Fantasy Cycling: scoring details and tips for picking riders

So, we've finally got our hands on the roadbook for the 2012 Tour de France, a day before the race actually kicks off. That means we can look at what gets scored, and finalise our points for the Fantasy Cycling game. So we have. Here's the rundown of what you get points for…

Finishing position on a stage

If one of your team makes it into the top 20 on any stage then they'll be off the mark. It's 35 points for first, then 30, 25, 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 for the rest.

Intermediate sprints

There's points up for grabs for the first 15 riders over the intermediate sprint line in the actual race, and that's true of the game too. 15 points for first, down to 1 point for 15th. There's a good haul to be had if your man makes it into the break...

King of the Mountains

Lots of points up for grabs on the climbs as well. The race weights the points hugely in favour of the biggest climbs but we're a bit more egalitarian. There's decent points even for leading over a cat 4 hill, which is good news if your man's in the break.

HC: 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
1st cat: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1
2nd cat: 5, 3, 2, 1
3rd cat: 5, 3
4th cat: 5

Jerseys

If your man's wearing one of the Jerseys, or in the mix, then you'll be scoring points for that. Here's what gets scored:

General Classification: 10 points for 1st place, down to 1 point for 10th
Points jersey, Mountains jersey, Young rider jersey: 5 points for 1st down to 1pt for 5th

Note that it's the position in the classification that gets you the points. So if someone's top in GC and the green jersey they'll get the points for both, even though someone else will actually be wearing green.

Team bonus

If Liquigas win the stage, every participating Liquigas rider (except for the winner) gets a 5-point bonus.

Last man home

Everyone loves a tryer. Last man home on the stage – NOT the lanterne rouge, last in the GC – gets 10 points for their hard work.

Most combative rider

The right to wear the red number on the next stage nets you 10 points too.

Tips on scoring

All that clear as mud? Good. If you're new to the game (or you just haven't done so well thus far...) you might appreciate some tips on picking up points along the way. Here's four things you can do to bag yourself a score...

Check the profiles

This can help you in two ways. For a start, you can make a prediction on who's likely to win. But it's also worth thinking about jersey points. A flat stage means the GC is unlikely to change much, so there's normally riders that are pretty certain to score.

Find the hometown boy

If a stage ended in your town, wouldn't you be off the front trying to bring home a win for the locals? Googling 'professional cyclist [insert location here]' will normally bring up a rider's Wikipedia page if they're from the town/area. There's good points on offer for breakaway riders, especially if it's hilly.

Look at form

Past form's not always an indicator of future success. But there's lots of data in the game already from the Tour Down Under to the Tour de Suisse. Have a look at the graphs to see who's performing. Check what types of stage they've been scoring on.

Check what the riders are saying

Stalk them on Twitter. Read the news stories. If someone's said that they fancy a go off the front, or they're targeting a certain stage, chances are good they'll be in the break. Sometimes it's bluster. Often it isn't.