New to PCM - Advice Needed

jaws · Joined: 02 Aug 2007

Hey guys, im pretty new to cycling and PCM so im not that up to date with all the riders yet but after watching most of the Tour, my knowledge is getting better.

The thing is, my stratergy seems to be hopeless during the race and even on medium level i find it very hard to win a stage and sometimes get anywhere near the front.

Lets say i was managing Predictor Lotto, should Robbie Mcewen be sent away with the breakaways or kept safe in the peloton? ive mainly been doing the latter as with 14 races ive done so far, it's been a mass sprint finish every time.

I'm jsut a bit hopeless with tactics, could anyone give me some advice?

Cheers

Ijah · Joined: 28 Jun 2007 Location: Netherlands

You've been doing the right thing to just follow the pack.Most of the times it simply does end up in a mass sprint.I don't even bother at all making early breakaways.

Usually i just start the stage ...get my riders up front and keep position , end then let things roll on 8 x.By the time the last 18 KM start i get focused again.Too bad , but that's the way PCM works this version.

jaws · Joined: 02 Aug 2007

yes i like to get my riders up front early on, it's all a bit rushed getting them up to the front in the last 10km whilst having a sprint to worry about, I find it quite hard to manage 8 players at a time especially when you have a rider in a breakaway

InFront · Joined: 11 Jul 2007 Location: Oslo - Norway

When I play I pause the game a lot. "p" on the keyboard is the shortcut. This way you can better control whats going on Wink

jaws · Joined: 02 Aug 2007

axelferguson · Joined: 04 Jul 2007

jaws · Joined: 02 Aug 2007

Well , jsut had 2 nd positions in a row with Mcewan , getting closer Very Happy

And also , i was in a breakaway that worked at last, finished 3rd overall again with Mcewa nwith puts me top of the standings so far Very Happy

coppi_bridge_boogie · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Location: St Elsewhere

Sprints:
Mostly I protect my rider with 1 rider, the one with the least acceleration. I keep my other riders closeby. Most of the stages you can build up a train when you passed 12 km. Then I pause the game and set up a train so my sprinter is ahead of the other sprinters. First 2 or three workers( depends on how many teammates you assign for your sprinter) Then 1 or 2 accelerators to fire my sprinter up and launch him to the finishing line.
The best is 2 accelerators. 1 for km 3 tot 2~2,5 , second 2~2,5 to 1,5 and then my sprinter how leaves the other sprinters in the behind.

Advantages: the favorite sprinters follow the best wheel, your sprinters wheel and theyre trains are neutrilized!
After the 2 accelerators the other sprinters are mostly worn out so your sprinter should win somewhat easy!

Disadvantages: You have to make a choice(especially in the tour with predictor-lotto, or go fully for mcewen and let evans cycle without teammates, go with both and find a workable balance between the teammates, or go with Evans and let mcewen follow sprinters trains as petachi or boonen.

jaws · Joined: 02 Aug 2007

Cheers mate, that helped alot, jsut got my first stage win finally with Mcewen, i broke away with 5km to go just to see what would happen and bloody hell nobody followed him so it was a gentle cycle over the line lol

coppi_bridge_boogie · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Location: St Elsewhere

Ya great man, its good that you know your technique helps a lot. Especially with strategy and stuff. Sometimes it doesnt work the same. If you want so help with climbing and stuff just give me a sign and ill help ya out!

jaws · Joined: 02 Aug 2007

WEll i've done a couple of climbing stages with Credit Agricole and done 'OK' so far but have a big problem of keeping up with the top climbers even when my climbing stats are as good as there's, the dreaded red metre kicks in an awful lot but so far I've had a 3rd on a mountain stage so it's not going too badly.

Also i seem to loose a lot of my riders form the peloton whilst other teams have sprinters running in the same group as Rasmussen & CO

coppi_bridge_boogie · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Location: St Elsewhere

Well in your team for a Tour you have to deal with three different set up of teams;
# Completely setup for the GC, with your best man in front. Maybe one sprinter, but there is no option to build up a train for him. So he must do it on his own.
# A mix between them. You can choose to have 4 men for GC-rider and 3 for sprinter, or the other way. But usually your servants for the sprinters can't help your GC rider in the mountains.
# Competely setup for the sprinter. Maybe one of your servants for the sprinter can climb a little bit so he can help your GC-rider till the beginning of the slopes. But your GC-rider must do the most things on his own.

You should pick another team than Credit -Agricole. Try Rabobank, it has a good range of helpers for mountains and sprinting and you have some very good climbers(Menchov, Boogerd, (Rasmussen Laughing

), and a excellent sprinter called Freire. So that would be a very good option.

Then when you go in the TdF tot Tignes. Try to shake a large group of servants off in the first real mountain. You put you teammates up front with 80 %. in the middle you put 85 % and in the end 90% or more. You will get results, I assure you! Keep in mind that you GC-rider has to be protected by a good climber as well. So your GC-rider has to do as little.

In the second climb, try to do the trick as well. But this time a bit softer. In the beginning 75%, then 80% and at last 85 %. This time many climbers will fall out the group. In the last mountain, you put your teammates up front with the full 99 %. When opponent GC-riders as Vinokourov, Kloden, Evans, etc will attack your teammates with keep them on safe distance or get them back.

Then you may choose a good moment to attack. The best is just after a corner! The peleton had slowed down in the corner, so you have the most acceleration! First jump out the group with 80 %, then a short while on 99 % and then 60 % or less. So now you have good distance. Try to make it bigger, slowly, so you wont blow out your own flame. Try to climb on 70 or 75 %. You will see your oppenent attack after each other and they cant do nothin better then get a meter ahead and then back. Now you won and got the YELLOW, PINK or GOLD jersey!

PS Try to observe you main opponents as well. Maybe the have a very bad form, then try to shake them of a bit earlier!

CrueTrue · Joined: 09 Aug 2003 Location: Valby, Denmark

The Career Guide is always a good read for the ones who are new to the game: http://www.pcmdaily.com/readarticle.php?article_id=6

coppi_bridge_boogie · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Location: St Elsewhere

What kind of strategy's do you guy's have in these mountainstages?!
Maybe it is a more durable than mine haha my teammates are quite tired after a few days.

P.S. give me a nice strategy to deal with team time trials. Do I have to do it with the whole team or the best timeriders!?