Who is your biggest VDS disappointment?

by The Team Chef on Apr 7, 2008 8:30 PM EDT Comment 41 comments

Sure, there's lots of racing left in the Spring season, and plenty of VDS points up for grabs, but I have to vent.

I spent 10 points on Alexander Kolobnev based on his 2nd place in last year's Worlds, and his win in Eroica; he had Classics stud written all over him.

It's a little hard to score points when your guy isn't included on one startlist that is part of the VDS. Thank you CSC.

I feel screwed, and I want my points refunded and applied to another rider (of course I'll take all this back if he scores well for me later).

Who is your biggest disappointment to date?

Oh, to add insult to injury, Sam San is also on my team. Now that he's aiming for the Tour, there will be no hope of seeing him on form until at least the Dauphine.

Don't get me started with Andy Schlek missing the Giro...

Can I just start over?

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Don't fret over Kolobnev

yet anyway. He's still got the AGR-LBL week + Lombardia in the autumn as far as classics go. And these might be his best chances for a result.

My biggest disappointment so far is Boonen. I thought he'd have a heap of points by now. Oh well. Ask me again after the Giro.

by Rothko on Apr 8, 2008 2:02 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Jered.

Jered has definitely been my biggest VDS disappointment. How to talk smack in a comp like this? Sigh.

by Sui Juris on Apr 8, 2008 8:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Boooooonen

I thought I could cover the whole classics season with Boonen...

Other disappointments (so far) have been Ricco and Kreuziger. But they still have a lot of chances for the season

by King of Doping on Apr 8, 2008 11:43 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Bettini

The Fat Man. Why did I include him? I will take heart that he finished 2nd today.

by ursula on Apr 8, 2008 11:44 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I thought I was too loaded on Quick Step with Boonen, Gert and Devolder, but so far the 12 point guys have been great and my 27 pointer hasn't done squat. For his price tag he HAS to win a monument. At this point I would be happy with a podium at Roubaix.

Vlaenderen die Leu

by Mr Van P on Apr 8, 2008 1:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

You have to blame your brother here

When he picked Boonen too, you just knew you were screwed. Frankly I'm surprised the Curse of the Unibrow hasn't put Tommeke out for the season with a sprained ass or something equally ridiculous.

Personally I'm a little disappointed in Kirchen so far because last year he picked up points in pretty much every race on the calender but this year he seems more picky about his racing. That might lead to a big payoff in the end though. I just know he's overdue for a big win.

A life in flanders for you then Would be a fine vacation oh....

by Jens on Apr 8, 2008 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I went back and forth between Boonen

and Devolder or Ballan and Pippo. I guess on that note I'm glad I stuck with the Belgians so far, but Tommeke has been a bit of a bust so far. Regarding Chris, I'm suprised his team isn't Sammy Sanchez and 24 Italians.

Vlaenderen die Leu

by Mr Van P on Apr 8, 2008 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sammy Sanchez and 24 Italians

There's my team name for next year's VDS. Thanks Pete!

"Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it's the Way of the Cross." -Andrea Tafi

by Drew on Apr 8, 2008 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can't

single out anyone for disappointment. There's too many of them. Philippe Gilbert has earned his pay at Unibrow. That's it.

by Chris... on Apr 8, 2008 3:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Seriously

Cunego's unwillingness to ride the Giro is a disappointment. If he and Sanchez all gear up for a minor placing in the Tour, it kills my win-the-other-GTs strategy. I still have Ricco, but that's it for the Giro now.

by Chris... on Apr 8, 2008 3:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

You have Ricco too?

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!

"Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it's the Way of the Cross." -Andrea Tafi

by Drew on Apr 8, 2008 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ah,

the bike through in T-A makes a lot more sense now.

by Hons on Apr 8, 2008 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have no one for the Giro

and really only Devolder(!) for the Tour. I should be okay at the Vuelta, but I sure would like the Tour de Georgia to be on the points list - at least I might get my money's worth w/ Leipheimer before September.

But if Bubble Boy wins TdG, I'll still be glad traded him last minute to get Devolder.

Even if de Rhonde weren't on the list, his win Sunday was supreme!!

by Cyclingrush on Apr 9, 2008 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pais Vasco is putting paid to Mick Rogers

My strategy was to ignore the Tour. I figured Andy Schleck would do the Giro (wrong) and that at the Tour I'd rely on getting someone into the top 10 and forget about it--and I settled on Mick Rogers from High Road. I figured his team would have to back him, and that this year's Tour would counter-intuitively emphasize time trialing.

What have I got in return? Mick is out and under a doping cloud, and his team is talking up the chances of Kim-freaking-Kirchen in July. Eeek.

Oscar Freire Erik prank zabel to arms to the sky and gains the Sanremo.

by Softie on Apr 8, 2008 3:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Kim-freaking-Kirchen in July

That's my best chance of a comeback right now. or even better: Kim-freaking-Kirchen in the Ardennes.

(And since fancy boy Gerdemann will be sitting at home polishing his Gucci-luggage, Kim-freaking-Kirchen is probably their only chance of a GC result in July so they have to talk him up)

A life in flanders for you then Would be a fine vacation oh....

by Jens on Apr 8, 2008 3:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Where is Leipheimer?

I mean... does the guy even race? Or is he one of those two Astana riders I see taking training rides on Admiralty in Marina Del Rey on the way to work (two more Astana guys this morning). Let Levi Ride... anything! Please!

Let me guess... he's going to ride Georgia right? Just like he did California. Both races NOT on VDS.

For one Leipheimer I could have had Devo and Savoldelli.

And Bettini... I'm figuring on occasional stage wins here and there, with him coming on strong at the end of the season for the Olympics and Worlds.

And Petacchi... he better come through with a passel of stage wins in the Giro or I won't save his sister Domino from evil SPECTRE henchman Largo on the Disco Volante.

============= Daniel

by crashdan on Apr 8, 2008 4:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Dude

what's the average age on your team? Do you have Slava Ekimov too? Was Joop Zoetemelk unavailable?

by Chris... on Apr 8, 2008 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Average Age = 30.12

Oldest is Bert Roesems at 35 and youngest is Cav at 22.

I think it's nicely balanced considering I had only 20% of any idea what I was doing.

And you're damn right I would have picked Ekimov if he was on the list. I saw some posters in spring of '06 (I think ) around here in Los Angeles of Hincapie, Ekimov, Beltran and one other guy that were done in the classic "Workers of the World Unite" Soviet style that I absolutely loved and it made Ekimov look like he was THE Patron de Patrons.

============= Daniel

by crashdan on Apr 8, 2008 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Touche

And that was a great poster, Trek or no.

by Chris... on Apr 8, 2008 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm changing my team name...

From Motoescapism to Motoescapism presented by 30.12.

Any idea where I can get a hand on those posters?

============= Daniel

by crashdan on Apr 10, 2008 7:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Never mind... found 'em...

Race 2 Replace posters.

Of course... having had to scour various cycling related message boards to find them, I have determined now that I am a "Ghey for Armstrong Trekie Discofanboy".

Who knew?

============= Daniel

by crashdan on Apr 10, 2008 7:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

[rolling on floor laughing]

--JFS

by JFS_PGH on Apr 10, 2008 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah... way to pile on...

If you're not careful, you'll break my team's hip. Now GET OFF MY LAWN, DAGNABIT!

============= Daniel

by crashdan on Apr 10, 2008 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You kids better be careful

Old Man Crashdan is getting ornery.

"Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it's the Way of the Cross." -Andrea Tafi

by Drew on Apr 11, 2008 8:35 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

MY VDS disappointment is

all the babies I picked. Last year I took many older, more experienced riders and what did I get? Zip, nada, came in last in both the Tour only and Vuelta only contests. The riders who had great possibilities got popped for doping. (Kessler and Mazollini anyone? There was another one or two, but obscurity forces them into my hall of non-rememberance.)

This year, I thought, a HA!, pick the young, fresh guys not only will you have a better chance of them not getting popped for doping, but they run all over the others with their enthusiasm and fresh legs.

Over half my VDS team is under 25. I have Gerdemann, Ricco, baby Schleck, Brajkovic, Haedo, Boasson Hagen, even Anders freakin' Lund. Great strategy. Ah well, at least I have Karsten Kroon.

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

by bethie on Apr 8, 2008 4:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Krooooon....

Krooooooooonnnnnnnn!!!!!!

============= Daniel

by crashdan on Apr 8, 2008 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lesson learned

I did this for years in baseball fantasy leagues, and last year in the VDS too. It's the worst: two years later, when you're fed up with them and shifted to the next crop, they completely take over... just to rub it in your face.

by Chris... on Apr 8, 2008 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Next year

I'm going back to my initial strategy, guys who fill out their bike shorts in the most imaginative ways possible.

Then when they win the next year and rub it in my face, it won't feel so bad.

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

by bethie on Apr 8, 2008 6:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

oh my

by Sui Juris on Apr 8, 2008 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bethie

needs her own corner of the blog. Somebody has to compile Bethie's greatest hits. Just don't cc: the FBI on them.

by Chris... on Apr 8, 2008 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Let's call it Bethie's Corner

it will essentially be the Cafe's Daily Distractions from Bethie's POV.

"Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it's the Way of the Cross." -Andrea Tafi

by Drew on Apr 9, 2008 9:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

LMAO

May want to team her w/ Nikki....

by Cyclingrush on Apr 9, 2008 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL

I would be right there to help support her!

Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want. -Randy Pausch

by nikki on Apr 9, 2008 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Damn...

I had to re-read that a couple 'a times just to make sure it said what it said.

============= Daniel

by crashdan on Apr 8, 2008 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh and I 3 picked guys that aren't even

on continental teams. i should have just picked VDB for the ecclectic value.

Vlaenderen die Leu

by Mr Van P on Apr 8, 2008 5:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Looking Closer..

Folks, looking at the races so far I think its premature to call any of the 25 or 20 point riders a bust just yet. Well Leipheimer is a bust and Menchov will be a bust but, sorry to say, you should have seen that coming because neither of those guys actually rides many races.

Its still too early to tell. Boonen is a little low. Freire actually is doing quite well and should continue to do well. Bennati is a no-sho and is puzzling. Cancellara is dynamite.

I hope to have projections for the rest of the year after P-R for your reading pleasure.

by ursula on Apr 8, 2008 11:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Except

Boonen has this week and maybe the green jersey. So we're close to calling him a VDS bust. The others? GT season hasn't started. And Bennati has about 75 races he can do left on the calendar.

by Chris... on Apr 8, 2008 11:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Relative to who?

I guess the big thing here is that a rider is only a bust in comparison to other riders, no?

I would agree that he will under perform compared to last year, but a lot depends on G-W and P-R. Top three performances in both puts him on par with last year. A win in P-R and a top 15 in Gent puts him only slightly under performing expectations.

But Boonen also needs to be compared to the other 25 pointers and 20 pointers as well and in that he still is one of the stronger point winners. Not the best, and its fair to hope that he would be the best, but still not as bad as some others.

Of course on a point-per VDS point basis he and probably the other expensive guys are not cost effective unless they dominate... which is what you buy them for, that chance to dominate. As far as I can tell there's only three expensive guys in line for possible domination and Boonen isn't one of them.

by ursula on Apr 8, 2008 11:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I would say if all he winds up with is

the green jersey and maybe some TDF stages then I would say it's a bust. P-R could set things right for him though.

Vlaenderen die Leu

by Mr Van P on Apr 9, 2008 9:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's fair

As we just saw at G-W he got nothing.

P-R is huge for Boonen and his VDS fans (and I don;t have him on my team).

by ursula on Apr 9, 2008 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ignatiev/Cornu

I could complain about Gerdemann and Rogers being hurt, but I think I erred in choosing track riders. I don't think Ignatiev and Cornu have even raced this year. Cornu was just a young guy who did well in time trials, but I thought Ignatiev might get some wins this year.

Its hard to win a road race when you spend all your time on the track.

by John.. on Apr 9, 2008 8:12 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs