Online cycling and/or baseball manager type timewasters?

[matt j]

Three-stage cobble/flat tour finished today. I happened to wake up in the middle of the night and saw that Kavanagh improved in the 2nd stage to 4th over last season's 9th (yay - I still think I should have been higher, but also had 4 mechanicals and 2 off days among the LOs), but without good legs in the TT could not improve in the GC standings, but still finished 8th (yay - last year was 6th). I may have to get Kavanagh to the TT center and target this tour at top form, but all that depends on if Div. 4 is where we stay going into next year. Would take some planning to trigger top form *and* be in Div. 4 at the right time.

[Sits]

Keep up the good work Matt.

Down at Lindfield I feel as though things are very slowly falling into place. Hunzberger and Treadwell are both back after injuries, and I’m making an effort not to attempt too many races, so as to keep DPs reasonable. We’ve crept back into D5, although one of the three youngest has turned 23 so I’m struggling to find races they can fit into, until the squad is back up at 12 and I can use them in a “second unit”. I’m giving Vidigal some training while keeping $50k to one side for Hagenhofer who arrives on Day 30.

As one of the very helpful managers put it, “It’s a slow game.” But I can accept that I think.

[matt j]

About 48 hours left to sign up for the first WT race of the season. delicatemoth Cobble race of course.

Kavanagh's DP is quite awful at the moment, as I've raced him into the ground. (But could still support whoever you choose to he captain.)

Unfortunately, my gamble on Kavanagh's early season lost steam today as I got no points out of Erdek-Erdek. With another 80 coming off on day 14 (Paile's breakaway last season), it almost certainly means I drop to Division 5 unless a rider comes through with a BA podium. It's an earlier drop than last year, which makes for awkward planning.

It does mean that I can target 2 or 3 flat road races in Division 5 from day 22 to day 33, and possibly get Crumley a podium while I'm there.

[delicatemoth]

I thought you were high up in div 4? I've forgotten how to find that 'points by week' screen, but we're dropping down div 5 rather, and skint.

[matt j]

Not quite high enough, 60 points from Erdek and 80 points from Bolgatanga last season is pretty big hit to take off right now. With luck I can bounce back quickly, but just no way to get any points before the Bolgatanga comes off. (Unless I get a repeat BA victory there on Saturday.)

FYI, awards voting is live, if you haven't done that and/or actually want to.

[Sits]

I thought you were high up in div 4? I've forgotten how to find that 'points by week' screen, but we're dropping down div 5 rather, and skint.

It’s actually a “points per day” - go to the IoM rankings then click “Data” at the top.

[Sits]

What have I gone and done? I've signed up for the Monte Rosa Tour (Div 5)! The Locknuts are very ill suited to all but two of the five stages but I couldn't resist it. A King stage in the Alps, isn't that what a climbing team exists for? And at least I TT centred Hunzberger in the past so he has a 51 score for the prologue.

Just there for the experience really but if any of you are in Div 5 at an apposite moment, we can have some fun.

[delicatemoth]

Isle of Man team for Velikiye Luki - Gruzdovo cobbled classic:-

Shamus Neville (Cap); Herman Kavanagh (LO); Zebediah Pritchett, Marvin Grau, Marc Radnedge, Joey Oddy.

Thank you SO much Sits, I never notice stage races till it's too late. We're in this one!

Team - Carder (Cap); Paulus, Latham, Przybylski, Tolbert, Sagharchi

[Sits]

Thank you SO much Sits, I never notice stage races till it's too late. We're in this one!

Fantastic! My pleasure.

[matt j]

An unsurprising CB WT-A result, IoM nowhere near top 9. Next up there is http://www.cyclingsimulator.com/?pag...inaia+%28WT%29

which in theory, is probably Carder and IoM is much more suited?

IoM cling to a top-20 position, but I think has to get points in this round to be in the CoN races.

[Levin]

Well, damn it. My youth cobbler team mate has maxed out at 39 avg.

[Sits]

Ah, that’s a pisser Levin.

[matt j]

Quintrell right? What were his potentials?

[Levin]

Yeah, Quintrell

CL: Small DH: None HL: Small

SP: Average FR: Average CB: Good

TT: Average TQ: Average

[matt j]

yikes, that's a desperately low maximum of training camp points. Maybe 60ish only. Did you keep track? Horribly unlucky.

[Levin]

I don't keep track of that stuff but about 60 sounds right. I wasn't after a world beater, just a cobbler who could offer a bit of day to day support

[Sits]

So the Monte Rosa Tour is tomorrow, with Man 2 Man and Lindfield Locknuts in there: http://www.cyclingsimulator.com/?pag...field+Locknuts

We'll be going into it with some pretty poor DPs - I already had a few races booked when I allowed myself to be lured into the Tour. Yesterday I set everyone for Practice, except Denis Albrecht who sadly was injured when we booked, so will miss out. We could have really done with him for Stages 3 and 4, which look to be the GC stages.

[Sits]

delicatemoth I found this old thread on tour tactics, which is resurrected by someone asking specifically about the Monte Rosa. Some potentially useful insights (well they are for me!):

[matt j]

- A very brief Monte Rosa preview for IoM -

Not only are Man 2 Man and Lindfield Locknuts riding here, but a few other IoM notables, Zebediah Pritchett (in top form) for instance

Bern Prologue:
--Not great for the IoM teams; IoM rider Drew Tolers (formerly of Fox River) vague longshot chance at top 9

Bern - Lausanne:
--Outside shot for Man 2 Man's Harold Paulus for a top 9

Lausanne - Monte Rosa (King Stage):
--If an IoM rider is going to get a podium, it would probably be Man 2 Man's Abner Carder here, supported by Sagharchi ; Lindfield's Hunzberger (LUX) outside chance at top 20, could break into top 9 on a good legs day
--problem here is that there are several riders in top form: Chamlagain (Himalaya Bikers) - already the favorite anyway, Nikolovski, and Swenson, not to mention the very strong riders from team Berritxaco

Lugano - St. Moritz:
--another outside chance for Carder to hit the podium, looks well-supported for this
--May be where Chamlagain extends his GC lead

Geneve - Geneve:
--The only true sprint race, and there aren't really any division leading sprinters here (somewhat soft field). Man 2 Man's Latham has an outside chance at top 9 but has little support.
--Looks to be Halgau's Wolf with the the best chance here, but Twente Cycling Team a good bet for several top 9s.

GC prediction:
--Hard to see past Chamlagain here, but with a good King stage and top 9 in Lugano - St. Moritz, Carder may get a top 9 in GC. Hunzberger, with a bit of luck could sneak in as well, but looks just outside top 9 at the moment:
1) Amalesh Chamlagain (Himalaya Bikers)
2) Rodas De La Grosis (Berritxaco)
3) Ernst Reiswig (Bank Lux)
4) Abner Carder (Man 2 Man)
5) Riste Nikolovski (Velosipedska)

YC prediction:
--close run between Jordan Spirkoski (Velosipedska) and Dino Lurdes (Vandersluis Pro Cycling)

There is no Sprint Classification.

[delicatemoth]

Man 2 Man's Latham has an outside chance at top 9 but has little support.

Great preview, cheers matt. Yeah, we're here for the GC and Latham is here as a domestique.

Speaking of which... has anyone worked out what the superdomestique role is supposed to be for? Whenever I've tried to use it I've had no joy. In my head it seems a role for your best all-round rider who isn't your captain.

The other thing I can't work out is how to trigger top form. Occasionally one of my riders lucks into it, but that's all.

[Sits]

Great preview Matt, and good to be going into the Monte Rosa with nothing to lose!

DM I think that role is for a good climber who’s not quite good enough for Captain. But why wouldn’t you just use them as a Pace Setter? Maybe it’s where you don’t think your captain has much chance. <thinks about stages 3 and 4....>

[matt j]

Triggering top form is pretty straightforward, both DP and RS have to be 90 or above. This can happen accidentally just by when the rider pops out of race break to be ready for a race.

RS loss is 'about' 0.8 a day, from all calculations I've seen and tested myself. RS gain is just by racing, and a race every 5-7 days easily keeps it above 90. You can track RS gain per race - the forums have it - but I haven't bothered with that much.

DP loss is of course varied by the race. I generally assume 'about' 7 for a one-day race. 2-3 for a stage. DP gain is varied (depending on where you start), but not hard to track with some simple ideas:
1) if a rider is 80+ DP, he will end up above 90 after 5 days on racebreak.
---Specifically: 80 exactly DP to start, 5 days of race break, gains 10 DP back, ends on 90
2) At 70-79 DP, the rider can't reach 90 after 5 days on racebreak
--Specifically: 70 exactly DP to start, 5 days of race break, gains 15 DP back, ends on 85

and so on. (These totals don't include doctor's effect, btw.)

So to purposely trigger top form, you just have to see the race you want in advance and ensure that RS is 96 or above, and DP is 80+ and leave the rider on race break until he is removed for the 24h-to-race start.

However, all of that requires that the rider be and their profile say 'top form ready' which means you have to reset top form with two conditions:
1) DP drops lower than 65 (sometimes teams use jobs here) and
2) RS drops lower than 75 (basically 32 consecutive days of of no racing)

and know you can't trigger a new top form until 45 days after the last top form

So in theory, you can cycle on/off over the course of a season:
1) Trigger top form, it lasts for 12 days, 3-4 one-day races, or maybe a tour and a classic
2) Burn through DP fast in those 12 days
3) Stop racing that rider for 32 days after top form
4) one full round of race break (e.g. DP ~60 to DP ~80) before racing again (can do this about day 27 of last step)
5) a race every 5 days or so, but keeping DP in the high 70s to low 80s range
6) target the next top form window once your RS is back above 90
7) a short race break to cross the 80 DP mark; then the full 5-day to reach 90 DP (e.g. a race gap of 7-8 days)

The season planner posted in the forum is great for this.

Top form is a 10% gain. If you can plan all this out, and get all your riders synced, this would be a massive boost in a tour.

If... IF, one had the proper riders, I could see a team specifically having a tour squad that does that TF cycle. Maybe even two a season to target different races.

Maybe one day.

[matt j]

Also, KrMees just posted a massive Monte Rosa preview on the front page. Check it out.

http://www.cyclingsimulator.com/news...iew_Part_1/665

http://www.cyclingsimulator.com/news...iew_Part_2/667

[delicatemoth]

However, all of that requires that the rider be and their profile say 'top form ready' when means you have to reset top form with two conditions:
1) DP drops lower than 65 (sometimes teams use jobs here) and
2) RS drops lower than 75 (basically 32 consecutive days of of no racing)

That explains my problem, I would never let main riders drop that low. Thanks.

As expected, none of my or Sits' riders made any impact in the prologue. Tomorrow morning is mainly hills with a little bit of sprint. So I'm trying the Superdomestique again, Sagharchi taking the role. The aim here is for Carder to lose no time, as well as the superdomestique he has two Hill Helpers (Tolbert and Przybylski) and Latham on waterbottle duties. Paulus will try and get in the break.

[Sits]

Neagoe, Gaby and Bang are all Hill Helping, Obregon fetching and carrying. And I’m unsure whether to use Treadwell as a Superdomestique or Breakaway. Do Breakaways work when you have Team Mates? Can’t remember. The stage just doesn’t seem climby enough for a SD.