Wow, okay! Another podium for AKA caps off a tremendous start to his season. In fact, I think this might be his most consistent race... maybe ever? Even races where he's won stages in CT, he usually doesn't sprint in at least one of the stages. 2 podiums and another top 10 across three sprint stages is really more than I set as my highest goal. But even crazier, because he didn't lose time on the hilly stages, he ends up 9th overall! That's huge for grabbing some more points, and to say those points were completely unexpected is an understatement. We came here thinking none of our guys would finish top 30, let alone top 10.
Nice to see the team involved too, as it's also the first time AKA's gotten a leadout. Somehow we never once made a train for him when he had the best sprint stat in CT, but now we get one in PCT. Bouglas did quite a good job in his role, and even scores his first point with us, as he held on for 8th! Two in the top 10 is awesome.
Of course, we benefitted again from a lot weirdness. Bouglas really shouldn't finish 8th there. It doesn't make any sense why some sprinters just refuse to go for it and let those gaps go still. In this race we benefitted because the game wanted AKA to try in all cases, but it probably won't be that way all year. And I know how frustrating it is to see a bunch of similar sprinters ride away from yours for no reason.
In any case, it's been a fantastic start to our season so far, led by AKA, who was the guy I had the least faith in coming in. I wish he never had to leave Australia, but he's already done a lot for us early on here.
Congrats to fjhoekie, Bushwackers, and Nemo! In the end I'm happy a top puncheur at least got the GC victory. It wouldn't feel right for all of them to get snubbed by a pure sprinter.
And thanks to Roturn for the consistent and great reports! Great way to start my days this past week.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
Awful AI, looks even worse than PCM 18. Definitely doesn't make me look forward to the rest of the season. After 8 Reinhardt RDs, his heavy OVL raise definitely doesn't seem to be justified at all - I guess Acc doesn't really matter anymore in PCM 20 (see AKA).
It's not even that bad points-wise, but the race was just really annoying to follow with that awful AI. I'd have gained less points with a good AI, but I'd definitely have preferred to get realistic results. In my opinion, Croes taking 2nd on top of Willunga is even worse AI-wise than Malecki's Giro OP last year...
Congrats to UBS, great start to the promotion race for you! And thanks for the reports, roturn.
Some interesting aspects to this race:
- AKA was quite strong - certainly like that for Eislers
- Annoying lack of gaps
- Manninen beasting it again
- Podium Ambition with ridiculous overperformances of nobodies
- Van Stayen with solid scoring due to GC but bad AI treatment: no factor on flat stages but good on the hilly stages. Very different to what id expect
- Skujins was just plain terrible.
baseballlover312 wrote:
Nice to see the team involved too, as it's also the first time AKA's gotten a leadout.
One change I think occurred between 18 and 20 is that how the game decides who gets to sprint. Previously it ranked the sprinters and absent any other changes (like Recovery impact) the same 10ish sprinters got to sprint every stage and the same 3 got trains. Now it somehow selects 10 and 3 from the top 20 or so. So I think we will see more inconsistency within races, more varied lead outs and more lower level sprinters getting results (like 77 sp guys). The good news about this is that previously if you didn't make the top 10ish even by tiny margins you were screwed. See my and Mac's results in Ras Taliann last year. That isn't to say sprints aren't broken in other ways and being a GC favorite still has a negative impact.
In the end kind of a nothing race for us, but not as disappointing to us as it was for others, so cant complain too much. Hoping for better AI in the coming races.
