Fantasy Directeur Sportif Challenge

Paris Nice looking good. Stages from Talansky and Kittel, Izagirre got a podium. Other positives are consistent top 20s from Roche, usually in close formation with Sorenson (who I didn't shortlist).

Sadly de Gendt, Gutierrez and JTL have pulled out.

On a broader note, Iglinsky who I haven't shortlisted got a second and Fuglsang has pulled out. Voigt and Roy have both been in breaks, showing the team colours.

So all in all I'm happy. Talansky is developing nicely and van Garderen is looking solid rather than exceptional.

Tirreno has been as expected a bit of a let down. Ok Cav took the jersey in the TTT, but since then we have a problem, seems the guys aren't leading him out, instead some blokes from some O Meagre Farmer Blotto have been mucking about...

The other main positive so far is Dowsett. Excellent showing in the TTT and top 20 in a flat stage. Quite pleased with him. Roux has been in a break, showing the jersey, so he's doing the job I hired him for.

The big disappointment was Cancellara who seemed to be towing a load of dead weight round the TTT. In the form of Andy and the rest of Team Wireless House Cat's Road Trip who it seems he snagged on his rear mech and towed round the course.

Glad Andy finished Camaiore, but he looked unconvincing at Strada, and he needs to finish Tirreno. Just finish, anywhere in the field. Doesn't matter if he's 20 minutes down, just please finish a stage race.

Looking forward to pouching some WT points though, and hopefully doing some catchup.

Kittel may be redeeming himself, though there seems to be a dearth of top sprinters at Paris Nice. They all seem to be riding Tirreno. And Sagan... As DS I must talk to Cav again about his press conferences. Again.

Now I need to go and sort out JTL for the Classics. Really needed him to finish PN psychologically. Still top 10 at Amstel will make up for it.

errrrm. I am reading the right page aren't I?

http://www.uciprotour.com/templates/BUILTIN-NOFRAMES/Template3/layout.as...

That is the WT table so far? Because ignoring Iglinsky (4 points) I appear to have 192 WT points from TdU (30) and PN (162) with Talansky on his own worth 92. That puts me 2nd overall, 1 point behind Sky after 2 races, though after 3, nowhere near I suspect. Which b****rs up my assertion that I'd come last.

As for Fantasy 382 points only in PN, so waaaaaayyyyy behind.

TA I haven't been tracking Fantasy Points because it's a Premium competition and I'm using my girlfriend's account (tina's tourers) for this.

I'll look at WT points when UCI post them. Should be easy, I think it's just Cav for me unless Dowsett turns in a fantastic TT tomorrow. Assuming TTT points are awarded to individuals not to all members of the team, so Dowsett won't get WT points for Movistar being 2nd.

Have you noticed that the Fantasy DS league has quite a few teams on it... Of which 2 of us seem to be actively having a go at this.

I deliberately steered clear of Wiggins/Froome because I think other riders will sacrifice themselves to stop Sky winning, and both riders have weaknesses.

Contador has already tried riding off the front of the Sky train unsuccessfully so far, but I'm anticipating we will see lots of different tactics tried out to either disrupt, or use the train. I am concerned that Froome is tactically weak (see TA), where Wiggo's mountain time trial may not be able to contain an in form Contador in the high peaks. See Froome clearly being able to ride away from Wiggo on a couple of stages last year.

And whilst Contador and Sky are kicking each other about, van Garderen, Talansky, de Gendt, Roche and Fuglsang should all be sat waiting for an opportunity to pinch a stage or valuable seconds. Which is why I steered clear of Contador, Nibali, Valverde and JRod in favour of having 5 decent chances of a podium instead of 1, 2 or 3 pricier and maybe out of form potential winners.

As for Wiggo winning this year, I think Wiggo last year used the pre-Tour races to get a benchmark for where his and the team training level had reached. I don't think any of the races before the Tour were important to the team to win as races, just as practise for the Tour. That is not to say Wiggo is not proud of winning them, nor to say Sky disrespect those races in any way, but if they had not won them all I don't think they'd have been crying too many tears. This year the Giro is earlier in the year, they have good reference data on Wiggo's fitness and Froome's. The team tactics are proven and are being rolled out to the newer riders, and there seems little need to show their hand before the Giro. And with Porte winning PN, that sends another message.... This guy is a DS in our Grand Tour lineup. Imagine the team leader, and fear us Which may well provoke the kind of reaction I'm betting my season on.

Purely on WT points though Wiggo is going to be worth maybe 3-400 on his own, regardless of win or podium or top 10 even.

All of which aside, didn't Talansky do brilliantly. Some real brave riding there. WIth a slightly different team around him to help more in the mountains he might have beaten Porte. Be interesting if he's racing California this year.

As for the Classics... Cancellara, Iglinsky, JTL, Voigt, Dowsett, Rasch, maybe de Gendt could all feature for me, but I too have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of silly celebrations from Sagan. He looks in imperious form.

Sudden daft thought. If Sky seriously want to win a Classic they should get Wiggo to ride as a DS in one of the Spring races.

So after TA, 5 WT from Cav, 1 from Cancellara, which I drop, taking the 5 highest scorers leaving me 197 as a team, keeping me in second, but well behind Sky now, but still ahead of Bianco.

Milan San Remo:
Cav, Canc, Gorka, Maxim Iglinsky, Thor, Roux, Rasch, Schar and Appollonio.

Should hopefully get a podium, but Sagan is going to have to puncture to lose methinks.

I didn't figure the Vuelta at all in my team selection. I've probably got riders who will be there in Astarloza, Gutierrez and Izaguirre. I didn't even really bother about the Giro specifically, though I'm guessing half my GC roster will do the Giro, the other half the Tour. Particularly with the reversal of the race formats with the Giro being more TT friendly, and the Tour toughening up.

The Vuelta will also attract climbers looking for WT points from stage wins like Martin and Roche maybe. And perhaps a GT sprinter looking to avoid Cav, Degenkolb, Greipel and Sagan, so it might suit Kittel to go there.

E3 Prijs:

Hushovd, Schar, Cancellara, Rasch, Appollonio, M Iglinsky, Cattaneo, Dowsett,

Depends on the weather, but I have no great hopes despite a long list of good riders.

I know we're not doing the Criterium International, but I've high hopes for that with TJ, Roy, Roux, JTL, Voigt, Schleck, Xandio, Riblon and Talansky riding which to me looks like a really strong line up. Should also see how TJ and Cadel are getting on, which is a major influencer on my TdF team leader decision. Let's see some fireworks

which presumably fits in the 150 points, hence dropping Westra rather than say van Rensburg?

Speaking of which are we using the 150 points limit? I've only been taking it into account on the non premium races where I'm setting up on the girlfriend's account, I haven't bothered adding up otherwise. It did affect PN since that was why I dropped Iglinsky.

And are we doing the Classics purist? I.e. whoever we pick today limits who we have in Tour of Flanders and Roubaix?

Fine. The 150 would have meant you dropping 1 or 2 riders today, which is not exactly fair, given you only have 7 anyway. Albeit possibly 7 of the top 10.