Virtual Directeur Sportif 2007: A Few&nbsp;Notes

Race Calendar, Pro Team Listing & Race Point Values

by Clydesdale on Feb 15, 2007 1:58 PM EST reply actions

This time...

I plan to pick my own team instead of allowing the non-psychic slackers running this board to do it for me.

And soon (well, not soon actually), you will all be worshiping Hennie Kuiper, DS.

Again.

by TCWriter on Feb 15, 2007 2:06 PM EST reply actions

Oh TC

Will you stop blaming us for your Iban Mayo / Jose Rujano obsession? The first key to getting better is admitting you have a problem.

I can't wait to see Rene Hasselbacher leading your team. If you pick Graeme Brown as well you can be sure of causing crashes in two separate races :-)

by Drew on Feb 15, 2007 2:19 PM EST reply actions

Hey, what happened!

Yesterday, Carlos Sastre (Candil) was worth 1.5 points, now he's worth 10.50. I still have my printout from yesterday, does that mean I get to take him for 1.5 pts??

by Tiki on Feb 15, 2007 3:50 PM EST reply actions

Not a chance

See multiple comments in different threads about this. He was mislabled.

by Drew on Feb 15, 2007 3:56 PM EST reply actions

So far

it looks like Peter Van Petegem is on everyone's team. Maybe he should be the default teammate.

Pretty hard to pass up Bobby Julich and Brad Magee at their point values, too, they seem to be popular choices.

This is going to be so much fun!

by bethie on Feb 15, 2007 4:00 PM EST reply actions

Cheap People

I felt like Haedo was worth the 1.5 points, even if he doesn't win, because he always has a shot at it. Ciolek, too.

And I though Cooke was worth it because he won the Green jersey, but if he doesn't compete, that would suck.

by BDBrian on Feb 15, 2007 6:01 PM EST up reply actions

(heh heh heh)

My plan is working..(in my best Bela Legosi voice)

by Peter Fontecchio on Feb 15, 2007 9:36 PM EST up reply actions

I was going to add Cookie

until I remembered he races for Unibet.........who at this rate will be lucky to garner an invitation to the Tour of Missouri.

Everyone has a soft spot for DePeet. How could you not when he's got his This (scroll down)

by Drew on Feb 15, 2007 4:11 PM EST reply actions

Astana and Unibet

I just stayed away from both astana and unibet, are the GTs and the UCI ever see eye to eye? or is it wallet to wallet?

by DanR on Feb 15, 2007 11:59 PM EST reply actions

Added Some Teams

From overnight emails, Including a couple that looks like our competition will be going international.

by Clydesdale on Feb 16, 2007 10:01 AM EST reply actions

I haven't been through every team yet

but I do notice one glaring omission - no one has taken Basso yet. Is that because

a) no one likes him
b) he won't do enough races to justify his price tag
c) he'll be shut out of the Tour
d) all of the above
e) none of the above

Personally I don't have a problem with him, but I can only think of 3 races where he's likely to try hard and there is a distinct possibility that ASO will prevent him from racing the Tour. I'd rather not risk the points just in case.

by Drew on Feb 16, 2007 10:39 AM EST reply actions

Well, you've convinced me

to make him the centerpiece of my team.

by Chris Fontecchio on Feb 16, 2007 11:00 AM EST up reply actions

Or perhaps

those selecting Basso have to spend more time getting the most from the rest of their line-up and they will be submitting their team later than others.

by Hons on Feb 16, 2007 11:33 AM EST up reply actions

Why I didn't pick him

He was certainly considered. 20.77 points? That's not bad, considering he's a favorite in 2 big GTs. That said, I felt more confident taking people who would do well in smaller stage races, and classics. There's also some riders I took that could get high rankings in a bunch of Grand Tours. I don't think it's worth 2 guaranteed wins when you can instead get riders who are consistent and ride throughout, or who might get lucky and get a few stage wins.

by BDBrian on Feb 16, 2007 11:55 AM EST up reply actions

I didn't take him

because it would have defeated my trying to have as many disco riders as possible AND having the kid too

The idea that he might get shut out of the tour was also not very encouraging ...

by ellie on Feb 16, 2007 12:03 PM EST up reply actions

I thought of one more race

I don't know his schedule but assuming it's similar to last year I'm going to guess he'll ride hard in the following:

LBL, Giro, either Dauphine or TdSuisse, Le Tour

Proceed at your own risk...........

by Drew on Feb 16, 2007 11:07 AM EST reply actions

Same thinking...

Too many risks...I had Cooke as one of my sprinters, but with all the joking around between the UCI and the GTs, it was a better bet to go with someone who will be allow to race...riders have to race to get points...

by 1km2go on Feb 16, 2007 12:49 PM EST reply actions

Cooke

I still went with him, because I'm optimistic that Unibet might get into the Giro. If the UCI manages to win that battle (Why haven't they gone to the CAS , exactly?)

by BDBrian on Feb 16, 2007 3:13 PM EST up reply actions

Not to jump the gun

But I'm going to jump the gun and ask Clydesdale if at the end of the VDS season he could compile every rider's point accumulations for this season. It would be useful information when drafting a team in '08.

by Drew on Feb 16, 2007 2:57 PM EST reply actions

great minds ...

I was going to ask the exact same thing. if it's not too much work for cdale of course. ..

by ellie on Feb 16, 2007 11:40 PM EST up reply actions

Rider Updates Through Friday

Race Calendar, Pro Team Listing & Race Point Values

by Clydesdale on Feb 16, 2007 6:32 PM EST reply actions

wow

lot of new faces. and a lot of old timers havn't checked in yet ... (is chris too busy, or is he waitin til everyone else gets their teams in so he can crib) ;-P

So you went with Levi, huh cdale. I don't think anyone else has yet ...

by ellie on Feb 16, 2007 11:44 PM EST up reply actions

Hey Tiki

Not to nitpick, but you took Tyler Farrar twice. I have him too but I don't think he's worth spend 3.0 for just yet ;-) Why don't you replace him with JJ Haedo?

I saw you also took Hasselbacher - that was for comedic value right?

by Drew on Feb 17, 2007 7:33 AM EST up reply actions

Loving this

It seems like there's a pretty even split so far between teams using the American economic model (three riders earning 87% of the budget, supported by 22 minimum-wagers) and the Marxist model (slowly descending salary scale). We all know how this story ends in the real world, but unless the former can bankrupt the latter in the escalating gear race, I can't name a favorite model yet.

The other part I can't figure out for the life of me is whether there are more points to be had in April or July. Consarn it!

by Chris Fontecchio on Feb 16, 2007 7:01 PM EST reply actions

The 100 point team budget!

Bankrupt! I spent all 100 points to the nose, so I guess my team bus won't be doing the rounds!

I went with 50 riders I liked for one reason or another, and fit 25 of them together. I have to admit, it was tough leaving DiLuca off the team, but I've got Bettini, if he can keep from getting relagated!

And I just picked up a new Marinoni carbon frame for myself! Call it an early celebration for winning the pool.

by DanR on Feb 16, 2007 11:09 PM EST up reply actions

I'm stalling

partly because the system forces you to leave off so many guys you like. How can I not take the Kid? I'm supposed to root against Valverde now? This isn't easy...

by Chris Fontecchio on Feb 17, 2007 12:54 AM EST up reply actions

hey you don't

have to take the kid. I would be prefectly happy if I were the only one who had him ;)

by ellie on Feb 17, 2007 1:11 AM EST up reply actions

I have him on my team..

I needed one non-flemish speaking guy that wasn't done for the season on April 30th...

(I'm so screwed..)

by Peter Fontecchio on Feb 17, 2007 5:13 AM EST up reply actions

it will be interesting

to see how the various strategies work out. I imagine it's possible to calculate the maximum points you could get if you focused on the GTs vs the classics, but that would take all the fun out of it ...

by ellie on Feb 17, 2007 1:20 PM EST up reply actions

Oooooooooh, very nice!

Let me know how it rides, heard wonderful things about it.

by Drew on Feb 17, 2007 7:29 AM EST up reply actions

It will be a few weeks or so....

Drew, Here in Edmonton, the roads are not rideable until April, maybe March if I am lucky. So my new ride will have to wait a bit longer to feel pavement. Brought it home today to introduce her to the trainer. hehe

I went with Marinoni's new swoopy paint (blue and silver) on naked carbon, and it looks great. A lot of fibre in my diet now, but I still am going to use AL bars and stem, I am kind of a big guy (175lbs at 5-8, right now). Marinoni is also doing me up a custom track bike. I am told it just came out of paint!

OK, back to the pros. I had to take Maggy, and my gut says not to flinch too much over his surgery. Get well soon big guy!

by DanR on Feb 17, 2007 11:28 PM EST up reply actions

I guess

I did the marxist thing. My biggest guy is the kid. and I think I've got more 4-10 point guys than anyone else ...

by ellie on Feb 16, 2007 11:45 PM EST up reply actions

Same here

My biggest guy is Hincapie. I have eleven 1.5 point guys. Nobody above 15 points. I'm screwed for the GCs in the Grand Tours (maybe some high rankings are in my future with Popovych, Brajkovic, Beltran), but I've got some decent sprinters

by BDBrian on Feb 17, 2007 6:58 AM EST up reply actions

ah well

I have 13 1.5 guys ... they're almost all disco tho, so I expect to dominate ;)

by ellie on Feb 17, 2007 1:22 PM EST up reply actions

Team Canada

Yikes: My team isn't even a week old and I've lost Marcus Backstedt to the operating table. They say he'll be back in no time, but this "omen" doesn't look good for me...Mr. Canuck.

by canadian on Feb 17, 2007 12:39 PM EST reply actions

Points

Do points count for any of the the Of Interest Races listed?

by Teel 22 on Feb 17, 2007 6:44 PM EST reply actions

Yup

they've got their own scale, but they count.

by Chris Fontecchio on Feb 17, 2007 8:33 PM EST up reply actions

Monday Morning Updates

Race Calendar, Pro Team Listing & Race Point Values

by Clydesdale on Feb 19, 2007 11:03 AM EST reply actions

Tuesday updates

Chris is in...
Race Calendar, Pro Team Listing & Race Point Values

Tour Of California - Test Group

by Clydesdale on Feb 20, 2007 6:04 PM EST reply actions

Marco Zanotti

is going to be huge. There, I said it... Team Saddle Soar is greased up and ready to roll out

by Jimbo... on Feb 21, 2007 12:16 AM EST reply actions

Test Team Posted

So I finally created my son Sage's team, the U-7 Project, a/k/a team randomly assembled for scientific purposes. In case you're interested in this little project, here are some things to know.

First off, Sage is 3 years old, meaning he is ineligible for any prizes, even in Nevada. This is experimental in nature only. Nevertheless, he will be terribly excited.

The method involved choosing players who would add up to close to 100 points, while still being randomly chosen, with no thought to riders' identities. No point in assembling a random team worth 35 points... we know how that'd turn out. Anyway, I grouped riders in salary blocks and drew cards from a deck.

What's to be learned? We'll see, but my guess is that this team will get creamed. Somehow the cards didn't want Sage to land any grand tour riders, which may or may not be an issue. But where I think he'll lose is in the rank-and-file. The 1.50 set includes guys ranging from neo-pros to Peter Van Petegem. This (and in injuries) is where the game is likely to be won. Anyone can pick a few stars, but how you spend your pocket change can make all the diff.

Anyway, here's his lineup. Not pretty:

Samuel Sanchez, Alessandro Petacchi, Jens Voigt, Jose Angel Gomez Marchante, Franco Pellizotti, Antonio Colom, Danilo Napolitano, Robert Forster, Nicki Sorensen, Uros Murn, Alexandre Pichot, Bert Roesems, Cyril Lemoine, Dmitri Kozontchuk, Geert Verheyen, Johan Van Summeren, Kevin Van Impe, Laurent Lefevre, MAtt Hayman, PAtrick Calcagni, Ralf Grabsch, Volodymyr Dyudya, Sargey Yakovlev, Jose Arrieta Lujambio, Sebastian Minard

by Chris Fontecchio on Feb 21, 2007 1:46 AM EST reply actions

Gee, how

did I know my nephew would choose Samuel Sanchez? Random, eh? Hmmmm...

by Peter Fontecchio on Feb 21, 2007 5:46 AM EST up reply actions

He likes

orange bike jerseys. But it's downhill fast from there.

Actually, the first time we drew cards it was Valverde, but that system didn't work.

by Chris Fontecchio on Feb 21, 2007 10:17 AM EST up reply actions

Sage's Team

I dunno. After the last few seasons, that could end up being a strong team. Then again, I am dead set against trading Maggy away even if Martians beam him away before he races the day after his operation! You have to love a guy that races 400 out of 365 days a year!

by DanR on Feb 21, 2007 11:27 PM EST up reply actions

Oh yeah...

And orange bikes are cool. A buddy of mine rides oe and its sweet!

by DanR on Feb 21, 2007 11:28 PM EST up reply actions

I have lust in my heart

for Orbea Orcas. It's not rational.

by Chris Fontecchio on Feb 22, 2007 12:26 AM EST up reply actions

thanks to Pez

EuroTrash Monday!

If Podium Cafe's Virtual DS Isn't Enough...
CyclingCompetition.com has a similar game available, and since you can only enter one team with Podium Cafe...hit up a second over with the Dutch boys.

The press release: In 2003 this Site in the Netherlands organized a Tour de France game. It was meant as a one-off, but it became very populair in Holland and in other countries. But there was a language barrier, and so, in 2006, an international version of the game was started.

Today, in 2007, the second international version of the competition is online. The whole website is English and the organizers invite you to join and play for free ! For details click on the link below.

Eternal glory is but a click away!!

http://www.cyclingcompetition.com/

cyclingcompetition.com

by bears on Feb 21, 2007 11:49 AM EST reply actions

Wait a minute

I have to compete against Sage? I'm having second thoughts.

by Tiki on Feb 21, 2007 1:28 PM EST reply actions

TCWriter's In... with Hennie's Hordes

You poor bastards. You've all lost, and you don't even know it yet.

How could any other VDS team hope to stand against the might of Hennie's Hordes - a tough, razor-edged group selected specifically for their Hennie-esque qualities?

I know many of you are slapping yourselves on the forehead and saying "bloody hell, why didn't I think of using Hennie Kuiper - the best-ever cyclist not named "Eddie" - as the model for my VDS team, if not my whole life?"

Sadly, I don't have an answer for you. It's your own fault.

by TCWriter on Feb 21, 2007 3:31 PM EST reply actions

Is it true

that Rik Verbrugghe just turned 46? Is he going to be strictly a rider or rider / DS at the same time? How could he drive behind himself in a TT, honking the horn and yelling encouragement to himself?

I also see your Captain is Il Grillo.........shall I just start calling you Anakin Skywalker now, or wait for you to tell me you root for the Yankees too?

by Drew on Feb 23, 2007 9:35 AM EST up reply actions

I wasted...

Valuable time (and life force) trying to analyze my way to certain VDS victory, but it wasn't until the glowing image of Hennie Kuiper appeared above my monitor that my true path became clear.

I needed a team of riders who were Hennie-like.

From there, the selection was easy. I wanted all-arounders with tour pretensions - climbers who could motor and sprint.

Sure, I could have buckled and - like some of the more questionable intellects I could name - tumbled for a draft horse like Boonen, but he lacks an essential Kuiper-ness that will likely find him lining his helmet with aluminum foil and saving newspapers.

Besides, after the 1.5 point Hammond takes a three of the spring classics, you'll know the truth.

Hennie rules supreme.

by TCWriter on Feb 23, 2007 12:40 PM EST up reply actions

And here I thought

you'd take Petacchi, based on that criteria
(Hennie-like all-arounders with tour pretensions)

by Drew on Feb 23, 2007 1:18 PM EST up reply actions

Petacchi...pffft...

I'd only take someone like Petacchi if I was focused on winning.

You see, Hennie's Hordes don't have to win. They can ride their race (occasionally even stopping to help small furry mammals in need), secure in the knowledge that they're already going to heaven (known from now on as "Hennven"

Their very Hennieness has ensured it.

See?

by TCWriter on Feb 23, 2007 1:39 PM EST up reply actions

From here on

I will refer to TC as "Your Hennieness" when speaking directly to and "His Hennieness" when speaking about.

by bethie on Feb 23, 2007 1:44 PM EST up reply actions

I will refer to him as

"Your Hinyness" , since he calls me "Lord High Imperial Jackass" whenever we get together socially at the Old Cyclist's Home.

It's a mutual admiration society :-)

by Drew on Feb 23, 2007 1:48 PM EST up reply actions

Did you see the new pic of Hennie in this

month's CycleSport mag?

by Ruthann on Feb 23, 2007 5:09 PM EST up reply actions

No

I don't get Cycle Sport any more. And out here in the middle of nowhere, it's not easy to find one on the sales rack if you get my drift.

A famous photo from a race? Or a current picture?

Handsome guy, eh?

But what am I asking - the answer (of course) is yes...

by TCWriter on Feb 23, 2007 8:49 PM EST up reply actions

Excellent

There may be a knighthood (Henniehood actually) in this for you.

by TCWriter on Feb 23, 2007 8:48 PM EST up reply actions

Hammond!

He's older than Ekimov

Are you assembling a team of riders who broke in with Hennie?

by Drew on Feb 23, 2007 1:50 PM EST up reply actions

Truth be told

I was <this> close to taking Hammond as well. Anybody who is a multiple national champ in cross and loves the Springs classics is very Adri Vanderpol in my book.

Which is another way of saying Roger is a bit of alright.

by Drew on Feb 23, 2007 1:52 PM EST up reply actions

Well...

I did think about a "great rider of the past" homage team, picking contemporary riders with names linking them to the past.

Van Impe, Hinault, Bernadeau, Roche...

I'd go down in flames, but I'd go down in style.

As for Hammond, need I remind you Kuiper won MSR at 36, Zoetemelk won the WC road race (when it meant something) at nearly 39.

Mock the aged at your own risk...

by TCWriter on Feb 23, 2007 8:55 PM EST up reply actions

Updated

Race Calendar, Pro Team Listing & Race Point Values

Tour Of California - Test Group

by Clydesdale on Feb 21, 2007 6:37 PM EST reply actions

Friday Update

Race Calendar, Pro Team Listing & Race Point Values