Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 4
Sand: 2
Uphill: 5
Length of 1 lap: 4
Cobbled sections: 0
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 2
Other information: In the Swedish town of Hagfors, known for its rally, is now hosting a cross as well. Sweden is known to be hilly and snowy in this time of the year, so yeah, I think it's safe to say a lot of power and ability to ride on snow is necessary for the riders. The finish will be drawn on a short straight.
Stats: [Choose between: very low, low, medium, high, very high]
Bike Handling (technical): high
Sand: low
Uphill: high
Cobblestones: very high
Sprinting: high
Explosiveness: high
Flat (TT/riding hard): high
Power: medium
Running: very low
Snow/Ice: very low
Jumping: very low
Stats: [Choose between: very low, low, medium, high, very high]
Bike Handling (technical): high
Sand: low
Uphill: high
Cobblestones: very high
Sprinting: high
Explosiveness: high
Flat (TT/riding hard): high
Power: medium
Running: very low
Snow/Ice: very low
Jumping: very low
EPIC comes to CX
The user formerly known as 'The Schleck Fan' Gracias Alberto.
Whilst i have no interest in a rider or team, i will put some thought to a selection of races! Seems like something i can contribute to as a one off plus inject some patented TMM originality!
Here's my first batch of race suggestions. Got some ideas for events in Asia and South America as well to come in the future. Probably expect two more batches of a similar size.
ExCel Center
Spoiler
Place (nation, city): London, UK
Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 5
Sand: 1
Uphill: 1
Length of 1 lap: 1.5km
Cobbled sections: 1
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 100m
Other information: Hosted inside the ExCel Center this purpose built, temporary, course is tight and twisty. Short straights and lots of hairpins require good bike handling and explosive power. Almost completely flat there is just one crossover at the halfway point. The final 100m are a straight burst to the line. Built using astro-turf it's most certainly a unique event that hopes to become a real classic on the world stage.
Lee Valley VeloPark
Spoiler
Place (nation, city): London, UK
Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 2
Sand: 3
Uphill: 3
Length of 1 lap: 1.5km
Cobbled sections: 1
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 100m
Other information: Based in the Lee Valley VeloPark this course is based on the Olympic BMX Track. Starting high up the hill it's a mad dash down over the lumps and bumps. Exiting the toned down BMX track the riders take a detour around the outside of the BMX area which is a long sandy section to sap the legs. From there it's a sharp kick uphill with the final 100m sprint hitting 10% to finish. Another unique event to spice up the calendar.
Ansbach
Spoiler
Place (nation, city): Ansbach, Germany
Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 4
Sand: 2
Uphill: 3
Length of 1 lap: 3km
Cobbled sections: 4
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 400m
Other information: The lap starts down by the river before heading off up the main climb inside the first kilometer of the lap. A technical decent sweeps down into a tunnerl that cuts back underneath the main climb before the riders hit the cobbles. Not too testing cobbles but with 1.5km of the 3km lap being on the stones they do make a difference. The road is flat, rough and fast and requires real commitment if you want to win. A quick hop over the river adds two final climbs and another tight hairpin turn. A simple final 400m sprint to finish. It's a fast course that needs bravery and skill to master.
Kitzbuhel
Spoiler
Place (nation, city): Kitzbuhel, Austria
Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 3
Sand: 1
Uphill: 5
Length of 1 lap: 4km
Cobbled sections: 3
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 250m
Other information: The course is built on the side of a mountain making this a tough race. The first 400m are simple and flat but from there it gets tough. The race zig-zags up the side of the mountian for the next 3km, a serious climb. The riders then loop around for a bumpy but simple decent. A rough road simulates cobbles but the sweeping corners require maximum speed. From there it's a not too tough set of corners by the lake before opening up onto the final 250m straight sprint to the line. The climb dominates the course but the decent could make the real difference if you can't keep control over the bumps.
Abu Dhabi
Spoiler
Place (nation, city): Abu Dhabi, UAE
Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 1
Sand: 5
Uphill: 1
Length of 1 lap: 3km
Cobbled sections: 1
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 500m
Other information: Perhaps the Sheikhs havn't quite grasped CX. This route is completely flat and unchallenging. Long straights and open hairpins make this race for the powerhouse riders. It's built on the beach so is extremely sandy so over a race distance expect the ground to break-up and become harder to rider on. The final sprint is a long 500m drag so expect some serious mindgames.
Al Ain
Spoiler
Place (nation, city): Al Ain, UAE
Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 2
Sand: 5
Uphill: 2
Length of 1 lap: 2.5km
Cobbled sections: 1
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 300m
Other information: One of the lesser known cities in the UAE they've put a lot of thought to the course. Not the most technical of courses but it offers a challenge nonetheless. A couple of crossover bridges provide some good attacking opportuniy but it's still a fairly open and power course. Again built on sand, this time it's a lot rockier and shouldn't break-up in the same way. The final 300m sprint comes after a right-turn at the bottom of a crossover, so carrying momentum will be key to victory.
\\\\ Zallaq
Spoiler
Place (nation, city): Zallaq, Bahrain
Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 3
Sand: 3
Uphill: 3
Length of 1 lap: 3km
Cobbled sections: 1
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 250m
Other information: Just outside the Sakhir Circuit this course is very well thought out. An excellent mix of twists, hairpins, straights and climbs will keep the riders aware all lap long. This time there's also less sand with some concrete/asphalt sections to provide a slight rest to the legs. The final 250m sprint is concrete and comes off a long sweeping turn so should make a nice fast finish. Who says great CX has to be cold and muddy!
Suhar
Spoiler
Place (nation, city): Suhar, Oman
Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 5
Sand: 2
Uphill: 2
Length of 1 lap: 4km
Cobbled sections: 1
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 300m
Other information: Right down the beach this is a picturesque course. Purpose built means less sand and a more stable surface for fast racing. Only a few climbs mean most time is to be made in the turns. And it's the turns that provide the challenge. Tight, fast, rough they provide a whole range of challenges around the lap and require real skills. It's a long lap so there's a lot of the technical corners and other things to contend with. A nice simple 300m sprint on asphalt is the easiest part of the lap
Port Elizabeth
Spoiler
Place (nation, city): Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 3
Sand: 3
Uphill: 4
Length of 1 lap: 3.5km
Cobbled sections: 2
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 100m
Other information: The lap begins with a series of climbs over the dunes. The sandy surface and sharp elevations take energy immediately from the riders. From there the lap settles down into a series of corners and straights. Around halfway there's a period of rocky/rough road before a final series of climbs back over the dunes. The final straight is longer than 100m but is punctuated by a final sharp climb by leaving just 100m of flat for the finish
Struisbaai
Spoiler
Place (nation, city): Struisbaai, South Africa
Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 4
Sand: 2
Uphill: 1
Length of 1 lap: 3km
Cobbled sections: 4
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 150m
Other information: Based at the southern most point of Africa this course is rugged. Mostly flat there are extended periods of rough and rocky road to, litteraly, shake things up. Combine the rough ground with the twisty layout and it's a course for bike handlers and the technically skilled with plenty of obstacles to navigate. Coming off a very narrow hairpin the 150m sprint should be pure acceleration.
Fish Hoek
Spoiler
Place (nation, city): Fish Hoek, South Africa
Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 3
Sand: 1
Uphill: 3
Length of 1 lap: 2km
Cobbled sections: 1
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 400m
Other information: Just south of Cape Town this town hosts a very fine course. The route is testing but not tough and the surface is forgiving with little rolling resistance. the main challenge comes from the climbing with two 550m climbs splitting the course into three distinct sections. A long flat 400m finish straight provides enough options for finishers to spread out and challenge
Name: Amadou Bakari
Nationality (region): GAB (Africa)
Date of Birth: 1/1/1987
Specialty: Cobblestones
Weakness: Everything else
Biography: The famous Gabonese rider has a cobblestones ability that is unheard of on the African continent. What makes this most remarkable is his lack of ability on any other type of terrain.
Stats: [Choose between: very low, low, medium, high, very high]
Bike Handling (technical): low
Sand: low
Uphill: low
Cobblestones: very high
Sprinting: low
Explosiveness: low
Flat (TT/riding hard): low
Power: low
Running: low
Snow/Ice: low
Jumping: low
Another race for me, as this idea just dawned:
Place (nation, city): Pyeongchang
Technical information: [enter a number between 1 - 5, with 1 being very low / nothing and 5 being very high
Technicality: 5
Sand: 2
Uphill: 3
Length of 1 lap: 4
Cobbled sections: 1
Final sprint (length of the final straight road): 5
Other information: Cyclo-cross may not appear in the Olympics yet, but 2018's host is still eager to show it would be ready. The race is hilly and very technical and muddy, and with a long final straight there should be an interesting finale as well.
I've recently taken a strong interest into CX for the first time this season after knowing nothing about it before so I may just enter one rider to keep it simple
Thanks for all entries so far. You can be creative with your applications, I will take them all into consideration and edit what is necessary.
Nobody will be overpowering in all disciplines, don't worry about that.
Thanks TMM for all the race ideas. I had expected to have too few races, but now it seems I might even have to make a cut in the number of races, which is of course perfect because only the best will remain!
It may (but this is probably for later, first I'll see if I can run this like this in the first season) even open a road for a 2nd category (bit like WT - PCT)
Keep them coming! There is no real limit for participants. The only thing I ask you is that you be honest upon entering. Don't make a superstrong rider if you're planning on being absent. For exampe, I like what SportingNonsense did. He said he's not a big role playing fan, so he just entered 1 rider who will suck at almost any race. He fills the pack but won't play a leading role.
If you make a rider to get top 5 regularly, I really want you to play along in the role-playing, releasing statements, press, interaction with other riders and show a general interest in the game. So to sum up: the more you'll be involved, the better to make your rider. It'd be nice to create a top of riders with a few players who are constantly at each others throat.... In a nice way
Eventually, non-active players will see (or they won't because they're not here) their rider lose stats or even retire, while super-active players with lesser riders will see their rider develop into a top contender.
I've got plenty more races to suggest so you'll have plenty of choice of non-benelux races. And again i like the idea and will follow even though i wont directly participate. Nice to have you back and a bit more active
Name: Nicky van Drenthe
Nationality (region): The Netherlands (Drenthe)
Date of Birth: 01/01/1992
Height: 192cm
Weight: 82kg
Specialty: Fast starter
Weakness: Technically Behind
Biography: 2013 EPIC neo-pro at Caja Rural on the road missed out on the last part of the season which led him to experiencing some Cyclo-cross. Turning out to be pretty good combined with his already known ability to cobble he ended up winning a few local races. For the 2014-15 season he will be participating on professional circuit balancing his new CX career with his Vacansoleil road commitments. He'd love to take the CX world by surprise and take a few big results but this year is all about learn and to see where it takes him.
Stats:
Bike Handling (technical): Medium
Sand: Low
Uphill: High
Cobblestones: High
Sprinting: Medium
Explosiveness: High
Flat (TT/riding hard): High
Power: High
Running: Medium
Snow/Ice: Very Low
Jumping: Low
Hoping the stats are not too OP but I plan to be active as someone who has really started to get into CX, this game excites me.
I'm adding the riders now to an excel sheet. Don't worry, I'm making sure there are no overpowering riders. If you set the bar too high, I set it lower for you
Also, the first season will be a test drive for me but also for you all. I think the first season we'll have many different riders at the top but once it gets obvious who's participating nicely and who's backing down in the game, the right names will keep popping up, and hopefully legendary riders and rivals will be born. This is not meant to be discouraging. I hope you'll all stay active and we'll have a wide playing field, but this is just meant to encourage those who seek to be active. Remain active and I guarantee that by season 2, your rider will be where you want him to be
TMM: Appreciate it a lot. I'll be able to make a nice selection. I will also take distance into account. There will be 2 and max 3 races a week, but you can't have one in Australia, Belgium and USA in one week.
Also, don't take it personally if I've changed some minor things about your riders. I've already stumbled upon riders who are "very high" at every skill. So don't be surprised if his Running will turn out to be very low in the end, because we can't have someone being OP Edited by Ian Butler on 18-12-2014 23:06
I don't think HQ's are necessary. It'd be nice, sure, but I'm afraid we'd use too many threads on the site for those. Instead, I'd let all the role-playing just happen here. But I'll send out more information on that once the game gets started and once you get into character
Or perhaps I could make a second thread which is purely role-playing and with the race reports and keep this thread for off-character stuff and information.
But I will ask permission with an administrator first to set up a second thread.
(and to answer an earlier question of yours: yes, there will be development that development will depend mostly on activity and role-playing. If you're absent, your rider will sink in decay, if you're active and play the game, your rider will grow )
Edited by Ian Butler on 18-12-2014 23:19
Second thread would definitely be the best option imo
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
I've decided to make three all-right but not amazing riders and might copy a couple previous ideas.
Name: Sylvain Lipawsky
Nationality (region): Switzerland (French Speaking Switzerland
Date of Birth: 17/6/1992
Height: * 167cm
Weight: * 68kg
Specialty: ** Bad weather Specialist + ????
Weakness: ** Impulsive rider + ??? + ???
Biography: Born in Genève Sylvain is a natural bike handler, who is an explosive rider who can climb reasonably well, completely unlike his brother, Pierre in his riding style, Sylvain is looking to make a mark this season.
Stats: [Choose between: very low, low, medium, high, very high]
Bike Handling (technical): very high
Sand: medium
Uphill: high
Cobblestones: very low
Sprinting: low
Explosiveness: very high
Flat (TT/riding hard): low
Power: medium
Running: very high
Snow/Ice: medium
Jumping: high
Name: Pierre Lipawsky
Nationality (region): Switzerland (French speaking)
Date of Birth: 21/9/1994
Height: * 172cm
Weight: * 72kg
Specialty: ** Powerhouse + ????
Weakness: ** Final Round + ??? + ?????
Biography: Following his brother Sylvain into cyclo-cross, Pierre couldn't handle his bike nearly as well as his brother, but he trained hard, on long flat roads, as well as cyclo-cross circuits, Pierre is a real powerhouse.
Stats: [Choose between: very low, low, medium, high, very high]
Bike Handling (technical): medium
Sand: low
Uphill: very low
Cobblestones: high
Sprinting: low
Explosiveness: medium
Flat (TT/riding hard): very high
Power: very high
Running: low
Snow/Ice: very low
Jumping: low
Name: Sven van Vliet
Nationality (region): Netherlands Utecht
Date of Birth: 12/2/1981
Height: * 182cm
Weight: * 77kg
Specialty: ** Fighter + Bad Weather Specialist
Weakness: ** Impulsive + Not very technical
Biography: Sven van Vliet, former road rider, cobblestone specialist, fighter, his days of cobblestones behind him, his Paris-Roubaix podiums, his tour de France stages, forgotten, Sven van Vliet was the rider who never quite triumphed, but always shows that fighting spirit, forever a fighter, forever that powerhouse, this rider from Utecht has turned to cyclo-cross. (for stats, think of a cross between Voight and Chavenal).
Stats: [Choose between: very low, low, medium, high, very high]
Bike Handling (technical): high
Sand: medium
Uphill: low
Cobblestones: high
Sprinting: medium
Explosiveness: medium
Flat (TT/riding hard): high
Power: very high
Running: low
Snow/Ice: medium
Jumping: low
Plus I will submit a race in the next couple of hours. Edited by trekbmc on 19-12-2014 23:09
trekbmc wrote:
I've decided to make three all-right but not amazing riders and might copy a couple previous ideas.
Name: Sylvain Lipawsky
Nationality (region): Switzerland (French Speaking Switzerland
Date of Birth: 17/6/1992
Height: * 167cm
Weight: * 68kg
Specialty: ** Bad weather Specialist + ????
Weakness: ** Impulsive rider + ??? + ???
Biography: Born in Genève Pierre is a natural bike handler, who is an explosive rider who can climb reasonably well, completely unlike his brother Pierre in his riding style, Sylvain is looking to make a mark this season.
Stats: [Choose between: very low, low, medium, high, very high]
Bike Handling (technical): very high
Sand: medium
Uphill: high
Cobblestones: very low
Sprinting: low
Explosiveness: very high
Flat (TT/riding hard): low
Power: medium
Running: very high
Snow/Ice: medium
Jumping: high
Name: Pierre Lipawsky
Nationality (region): Switzerland (French speaking)
Date of Birth: 21/9/1994
Height: * 172cm
Weight: * 72kg
Specialty: ** Powerhouse + ????
Weakness: ** Final Round + ??? + ?????
Biography: Following his brother Sylvain into cyclo-cross, Sylvain couldn't handle his bike nearly as well as his brother, but he trained hard, on long flat roads, as well as cyclo-cross circuits, Pierre is a real powerhouse.
Stats: [Choose between: very low, low, medium, high, very high]
Bike Handling (technical): medium
Sand: low
Uphill: very low
Cobblestones: high
Sprinting: low
Explosiveness: medium
Flat (TT/riding hard): very high
Power: very high
Running: low
Snow/Ice: very low
Jumping: low
Name: Sven van Vliet
Nationality (region): Netherlands Utecht
Date of Birth: 12/2/1981
Height: * 182cm
Weight: * 77kg
Specialty: ** Fighter + Bad Weather Specialist
Weakness: ** Final Round + Slow Start
Biography: Sven van Vliet, former road rider, cobblestone specialist, fighter, his days of cobblestones behind him, his Paris-Roubaix podiums, his tour de France stages, forgotten, Sven van Vliet was the rider who never quite triumphed, but always shows that fighting spirit, forever a fighter, forever that powerhouse, this rider from Utecht has turned to cyclo-cross. (for stats, think of a cross between Voight and Chavenal).
Stats: [Choose between: very low, low, medium, high, very high]
Bike Handling (technical): high
Sand: medium
Uphill: low
Cobblestones: high
Sprinting: medium
Explosiveness: medium
Flat (TT/riding hard): high
Power: very high
Running: low
Snow/Ice: medium
Jumping: low
Plus I will submit a race in the next couple of hours.
Which ones Sylvain and which ones Pierre?Edited by jandal7 on 18-12-2014 23:33
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
Very interesting fact:
So far we have 20 riders in the peloton. Yet not a single specialist on ice.
Remember that cyclo-cross is raced during the winter, so there is a chance at several icy races
EPIC comes to CX
![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
ExCel Center
Ansbach
Kitzbuhel
Abu Dhabi
Suhar
Port Elizabeth
GAB (Africa)
Pyeongchang
