Basically, I'm running a small, newly promoted Conti. Pro team and I want to attempt promotion with some degree of verisimilitude (even though I know nothing of real-life cycling).
So, is it a regular occurrence for teams to join the World Tour thru CQ Rankings without being wildcarded into UCI races (like who?)?
If it is, thanks for letting me cram in a bunch of 2.1 races with an eased mind.
However, if promoted teams are only those that have the cachet to be Wildcarded into UCI races, then what would be the best way to handle invites when I can only hire 14 riders?
(Do I leave blank spaces in the calendar to anticipate UCI races, or do I fill it in and just overstretch my crop of riders?)
What makes a team part of the WT is one of the stupidest parts of cycling. It used to be entirely at the whim of the UCI, with no rhyme or reason. Now it's the 18 teams with the highest combined UCI points score from their riders (not CQ Ranking, but UCI). Only problem is their ranking is stupid as shit, so now the top 1-3 riders from the UCI Oceania, Asia, and Africa tours are finding top level rides just so their points count towards helping the team stay in the WT.
For the purpose of the game though, WT events have no bearing on you getting promoted. Only .HC and down do. Focus on .HC and .1 races. .2 don't get you anything noticeable. If all you care about is getting promoted, skip all the WT races. You don't need to waste the race days.
EDIT: Should note I've not played '12 ('10 is the last version I've owned, and I usually play my bitch-ass '09 career which is now in 2018 or PCM 1, from 2005), but I assume they haven't changed this.
Edited by Deadpool on 16-09-2012 02:38
I'm not sure if it was in PCM11 that this changed, but what counts now is the Super Prestige ranking, or the CQ Ranking as several DBs changes its name to. The Top 2 Conti teams there will be promoted, while the worst 2 WT teams in the WT ranking will go down. Therefore, not only do the WT events matter for promotion, they are valuable source of points. But going only for the smaller ranked races might be a good if not better idea, since the competition on the WT races is much bigger and thus much harder to collect points. For comparison purposes, a 10th in Paris - Nice (or the other WT stage races other than the GTs) gives as much points as a 3rd place in a 2.1 stage race, while a win in a 2.1 stage race equals approx. a 6th place in a WT stage race. You can find all values and rules concerning promotion/relegation in-game under the menu Results -> Rules.
In real life, it's not a regular occurrence for teams to join the WT without taking part in WT events, but in the game it's possible.
