As I always have way too much time invested in the database, I basically know all riders to the fingertips. Because of that I always create what I refer to as the ideal CT Team from leftovers. It's purely subjective, but I find it fun - I hope you do too.
Below you'll find 3 different teams:
1) The one I would have created if I was allowed into the CT.
- It's a team that mixes the highest level riders with a few potential sales option, and a decent intake of what I consider to be the best talents.
2) The 20 best "here and now" composition to maximize the points from CT.
- This team is all about competition. Could this team maybe not end up last?
3) The 20 biggest talents left untouched in the database.
- Level 4 talents are not included due to the CT restrictions.
Let's jump into it!
Nat.
Name
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
Age
Dobrin Lilovski
68
67
77
66
70
70
73
54
65
73
69
71
70
27
Evaldas Siskevicius
68
71
76
63
70
69
63
50
69
72
70
62
63
34
Sven Fritsch
72
67
76
65
74
68
71
61
68
71
68
68
69
28
Dan Holloway
74
58
65
67
71
71
72
61
76
76
65
62
67
35
Luis Afonso
68
66
77
58
75
73
70
52
57
70
70
71
58
32
Jacopo Guarnieri
72
54
62
50
71
70
74
60
78
75
64
58
71
35
Jarlinson Pantano Gomez
64
77
69
52
70
71
69
50
50
65
61
66
52
34
Kirill Pozdnyakov
71
66
72
64
70
69
68
64
74
72
69
66
70
33
Tom Devriendt
71
60
71
58
74
73
64
72
71
71
70
61
58
31
Daniel Teklehaimanot
65
74
71
71
67
67
71
52
61
65
70
64
71
34
Vyacheslav Kuznetsov
75
62
69
65
73
71
67
68
71
73
75
69
65
33
Frederik Nolf
70
59
62
60
71
66
63
76
59
65
71
56
60
35
Tilen Finkst
72
62
67
65
69
69
65
70
68
70
67
72
64
27
Mathijs Paasschens
72
56
68
63
71
71
68
66
68
66
73
64
62
26
Sergey Medvedev
72
60
63
69
75
74
72
67
68
66
76
65
69
27
Chaloemphon Klahan
67
68
69
61
68
67
67
60
64
67
68
67
62
26
Rui Carvalho
73
59
59
63
67
70
66
65
63
66
75
67
62
27
Jhonatan Casillas
67
63
64
71
67
69
65
54
61
73
66
72
71
27
Scott Davies
64
68
66
69
67
68
68
55
61
68
63
65
69
27
Julian Braun
66
58
62
70
68
68
61
59
67
70
55
66
71
27
In order to be somewhat competitive everywhere I have picked a leader (or more) from each terrain. I don't know the calender restraints, but normally I find that CT teams have to be atleast competitive on hills, hence the highest focus being here. There are quite a lot of puncheurs to pick from, and also a couple that has a higher max stat than 78, but I think in order to be competitive it isn't only about highest key stat. And as neither will be a 3 star favorite in the competition I think we need to look at fairly well rounded options.
The combination of Lilovski and Fritsch are a bit more long term in those being 27-28 years old respectively, which also opens for future training. Neither will ever become top riders, but in fact they could become top CT puncheurs with just a little bit of training. Siskevicius to me is the best available puncheur left in the database followed by Luis Afonso which is why they cover the remaining ground.
In the mountains we don't have a lot to shoot from. Jarlinson Pantano offer a decent allround set of skills which could potentially finish off a breakaway scenario or KOM battle. I deliberately went against a decent TT setup as I wanted to free him for attacking duties. On the contrary Daniel Teklehaimanot is picked as one of those riders that could sneak a little unnoticed towards an OK'ish GC result here and there and with a lucky break even end up being a good point scorer. As no other riders in the team is in his way it's atleast the thought.
For the cobbles I see Frederik Nolf as the best option left in the DB. Some could argue that Ruiz is a better option due to higher Endurance, but I dislike the fact that his acceleration is below 60. Nolf still has a little gunpowder left, albeit not much. He will be assisted by allround capacity Tom Devriendt and talent Tilen Finkst. For talents fully developped see Team 3.
A good CT team need atleast one sprinter, and as the game mechanics doesn't necessarily pick the best sprinter to dominate I felt like having a rider like Guarnieri seemed like the best option. He still have a decent allround skillset and I do feel somewhat comfortable that he would get some good results from time to time. In the case where he's actually one of the better sprinters around I picked Dan Holloway as his leadout.
For the more bumpy roads we have attacking prospects/small group sprinters such as Kirill Pozdnyakov, Tom Devriendt and Vyacheslav Kuznetsov. We could add riders like Finkst, Paasschens, Medvedev and Carvalho to the attacking group. All decent talents. And speaking of which we think Scott Davies is the best leftover talent in the bunch. Braun and Casillas are both excellent CT timetriallist prospects maxing at 77TT while also being useful domestiques. Funally Klahan is the best puncheur talent, whom might have been overlooked a bit due to his age.
The best possible CT team I think, is the one below:
Nat.
Name
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
Age
Dobrin Lilovski
68
67
77
66
70
70
73
54
65
73
69
71
70
27
Evaldas Siskevicius
68
71
76
63
70
69
63
50
69
72
70
62
63
34
Sven Fritsch
72
67
76
65
74
68
71
61
68
71
68
68
69
28
Dan Holloway
74
58
65
67
71
71
72
61
76
76
65
62
67
35
Luis Afonso
68
66
77
58
75
73
70
52
57
70
70
71
58
32
Teodoro Costagli
61
77
69
68
67
68
73
50
50
64
74
65
68
34
Jacopo Guarnieri
72
54
62
50
71
70
74
60
78
75
64
58
71
35
Nurbolat Kulimbetov
71
65
76
60
75
70
66
54
64
72
57
65
60
30
Jarlinson Pantano Gomez
64
77
69
52
70
71
69
50
50
65
61
66
52
34
Kirill Pozdnyakov
71
66
72
64
70
69
68
64
74
72
69
66
70
33
Julien Vermote
74
53
69
69
72
69
64
73
67
70
72
65
72
33
Tom Devriendt
71
60
71
58
74
73
64
72
71
71
70
61
58
31
Gijs Van Hoecke
72
63
67
69
74
73
66
72
69
70
71
66
71
31
Daniel Teklehaimanot
65
74
71
71
67
67
71
52
61
65
70
64
71
34
Vyacheslav Kuznetsov
75
62
69
65
73
71
67
68
71
73
75
69
65
33
Boy Van Poppel
73
59
65
60
70
68
77
67
74
75
70
81
74
34
Frederik Nolf
70
59
62
60
71
66
63
76
59
65
71
56
60
35
Frederik Backaert
72
59
74
60
71
69
64
72
58
66
61
68
63
32
Alexis Gougeard
73
66
70
70
72
76
70
68
64
65
78
64
72
29
Domingos Goncalves
73
60
67
74
71
70
67
60
56
59
72
72
73
33
There's no more room for the talents, but instead we seek to maximize our efforts. This means rather than just Pantano we have also added Costagli who brings more of the same - but double-trouble means double the chances for succes. Kulimbetov joins with stats very similar to Sven Fritsch as one of the best puncheurs/attackers in the DB.
Boy van Poppel is added for a bit more depth in the sprinting department, while Alexis Gougeard might be a very interesting breakaway rider for CT level. Domingos Goncalves is the best timetriallist left who actually have some other skills.
Finally the added room on the team make way for a much better cobbled depth. Normally the database is empty regarding cobblers, but riders such as Vermote, van Hoecke and Backaert adds some nice depth and nationality wise is a great fit with Nolf to have 5 belgian cobblers roaming for minor points, and that possible breakaway glory that can make or break an entire season!
The most interesting list of riders however is the one below. The talents - maxed! We have included 25 riders to this, just to showcase a bit of versatility in all of the categories.
Nat.
Name
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
Age
Laurens Huys
65
77
73
63
70
71
72
56
56
70
64
60
64
24
Jeremy Bellicaud
66
77
72
60
70
70
71
60
61
72
67
62
60
24
Hugo Nunes
68
77
70
70
77
75
71
50
58
67
58
74
70
26
Paseka Makhebesela
62
77
66
74
68
67
73
56
50
52
65
61
63
29
Joel Ponce
66
75
76
69
69
72
76
64
62
72
75
69
69
25
Scott Davies
65
75
71
76
72
73
75
55
61
69
64
65
76
27
Chaloemphon Klahan
68
74
77
63
71
71
71
60
65
73
74
68
64
26
Alex Julajuj
67
74
72
75
73
73
72
55
60
68
65
69
75
24
Valentin Baillifard
69
74
72
74
73
73
74
55
62
69
65
64
72
29
Wan Yau Lau
68
72
76
64
74
71
70
63
66
73
74
66
64
26
Connor Brown
78
69
70
69
70
72
71
64
70
73
69
71
68
24
Luka Sagadin
76
68
71
63
73
71
71
57
71
73
72
68
64
23
Oliver Behringer
77
68
70
65
76
76
72
66
61
63
78
75
65
26
Alexandre Delettre
71
65
76
59
75
74
70
65
68
74
76
64
59
25
Scott McGill
72
64
72
58
73
72
78
59
76
76
70
66
64
24
Jhonatan Casillas
73
64
67
77
71
75
69
54
61
73
69
72
77
27
Gregory Vanderpool
73
63
67
68
72
71
73
74
76
74
63
61
67
26
Tilen Finkst
76
62
68
65
73
73
66
76
72
70
67
72
64
27
Sergey Medvedev
77
62
65
71
78
77
75
69
70
69
80
67
71
27
Mohammad Ganjkhanlou
73
61
65
63
70
70
76
62
77
79
55
74
74
25
Nattapol Jumchat
76
60
65
62
73
73
73
56
77
76
71
75
66
26
Rui Carvalho
80
59
62
65
72
74
69
70
67
68
77
67
64
27
Patryk Gorecki
78
58
72
71
73
74
72
60
65
65
71
63
71
26
Julian Braun
73
58
63
77
73
73
66
59
72
73
55
66
78
27
Mathijs Paasschens
79
56
71
66
76
74
72
68
71
70
78
65
65
26
Here we are actually playing with a team that could promote directly to the PCT. Four strong climbers in Huys, Bellicaud, Nunes and Makhebesela all offer a nice and fairly well rounded composition. Some are attackers, other GC rider. Scott Davies is the best GC rider in the bunch, but don't look past solid riders like Julajuj or Baillifard either!
For the hills a good mixture is found in Klahan, Ponce, Lau and Delettre who could also be very useful at higher levels than CT!
Also present in my favorite team Braun and Casillas with their solid timetrial abilities.
Tilen Finkst is easily the best cobbler left, but Vanderpool offers a very nice versatility boost with a high SPR aswell. Also Scott McGill can max with a very interesting combination of hills and sprints while having a very solid physical backbone.
Ganjkhanlou and Jumchat are both decent sprinters at this level, although not someone who will likely lead teams at higher level.
Some very nice breakaway specialists such as Brown, Sagadin, Behringer, Medvedev, Carvalho, Gorecki and Paasschens have not been picked up however. Seeing just how strong some of the similar statted riders are all the way up to PT level it's quite interesting how easy they infact are to aquire.
That's it for now - enjoy - and feel free to comment.
Nice and interesting post, thanks!
I thought and hesitated much about Ponce, I don't remember why exactly I didn't go for him in the end.
Bellicaud and Delettre I missed, but I'm not the only one.
Hmm, we still need to work on lowering inflation and tidying up riders from less important nations looking at that Talents Team. Much better looking that it has been but we can perfect things even more for next year.
Greg Vanderpool i think was 3rd or 4th on my CT Draft list, but for the moment sits just that touch behind other riders from the Caribbean to develop.
I do love how similar these teams look to my CT squad when i joined the game! Right down the flyweight Colombian climber, aging Italian sprinter, and Bulgarian leader - heck, Fritsch was even part of my team for a year or two.
Does this mean i'm actually a good MG manager?
Tried to fit Nunes in during transfers but just couldn't - so surprised he wasn't picked up by another team though as he has very solid stats. Due to his age too it probably means nobody will ever take a chance on him in the future which is a shame.
Lovely insight as usual, very interesting to read.
Amazing write-up SotD! Looking at how cobbles went I still can't believe nobody picked up Finkst. Dahies, Klahan, Brown and Paasschens look very good too!
Cool initiative SotD! Would like to see these in action to see how competitive they could be. Also nive to see D Gonçalves in the mix and especially good old L Afonso raised with the Cerne project.
Love these types of write-ups Sotd, thank you for it!
The talents one is especially interesting, seeing a couple of my former stagiares near the top. Surprised both Huys and Ponce haven't gotten contracts because both should be quite good domestiques when maxed. Didn't re-sign them a couple of years ago since they weren't in my focus regions and other things came up, but I thought someone was bound to grab them.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
Cool exercise. A bit surprised Mitsumine is on the puncheurs list, I liked him best of the ones left for his slightly higher MT and was my number one pick for a long time. Went with Rodriguez Galindo for his greater race days and flexibility. Would have loved to take Holloway but couldn't quite justify it given other sprinters available. I looked at McGill but at potential 2 he didn’t merit a place this year.
Not sure Lilovski training makes sense when you could probably buy two similar 78 puncheurs on the market for the cost of raising his hill by 1 (after all there was like 6 77 hill guys in the CT draft so supply can't be that short).
![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
