A Virtual DS Wrinkle: Transfer Season

There has been some discussion about replacing injured riders in a season-long competition. Well, Pete and I talked about it on the phone one day. So I have a proposal along those lines. Contrary to the new norm, I'm going to put all of this in extended text. On the flip...

My proposal is, you get to drop up to two riders and pick up a replacement. Subject to the following caveats:

• Must be done before the Tour prologue, though by that I mean any time before July, starting in March.
• Riders can be dropped for any reason, or none at all. Cyclists are pretty predictable when their health is on, so presumably the guys who aren't measuring up are failing for reasons beyond their control. None of this is YOUR fault -- and often isn't even the rider's -- so why should you be punished? Hell, even if a guy gets kicked out for doping... that's not your fault either.
• The new rider must have a similar value to the one being dropped, and your total points cap will apply at all times.
• Must be an apples-to-apples exchange. This can be a bit complicated, so bear with me.

The way that exchanges can be unfair is if you drop a rider whose season goals are done and pick up someone who's aiming at races that haven't been run yet. Two for the price of one. Not fair. Therefore, in order to have an exchange approved, you have to make some argument that the guy being replaced had a reasonably similar calendar for upcoming races to the guy you're acquiring. No two riders' schedules are alike, or nearly so, so we won't be sticklers in approving moves. Do you want to drop Zabel, who's a lock at Paris-Tours, and pick up Florencio, who will be defending at San Sebastian? Yeah, OK. Are you replacing McEwen with Petacchi before the Tour? Absolutely, no brainer. Are you dumping Boonen and trying to grab Carlos Sastre? Fuggedaboutit.

These are my suggestions, but I don't like making decrees until they're needed, so let me know your thoughts.