,114 Times
in
1,683 Posts
^good call. bardet could indeed fulfill our lofty expectations.
#42
bored of "Senior Member"
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: MD / metro DC
Posts: 2,883
Bikes: Cross-Check/Nexus commuter. Several others for various forms of play.
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 642 Post(s)
Liked 593 Times
in
453 Posts
I share your expectations for wide swings of exceptionalism from Movistar.
#43
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Central Io-way
Posts: 2,673
Bikes: LeMond Zurich, Giant Talon 29er
Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1221 Post(s)
Liked 629 Times
in
472 Posts
EF will do well today, I feel like Bora will surprise and make the podium.
#44
Newbie racer
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 3,406
Bikes: Propel, red is faster
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1575 Post(s)
Liked 1,569 Times
in
974 Posts
All the feels, Cav rides with junior fan after Tour rejection:
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/l...heer-us-429749
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/l...heer-us-429749
Likes For burnthesheep:
#45
bored of "Senior Member"
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: MD / metro DC
Posts: 2,883
Bikes: Cross-Check/Nexus commuter. Several others for various forms of play.
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 642 Post(s)
Liked 593 Times
in
453 Posts
Jumbo Visma! On fire. And Katusha -- sure didn't see that coming!
Legit disappointment here in my Mitchelton-Scott pick for stage 2. It was pure hallucination with Lotto, mitigated only by the relatively heinous tripping that @ooga-booga was doing with Trek.
Roman (nailed it!) and Richie are both in basement. OTOH, they sure got one over on Lilian Calmejane. So you go guys, it's a long way to Paris. Anything could happen.
Stage 3: will Wout van Aert continue the roll for the JV? Or will Ahlaphilippe deliver as expected? Or will de Marchi keep up the whole orange menace thing that GVA is spinning? My head says Ahlaphilippe, other bits are gurgling Wout (do I still get credit if Poels goes off the normal script?).
Legit disappointment here in my Mitchelton-Scott pick for stage 2. It was pure hallucination with Lotto, mitigated only by the relatively heinous tripping that @ooga-booga was doing with Trek.
Roman (nailed it!) and Richie are both in basement. OTOH, they sure got one over on Lilian Calmejane. So you go guys, it's a long way to Paris. Anything could happen.
Stage 3: will Wout van Aert continue the roll for the JV? Or will Ahlaphilippe deliver as expected? Or will de Marchi keep up the whole orange menace thing that GVA is spinning? My head says Ahlaphilippe, other bits are gurgling Wout (do I still get credit if Poels goes off the normal script?).
#46
velo-dilettante
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: insane diego, california
Posts: 8,316
Bikes: 85 pinarello treviso steel, 88 nishiki olympic steel. 95 look kg 131 carbon, 11 trek madone 5.2 carbon
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1628 Post(s)
Liked 3,114 Times
in
1,683 Posts
stage three...sagan.
#47
bored of "Senior Member"
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: MD / metro DC
Posts: 2,883
Bikes: Cross-Check/Nexus commuter. Several others for various forms of play.
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 642 Post(s)
Liked 593 Times
in
453 Posts
Well I see some interesting things in our little league.
a) Someone is making it interesting! A challenger!!
b) Someone is making it controversial! Our very own lead flip flopper has made two transfers in the act of making things interesting. *sigh*
c) Interesting how I didn't even manage to pick the guys I wanted to pick. I guess I must not have saved my last set of changes when I meant to drop the Rider of Rohan for Fuglsgang, and maybe something else, I can't remember. Much like the "save my changes" press and what I had for lunch yesterday.
a) Someone is making it interesting! A challenger!!
b) Someone is making it controversial! Our very own lead flip flopper has made two transfers in the act of making things interesting. *sigh*
c) Interesting how I didn't even manage to pick the guys I wanted to pick. I guess I must not have saved my last set of changes when I meant to drop the Rider of Rohan for Fuglsgang, and maybe something else, I can't remember. Much like the "save my changes" press and what I had for lunch yesterday.
#48
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Central Io-way
Posts: 2,673
Bikes: LeMond Zurich, Giant Talon 29er
Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1221 Post(s)
Liked 629 Times
in
472 Posts
I'm hoping my team can start picking up in the mountains and rolling stages. I picked Herrada for the nod to French continental teams, wish I had chosen Alaphilippe!! What an incredible and smart move today!!
I wanna know what was transferred, better have been good!!
I wanna know what was transferred, better have been good!!
#49
Senior Member
Wait...what? Transfer???
I was joyful when Alaphalippe won the stage AND went into yellow...thinking I'd move up. Imagine my disappointment when the scores were posted and I went down two spots!!!
I was joyful when Alaphalippe won the stage AND went into yellow...thinking I'd move up. Imagine my disappointment when the scores were posted and I went down two spots!!!
__________________
2014 Specialized Roubaix2003 Interloc Impala2007 ParkPre Image C6 (RIP)
2014 Specialized Roubaix2003 Interloc Impala2007 ParkPre Image C6 (RIP)
#50
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: San Mateo,Ca.
Posts: 3,988
Bikes: TRIMMED DOWN THE HERD
Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1092 Post(s)
Liked 936 Times
in
601 Posts
Uggghh...I'm just letting my picks run. I don't have time to be changing my riders daily.
Last edited by 2cam16; 07-09-19 at 07:51 AM. Reason: Picks, not pics, dummy. lol