GIRO 2023

Yes, good to get a Grand Tour under the belt. I crept slowly up the leader board through the race but never challenged for top spot. I made a mistake in not having Pinot early on when he was bagging KOM points for very little effort and I also kept Velasco in my team on the assumption that Cav wouldn't make it over the hills in the middle sprint stages when Cav kept hanging on in there! I didn't get Gee in either. I think everyone expected him to blow up a bit like Healy did towards the end but he kept delivering the points and would have been a game winner. Nice to have a few days without the deadlines to meet before the Dauphine/TdS 

My first Grand Tour for a few years and I was surprised how many mistakes I made. I never really considered Leknessund or Gee, I totally ignored Healy who was an obvious pick after his strong spring and the inconsistent sprinters used up lots of transfers with no return.

You think that's bad ?

I'm down to three now, Roglic, Gaviria & Hague.

Can we get a competition badge for 100% drop outs please?

Unlucky.

I lost Bonifacio today too.  I have one more rider than you, but every rider left in my team has been sick or injured in a crash.

Maybe a league to see who can pick the fewest finishers over a season?

Just looked and I'm limping along with 3 in the purist. Just a thought but is there any mileage in having a couple of substitutes in the purist game who automatically come in if a rider drops out? The fantasy football has a similar thing and it works quite well. A rider who comes in would only start scoring points once they were in the team obviously. I've not really thought it through so it may well be impractical in reality but it would stop some of the bad luck element that can enter the purist game.

Anything to stop it being such a lottery in grand tours would help.  Basically, it is impossible to win the Purist overall unless you are lucky in the GTs.

TBH I nearly decided not to do Purist this season to avoid irritation.  It's only because it takes less time that most people bother.

It was bizarre that nobody tested Evenepoel after his crashes and before he takes another minute on everyone in the next TT. It really wasn't a great spectacle.  Ackermann lasting way up the final climb probably sums up the pace it was ridden at. Ag2R looked like they might have a plan to hijack the pink jersey at one point but even that petered out. 

Remco's cracked first attack!  Illustrates why it was so stupid to not test him yesterday, as you said Waterloo.

If Thomas can beat Roglic in the TT he could win this race...  Long shot but...

I reckon Thomas is the benchmark by which you judge the other riders in a Grand Tour. Probably not going to win but you will have to be very good to beat him.

It's much more fun when you have THE rider in the break in your fantasy squad

I had three riders in my team aimed at the break so desperately needed at least one of them to make it. Healy got me out of jail! 

I only went for two and none made it (McNulty and Cepeda).  So if I keep McNulty for the TT he has to be allowed to race it and then I need to score with the extra transfers.  If not, I'm toast for defending my Giro Title!

Just typical me, trying to run a different team to the other main contenders.  Opposite of the teams the other day - risk all for the chance of a win.  Stupid strategy for this game TBH.

I feel that I have a slightly rash streak in me as well. Each season I vow to be more disciplined, like Mountain Renegade, but then I get excited by a particular rider and insist on putting him in my team knowing full well he will come 21st on any given stage. Warren Barguil and Andrea Vendrame are serial offenders for me! 

you mean its a deliberate spoiler free policy not to cover some races results

Well spotted. KOM scoring changed for stg 1 road.cc.

It really was incredible that they didn't have dedicated timing for the climb. Looks like it was some statistics guy who flagged up the error. There also seems to be a possibility that the final time trial doesn't go ahead as planned due to problems getting the motorbikes back down the mountain (no cars are allowed up). It does seem bizarre that this has only just been flagged up as an issue! 

Yeah, cycling is so technological, yet the organisers are way behind the curve with tech use.

Why don't we have a transponder in every rider's helmet?  It would help organisers and broadcasters.  You could have graphics showing exactly where every rider is on a climb when the race blows up, where the key riders are in the bunch at key points in the race, use the transponders for times on TTs etc, etc

you can find missing riders by ticking the 'show all riders' box

Yes, sorry guys. The holdup was an intercontinental commitee meeting regarding points for KOMs and intermediate sprints; I'm still not sure what is going on re int. sp. Inrng has a good synopsis but doesn't actually nail it. Luckily the UN doesn't run the game.

If the scoring is late, it means the sun has just risen in Oz.

I added the 2 missing EF riders and a last minute change which took out Tratnik.

So many stages for breakaways; a lot of luck required for this race.

'So many stages for breakaways; a lot of luck required for this race.'

I'll cling to that thought as you trounce us all once again Tony! 

May the luckiest man win!