In the comments of my January 5th, VDS post, "A Word On Building Your Team", Jens posted a fun challenge:
Here’s a challenge: How much has the value of your 2008 team gone up? With this years rider-values my 2008 BFJ-team is worth 176 points, an increase of 17%.
If only my stock-portfolio had the same development……………
Notice the assumption that the value of your team has gone up.
After I tellingly misunderstood what he was getting at I went back to my 08 team, Square Wheels for Speed and figured out...
Oh dear lord!!!!! The price of my team has gone down to 107! Down 29%!!!!!!
Let’s see:
Bettini retired
Ricco and Patxi Vila are dopers
Soler couldn’t sit upright
Samu thought he was a Tour contender
Popo went insane
Rojas wasn’t ready for prime time- he cleaned up on these new races we're adding.I got value from Gesink, Kroon, Pinotti, Nocentini, Quinziato. Only these guys saw their prices go up. Of the rest, only F Schleck and LL Sanchez gave about what was expected.
Argh.
So what about your 2008 team? Did ya pick riders who are only getting better like that smart Swede did? Or are you like me, investing in so many Enrons as the executives are lying their asses off? Let's hear your story.