Criterium du Dauphine

I haven't changed my team yet today. It must be right then.

I'm looking to set up a climbing team then 'track back' to introduce an extra TT'er who will come out on stage 2

Might be limited to GC/Competition standing points in the middle of the race though....hoping for 3 transfers for the expected reduced bunch sprint on stage 3(Gerrans/DeMare/Gallopin my preferred trio right now).

Provisional Standard

Froome
Kwiatkowski
Spilak
Kangert
Jungels
VDB
Coppel
Berhane
Larsson

Provisional Purist

Kwiatkowski
Talansky
Tejay
Spilak
Peraud
Berhane
Larsson
Pozzato
Elissonde

Well here is my purist.

Arnaud Demare (FDJ)
Alberto Contador (TSB)
Bob Jungels (TFR)
Michal Kwiatkowski (OPQ)
Edward Beltran (TSB)
Simon Spilak (KAT)
Jerome Coppel (COF)
Daan Olivier (GSH)
Anton Vorobyev (KAT)

For anyone who is thinking of gaining inspiration from this, don't. I can't tell you how poor I am at purist.

Dave, you have to get this budget thing under control... Here's the 4 highest valued riders in this competition:

40.0 Christopher Froome
35.5 Michal Kwiatkowski
33.2 Richie Porte
32.9 Vincenzo Nibali
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
Total 156.6

Won't you please make it easy for fools like me to be able to fit in these 4 riders and 5 3.0 riders and call it 'my team'? Please? . I cry every night. Seriously. It affects me. I can't sleep. I can't make choices... I just want an easy way out of this incredible dilemma... I don't care about winning... I just want a pretty team with the 4 highest valued riders in it and have it look pretty in the Top 500 in the rankings...

I'm hoping this lot might have some luck in breaks, overall and a bit of climbing, I am not changing it before the start unless of a withdrawal. Probably a rubbish choice. I'll change in the game to get used to the rules. I'm banking that Voeckler will test himself at least once, and I've enjoyed watching Yates so far this season but will see how the big hills suit him. Sarmiento has done well in this race before.
I found loads of choice with 150 to play with, there is some value outside the stars and even within them.

Michal Kwiatkowski (OPQ)
Vincenzo Nibali(AST)
Geoffrey Soupe (FDJ)
Pierrick Fedrigo (FDJ)
Thomas Voeckler (EUC)
Vincent Jerome (EUC)
Adam Yates (OGE)
Peter Stetina (BMC}
Jose Cayetano Sarmiento (CAD)

150 is tight on this one, but I suspect it will make the leaderboards a little more interesting rather than everyone having 7 of the same + 2 wildcards.

ps when I click on the prizes tab, there aren't any there...

I can't post without putting a subject line in.

I can't post directly as I only have a preview button.

I can't start a post.

150 is plenty, there are loads of sub-20-credit riders that could conceivably score well. The problem comes when even the second and third string riders are at 20-25 credits, and there's hardly anyone at less than 10, but that hasn't been the case since last year's TDF. Keep it up guys, looking good!

Is that a technical term?

Hi yes the Soupe is off, but I kept him in because still on Steephill, but I have put Nicki Sorensen in for the time being.

I will confess, I have Tejay too, Id I think going into stage 2 with Kwit and Tejay, is too risky, so thinking Froome or Contador to replace Kwit. We shall see, gonna have another look at it all now. (also can't see much from Kelder after his giro exploits, he would do better in TdS in my opinion)

I rather fancy Yates, however for his price, he is too risky for my purist, and Id like to see him on stage 2, with a view for later in the week, after all its his biggest race yet of his career, with by far the strongest field. I fear he may end up with what are decent finishes, but down in positions 15-20, which are too low for his current price in this kind of field.

I agree. Fancy Yates but not at that price with this field. TJVG is also a risk in my opinion given he has had a lack of racing time. And Froome Dog.

Yeah, obviously it's an algorithm and all that but Yates does seem poor value here. Froome though, I, think justifies his price as a hot favourite for three stages and likely to carry GC points through too.

It seems the trick to this one will be sorting out those MM and 'flat' (but not really flat) stages. And that means plenty of research and a good chunk of luck.

Most overpriced rider has to be Edet?

150 budget looks perfect, plenty of options and had to think really hard about what to do. My initial list had 42 names on it and I ended up putting in at least three guys that were not on it.

The big question I agree is what to make of the midweek stages. Puristwise I am ignoring them, But the fantasy competition winner I think will be the one who gets those right, they look like classics stages and the inclusion of so many classics type riders would suggest they will be very interesting.

Some of these lower priced riders are very interesting too.

Demare looks like a nice bargain. Hard to see anyone other than Demare or Nizzolo winning any sprints.

There are a few sprinters in there if you look.

I still haven't changed my team. How weird.

EDIT: Er, I hadn't

I'll be surprised if Spilak isn't THE most popular rider.....unless he's made to ride for Dani?

Where is everyone?