Criterium du Dauphine

Switched out Kwia, who I thought was a dead cert for a high place in the TT, for Nibali.

Standard:

Froome
Nibali
Contador
Lopez
Intxausti
and then 4 3ers because my team is so friggin' expensive.

Purist more of an experiment like most peoples:

Spilak
Intxausti
Navardauskas
Lopez
Yates
Froome
Peraud
plus some other random dudes...

20 penalty points for me tomorrow. 4 changes including Froome, 1 GCer and 2 randoms who I hope are going to go for the mountain points.

My team.

Bob Jungels (TFR)
Alberto Contador (TSB)
Sebastien Reichenbach (IAM)
Simon Spilak (KAT)
Christopher Froome (SKY)
Benat Intxausti (MOV)
Thomas Voeckler (EUC)
Ralf Matzka (TNE)
Anton Vorobyev (KAT)

I agree. Fancy Yates but not at that price with this field. TJVG is also a risk in my opinion given he has had a lack of racing time. And Froome Dog.

Yeah, obviously it's an algorithm and all that but Yates does seem poor value here. Froome though, I, think justifies his price as a hot favourite for three stages and likely to carry GC points through too.

It seems the trick to this one will be sorting out those MM and 'flat' (but not really flat) stages. And that means plenty of research and a good chunk of luck.

Most overpriced rider has to be Edet?

150 budget looks perfect, plenty of options and had to think really hard about what to do. My initial list had 42 names on it and I ended up putting in at least three guys that were not on it.

The big question I agree is what to make of the midweek stages. Puristwise I am ignoring them, But the fantasy competition winner I think will be the one who gets those right, they look like classics stages and the inclusion of so many classics type riders would suggest they will be very interesting.

Some of these lower priced riders are very interesting too.

Demare looks like a nice bargain. Hard to see anyone other than Demare or Nizzolo winning any sprints.

There are a few sprinters in there if you look.

I still haven't changed my team. How weird.

EDIT: Er, I hadn't

I'll be surprised if Spilak isn't THE most popular rider.....unless he's made to ride for Dani?

Where is everyone?

no one going for gerrans? <\hr>

no one going for gerrans? <\hr>

Curious... Froome in my standard, not in my purist.

froome not in either of mine, too expensive. I've got 7 riders who should score tmw, and 2 changes planned for stage 2. Not going heavy on sprinters for st 3 either.

Been trying to get Chava in but just can't get it to work.

I've decided. Going to take a punt on Howson.

On the race in general, I'm probably not alone in thinking that it's really a two-horse race between Froome and Contador, with Nibali, Spilak TJVG and perhaps Bardet as outside picks.

But what if... Kwiatkowski has a surprisingly good showing, say second overall or wins a coupleof stages, say the TT and maybe the final summit finish? Gives OPQS a bit of a headache, doesn't it? Or will they still be going all-guns-blazing for Cav and leaving Kwia to pick up scraps and maybe challenge for the maillot blanc?

I just think Kwiatkowski is an awesome cyclist, with the potential to be a true great... his attack vs Sagan in the Strade Bianchi was phenomenal, but he can TT, he can climb...

I've gone for an all-out TT team today, but no Kwiatkowski could cost me. Couldn't squeeze Tejay in, went for Froome as I think he could surprise some people today and wanted to be slightly different. Purists could be terrible but I totally lost my overall purist position with a disastrous Giro (Dan Martin, J-Rod) so I need something special to get back up there!

STD
Froome
Thomas
Chavanel
Westra
Barta
Boom
Bodnar
Larsson
Vorobyev (who I had for a TT earlier in the season and he did naff-all, but he is cheap...)

PURIST
Froome
Spilak
Tejay
Bardet
Caruso
Van den Broeck
Intxausti
Bagot
Vorobyev

Hoping for a possible full house today. Scope for penalties tomorrow, but also have the option of sticking with Kwit and just bringing in one rider.

Kwiatkowski
Tejay
Spilak
Thomas
Navardauskas
Jungels
Taaramae
Larsson
Gougeard

Think my purist is quite safe, it won't do badly but unlikely to win

Froome
Contador
Spilak
Demare
Navardauskas
Taaramae
Larsson
Gougeard
Berhanae

My purist looks a bit bananas:

Gougeard
Navardauskas
Spilak
Contador
Tejay
Bagot
Demare
Chava
Vorobyev

EDIT: this has now changed substantially

Standard:

Froome
Kwia
Chava
Thomas
Barta
Vorobyev
Gougerard
Berhane
Beltran

Four 3.0-ers in there! Couldn't quite fit Tejay in there (who I think will go well, just not as well as Chava, Kwia & Froome); I'll be looking at at least one penalty tomorrow.

My team

Bob Jungels (TFR)
Alberto Contador (TSB)
Michal Kwiatkowski (OPQ)
Simon Spilak (KAT)
Geraint Thomas (SKY)
Jan Barta (TNE)
Damien Howson (OGE)
Ralf Matzka (TNE)
Anton Vorobyev (KAT)

2 changes planned for tomorrow.

Purist is a complete experiment.

My team

Simon Gerrans (OGE)
Alberto Contador (TSB)
Thomas Voeckler (EUC)
Tejay Van Garderen (BMC)
Edward Beltran (TSB)
Simon Spilak (KAT)
Tony Gallopin (LTB)
Benat Intxausti (MOV)
Alexis Gougeard (ALM)

Standard:
Froome
Kwia
Navardauskas
Spilak
Jungels
Cunego
VanDenBroeck
Gougeard
Vorobyev

Purist:
Froome
Nibali
Contador
Spilak
Howard
Larsson
Gougeard
Vorobyev
Berhane

I'll probably regret swapping out Westra and Larsson for Vorobvyev and Cunego in my standard team at the last minute(based an Le Petit Prince's downhill skills for the tricky downhill hairpins today).

Looks like kelderman is feeling recovered
Damn knew I should have picked him!

Not a great start for Kwia

Looks like the early starters have had a bit of an advantage

Well, I've cocked this one up. Another fine mess.

Me too

Carlton Kirby must have made a right racket in the bedroom in his day...How can you get so excited over Chris Froome winning a TT..... of which he was the favourite for with most people in the know anyway.... embarrassing Carlton to say the least..

Looking forward to tomorrow`s stage....

Though saying that, on a whim I put £2.50 each way on Froome... at 16/1! Nice fifty quid profit there to soften the blow of a rubbish fantasy day.

2,3,11,16,20 today. Not great.