[STEVESPRO 79]

Can we get this opened up so that we can start tweaking our selections. The startlists have been virtually complete for days now. Everything seems to be last minute this year and thats not a dig at the volunteers who seem to do everything nowadays. 

Topic

[Daniel Norton]

Anything to stop it being

Anything to stop it being such a lottery in grand tours would help.  Basically, it is impossible to win the Purist overall unless you are lucky in the GTs.

TBH I nearly decided not to do Purist this season to avoid irritation.  It’s only because it takes less time that most people bother.

[MinardiM189]

My first Grand Tour for a few

My first Grand Tour for a few years and I was surprised how many mistakes I made. I never really considered Leknessund or Gee, I totally ignored Healy who was an obvious pick after his strong spring and the inconsistent sprinters used up lots of transfers with no return.

[11waterloo]

Yes, good to get a Grand Tour

Yes, good to get a Grand Tour under the belt. I crept slowly up the leader board through the race but never challenged for top spot. I made a mistake in not having Pinot early on when he was bagging KOM points for very little effort and I also kept Velasco in my team on the assumption that Cav wouldn’t make it over the hills in the middle sprint stages when Cav kept hanging on in there! I didn’t get Gee in either. I think everyone expected him to blow up a bit like Healy did towards the end but he kept delivering the points and would have been a game winner. Nice to have a few days without the deadlines to meet before the Dauphine/TdS 

[Sniffer]

Another Giro done.  A slow

Another Giro done.  A slow burner in terms of the GC, but still lots of of other drama (Gee, Pinot, Leknessund, Cav, Armirail etc).

In Fantasy terms, I have the usual sob stories of choosing the right riders, but just on the wrong days.

Interesting how looking back you see which bets pay off and the ones that didn’t.

I think Leknessund surprised.  His long run in pink meant he was a good pick as soon as he led the GC and the Young rider competitions.  He didn’t make it into as many teams as I thought and we all tried to pick the stage to jetison if we did bring him in.

In hindsight Derek Gee should have been a pick.  Not a rider I ever got in to my team.  If there had been more budget pressure (Remco) I suspect he would have gone into lots of teams and never come out.

Sprinters were a challenge with no dominant rider.  For Nico Denz to have two stage wins and no sprinter doubling up was not something I saw coming.

I thought managing to have four transfers for the final stage was good, but looks like many of the top players had a few more.  Well done for not sliding to the temptation to make ‘just one more change’ on a few stages.

A few days breather before we go again in the Dauphine.  Week long tours keep the hand in, but this game is made for the Grand Tours.

[11waterloo]

Just looked and I’m limping

Just looked and I’m limping along with 3 in the purist. Just a thought but is there any mileage in having a couple of substitutes in the purist game who automatically come in if a rider drops out? The fantasy football has a similar thing and it works quite well. A rider who comes in would only start scoring points once they were in the team obviously. I’ve not really thought it through so it may well be impractical in reality but it would stop some of the bad luck element that can enter the purist game.

[Daniel Norton]

Unlucky.

Unlucky.

I lost Bonifacio today too.  I have one more rider than you, but every rider left in my team has been sick or injured in a crash.

Maybe a league to see who can pick the fewest finishers over a season?

[MinardiM189]

You think that’s bad ?

You think that’s bad ?

I’m down to three now, Roglic, Gaviria & Hague.

Can we get a competition badge for 100% drop outs please?

[Daniel Norton]

Flaming purist game!

Flaming purist game!

Tao GH: Out

Evenepoel: Out

Pederson: Out

Haig: Crashes

Gaviria: Crashes repeatedly

So annoying.  Picked Pinot luckily, so he crashes today (OK I hope).

Seriously?  I’m sure they were good picks.

[11waterloo]

I feel that I have a slightly

I feel that I have a slightly rash streak in me as well. Each season I vow to be more disciplined, like Mountain Renegade, but then I get excited by a particular rider and insist on putting him in my team knowing full well he will come 21st on any given stage. Warren Barguil and Andrea Vendrame are serial offenders for me! 

[Daniel Norton]

I only went for two and none

I only went for two and none made it (McNulty and Cepeda).  So if I keep McNulty for the TT he has to be allowed to race it and then I need to score with the extra transfers.  If not, I’m toast for defending my Giro Title!

Just typical me, trying to run a different team to the other main contenders.  Opposite of the teams the other day – risk all for the chance of a win.  Stupid strategy for this game TBH.

[11waterloo]

Thomas is the benchmark by

I reckon Thomas is the benchmark by which you judge the other riders in a Grand Tour. Probably not going to win but you will have to be very good to beat him.

[11waterloo]

I had three riders in my team

I had three riders in my team aimed at the break so desperately needed at least one of them to make it. Healy got me out of jail! 

[Daniel Norton]

If Thomas can beat Roglic in

If Thomas can beat Roglic in the TT he could win this race…  Long shot but…

[Daniel Norton]

Remco’s cracked first attack!

Remco’s cracked first attack!  Illustrates why it was so stupid to not test him yesterday, as you said Waterloo.

[JAndrewHill]

It’s much more fun when you

It’s much more fun when you have THE rider in the break in your fantasy squad

[Author]

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