VELOGAMES FANTASY CLASSICS - RULES
Overview
Each player takes the role of a Directeur Sportif of a professional cycling team. The aim of the contest is to select the best possible team of riders for each of the seven Spring Classics - the historic one-day races that form the back bone of the early-season calendar.
Directeurs must select their riders based on a budget, and can change their team in between races. The better the racers perform during each event, the more points they will accumulate for their fantasy squad.
To bring in an additional tactical element to team selection, directuers must also select a Captain and Vice-Captain for their squad in each event. Each of these riders will receive a percentage bonus to any points gained during the race.
Team Entry
You must use the Official Entry Form to submit your team. The Entry Form will be made available once the game is open for entries.
It is expected that the opening date will be Monday 15th March 2010.
Team Selection Criteria
In order that each directeur creates a balanced team for each race, directeurs are given 100 VeloCredits (the Velogames currency) to select their riders.
Each rider is given a value in Velocredits, based on their prospective points-scoring abilities. The VeloCredits values are based on past results and recent form, with an emphasis towards those riders who have been successful in past editions of the Spring Classics.
For the Velogames Fantasy Classics series, there are no other team selection criteria apart from staying within the 100 VeloCredit limit.
Captains and Vice Captains
New for Velogames Fantasy Classics, directeurs can now select a Captain and Vice-Captain for their squad in each race.
These "protected riders" are the designated stars of the team, and should be selected because the directeur predicts they will score highly in the upcoming race.
The Captain receives a +50% points bonus (rounded up to the nearest whole number) on top of all points they earn during the race.
The Vice-Captain receives a +25% points bonus (also rounded up to the nearest while number) to all points they earn during the race.
When entering or modfiying your rider selections, make sure the Captain and Vice-Captain are listed in the top two slots in the team selection form, as it is these two positions on the form that determine your chosen Captain and Vice-Captain.
Team Changes
Each directeur can make unlimited team changes prior to the entry deadline for the first event (Milan - San Remo), which is set at 09:00 CET (Central European Time) on Saturday 20th March 2010.
Team Rosters are then locked until the morning after the race has been completed.
Between each race (apart from when roster changes are locked on race day itself), directeurs may make unlimited changes to their team until the next race deadline.
Essentially, directeurs are able to change their entire group of riders (along with capatin and vice-captain) between each race in order to target each specific race with the best team available.
Rider credit values will not change for the duration of the Fantasy Classics series.
Scoring Points
Points are allocated to riders based on their real-life performance in each event.
Points are awarded in three categories: Finishing Positions, Assists and Breakaways.
Points for Finishing Positions make up the major amount of points available, and are awarded to the top 20 classified finishers in the race.
Points for Assists are awarded to the real-life team-mates of riders who finish in the top three, to recognise the efforts that go into putting a team's rider into a winning position.
In order to score assist points, a rider must be included in the classified finishers of the race.
Points for Breakaways are awarded to the riders who animate the race in its early stages and also during the crunch moments leading up the the finale.
There are three nominated Breakaway Locations during each event, where the riders in the leading group on the road all score points.
The first Breakaway Location is based around half-distance, and the second two Breakaway Locations are located in the famous areas where the race is usually decided.
Breakaway Locations will be published in good time before the deadline for each event, based on the final race routes that are published.
For the purposes of points scoring, a "leading group" of riders is a group of 20 riders or less, with a gap of more than five seconds to the next rider or group of riders on the road.
Velogames will review video footage and race reports to ensure an accurate distribution of Breakaway Points, but in all cases the decison of Velogames is final.
For a full breakdown of how to score points in Velogames Fantasy Classics, please check the Scoring System link.
Leaderboards
Each leaderboard is formed from the total points gained by each team.
There are two main types of leaderboard: the Overall Leaderboard and Race Leaderboards.
The Overall Leaderboard is made up of the cumulative points total gained across the seven races that make up the Velogames Fantasy Classics series, and is the main leaderboard in the game.
Individual Race Leaderboards are for the lesser glory of winning each of the seven events that make up the series.
Prizes
The Velogames Fantasy Classics series is a free-to-play game.
Therefore, there are no prizes on offer apart from eternal glory and the respect of your fellow Directeurs Sportifs!