Checking in on the latest storylines in the greatest fantasy competition
It’s September 1, and you know that means that the end of the 2022 Cycling— OK, FSA Directeur Sportif season, is rapidly approaching. What do we know now and how do we feel about it? Let’s dive into some story lines.
Can Pogačar Hang On For Rider of the Year?
Two-time Tour winner Tadej Pogačar seemed like he was on top of the world coming into this year’s Grand Boucle, but since then those Jumbos have had the considerable temerity to challenge his reign. Not just at the Tour, where he was literally dethroned by Jonas Vingegaard, but even now, as he tries to hang on to his overall #1 rank in the FSA DS. Coming up fast, with no intention of stopping, is that guy, Wout Van Aert.
Recall, this past winter when the FSA DS price list was announced, some 800,000 people jumped down my throat for making Pogs too affordable for many teams to pass on. The Slovenian then set out to reinforce that narrative by padding his stats right out of the gate. Since then, however, the situation has changed.
Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images
Now, not to pat myself on the back, but the reason Pogs was only 30 points is that there was no Olympics this year, and a Worlds course that doesn’t exactly serve itself up to the top climbers. He may yet have a massive fall campaign and come close to matching his 2021 output of 4803 points, but that is hardly assured (Pogs put up about 1000 points last year after 9/1).
Meanwhile, Van Aert is creeping up to within 400 points — not nothing, but considering he just won Plouay and will be in Canada to challenge Pogs for the two Quebec races, before coming into a fall campaign that looks mighty nice for the Belgian, and you can see it being a neck-and-neck race for the points title all the way to the finish.
How Should I Evaluate My Team Right Now?
I love a good metric, and here’s one for you: what percentage of your riders have paid off by September 1? In the true analytical sense this September 1 check-in date is pretty random, just a nice round number in the minds of vacation planners, especially in the US with Labor Day Weekend upon us. But with six packed weeks to go, if you are mostly playing with house money already, then you’ve had a good season.
I’ll start with my team. I have 18 riders who have exceeded their 2021 output, and therefore paid…
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