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The Danish Superliga 2024/25 prediction game is now open for registration. You can sign up here.

The UEFA European U-17 Champ. 2024 prediction game is over.

The Badminton Australian Open / Men's Singles 2024 prediction game is now open for registration. You can sign up here.

The Campeonato Uruguayo 2024 prediction game is over.

NBA star Dennis Schröder, who plays for the Brooklyn Nets, made a surprising appearance in a local football match for FC Germania Bleckenstedt in his home region of Lower Saxony, Germany. This unexpected switch of sports occurred just two months before the Olympic Games in Paris. Schröder's participation was kept secret, and despite his efforts, his team lost 1-5 to 1. SC Göttingen 05. Schröder played alongside his brother-in-law, Daniel Ziolo, and was instructed by the coach to create some disruption on the left wing before being substituted after an hour. Schröder will soon return to basketball, where he will lead the German national team as captain, aiming for a medal in the Paris Olympics. The German team is considered one of the favorites, with tough competition expected from the host nation, France, featuring talent like Victor Wembanyama.
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.

The Critérium du Dauphiné is an annual professional cycling stage race held in the Dauphiné region in southeastern France. First organized in 1947 by the newspaper 'Dauphiné Libéré,' the race has grown to become one of the most prestigious events on the cycling calendar. Traditionally held in early June, it serves as a key preparatory race for the Tour de France, attracting many top contenders. The race typically features a mix of mountainous stages and time trials, testing riders' all-around abilities. Over the years, it has seen many legendary cyclists, such as Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain, and Chris Froome, claim victory. Since 2010, the race has been organized by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), which also runs the Tour de France.
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.

The football match between Standard and Westerlo was cancelled after hardcore Standard fans blocked the team bus from leaving the youth academy. The protest was in response to financial issues surrounding the club's American owners, 777 Partners. Despite attempts by Standard's CEO, Pierre Locht, to reach an agreement, the fans did not disperse. The club's owners have since announced plans to restructure and cease football operations, putting Standard up for sale. The case will now go to the Belgian Football Association, where disciplinary authorities will decide the outcome of the match based on referees' reports.
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.

Fabio Jakobsen has been having all sorts of problems during this Giro. Normally a regular top-3 contender was literally non-existent during all previous 4 sprints, in most cases dropped from the peloton on a hill or an ascent. Making people guess every time if it is him or rather Lund Andresen to sprint on a given day.

Today was supposed to be the day where he might have regained some of his glory, a totally flat and broad straight to the finish line. not too many hills or bumps underway. Bookmakers had even had him at no.3 before the stage.

Unfortunately he crashed hard when sprinting for the victory. Not sure but I think he is out now, with a few more sprinters stages still to come.

Because of this very special season, the club is now offering something unusual. On three days in the coming week, as well as before the last home game against Augsburg or at the fan festival before the cup final in Berlin, supporters can get one of the selected club tattoos for free. The campaign is titled 'Love, that lasts a lifetime'.
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.

In F1 points for fastest lap and dnf don't count for any kind of standings?

In F1 points for fastest lap and dnf don't count for any kind of standings?

To fans who predict sport with flair,
Easter greetings to you, fair and square!
May your predictions be right,
In the day and the night,
And joy fill the springtime air!
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.

There once was a rider so fleet,
In Stage 5, he just couldn't be beat.
With strength and with grace,
He set a fast pace,
In Catalunya, he claimed the top seat.

His rivals, they tried to keep up,
But he was the one with the cup.
Through mountains and bends,
He set the new trends,
In the end, he was the top pup.

So remember his name with delight,
In Catalunya, he was the knight.
In Stage 5, he soared,
The crowd, they roared,
His victory was a beautiful sight.
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.

(Verse 1)
Yo, yo, step on the ice, heart beating like a drummer,
Want to be the wall, aka the summer bummer,
Why, you ask? Why choose this path?
Let me drop the beat and break down the math.

It's not just about stopping the puck,
It's about tranquility amidst the ruck.
Of a thousand cheers and a thousand jeers,
The goalie stands tall, be brushing off peers.

Chorus:
I'm an ice hockey goalie, got nothing to prove,
In the net, in the zone, always on the move.
Your shots come in hot, they leave in despair,
'Cause I'm an ice hockey goalie, not a single scare.

(Verse 2)
I'm the last line of defense, the final play,
Shield of the team, I hold sway.
Strapped with courage, armed with grace,
In my crease, you're in my space.

The thrill of the save, the resounding cheer,
The siren’s ululate whispers in my ear,
The taste of victory, or a loss's bite,
Living on the edge, that's the goalie's fight.

Chorus:
I'm an ice hockey goalie, quick as a fox,
In the net, in the zone, despite the shocks.
Your fury’s fierce but my steel’s rarer,
'Cause I'm an ice hockey goalie, the icy barrier.

(Outro)
I'm a guardian, a phantom, a steel silhouette,
In the center of the storm, where courage and fear intersect.
A passion and purpose, a calling embraced,
I'm an ice hockey goalie, and I won't be displaced.

So that's why we stand, we block, we weave,
With the roar of an ice rink as our reprieve.
Hearing the song of the puck before it flies,
We're the ice hockey goalies, the winter skies.
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.

As an AI, I cannot foretell,
Who in tonight's match will excel.
Poland or Estonia,
In this grand arena,
Only time will truly tell.

The ball will be kicked, passed, and spun,
Until the night's game is done.
Will Poland take flight,
In the cool of the night?
Or will Estonia have all the fun?

So, tune in to watch and see,
Who the victor will be.
In this game of might,
Under the stadium light,
It's a thrilling mystery.
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.

Legia's might is weak,
Champions League, a peak too steep,
Victory they can't keep.
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.

Nottingham Forest have been deducted four points for breaching the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules, dropping them into the relegation zone. The club breached the relevant PSR threshold of £61m by £34.5m. The breach was related to the sale of Brennan Johnson, for which Forest received a £30m offer but waited for a better deal, selling him for £47.5m to Tottenham in September. The club claimed their approach was designed to make them more sustainable. However, the Premier League commission described the breach as 'serious' and said the points deduction was needed to maintain the integrity of the league. Despite the sanction, the club was praised for demonstrating 'exceptional cooperation' with the league throughout the disciplinary process.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/mar/18/nottingham-forest-docked-four-points-premier-league-financial-rules-breach-profitability-and-sustainability
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.

... are from now on only visible to players which participate in the according prediction game.

During an amateur cycling race in Spain, only 52 out of 182 registered riders reached the finish line. There are suspicions that many riders dropped out of the race to avoid potential doping controls at the finish line. This was reported by the Spanish cycling portal ciclo21.com and the radio station 'Onda Cero'. It is a known phenomenon that riders do not compete if there are rumours of doping controls at the finish line. Some riders claimed they quit the race due to tire punctures, crashes, and the difficult track with two mountains and a total of 1500 meters of ascent. Other riders anonymously accused their competitors of quitting the race due to the impending doping controls. The race organizers have not specifically commented on the allegations against the riders who dropped out of the race but have published a statement on their website expressing their opposition to doping.

https://www.spiegel.de/sport/alicante-140-fahrer-bei-radrennen-am-start-nur-50-kommen-ins-ziel-wegen-dopingkontrollen-a-6c8d2cbf-7163-446b-ba1a-ed9f3c7de954
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.

Nigeria won record 8 bronze medals! No other team ever came close to this number (Ghana has 4). Unfortunately, they are not equally successful at winning gold and silver (3 and 4 respectively). Still, Nigeria are a team with record 15 medals won, better than Egypt (13) and Ghana (10). And they are one win away from adding another one this year.

Nigeria's all-time greats include Nkwankwo KANU, Jay-Jay OKOCHA, Rashidi YEKINI, Finidi GEORGE, Viktor IKPEBA, Taribo WEST, Sunday OLISEH, Emmanuel AMUNIKE, John Obi MIKEL and Daniel AMOKACHI.

The name of today and the future though is Viktor OSIMHEN. He won the 2023 African PotY Award, beating Hakimi and Salah. He's 1st Nigerian in 25yrs (i.e. since Kanu's win in 1999) to have won the prestigeous award! Osimhen is joint-6th in the transfermarkt.de ranking (110MEUR worth; same value as Harry Kane or Declan Rice).

I have revised the page for the Cup contest. The new version is much more organized.

Once upon a time, in the bustling city of London, there existed a grand palace known as the Ally Pally. This palace wasn’t home to kings or queens, but it did house the knights of a different kind of round table – the Professional Darts Corporation. Every year, the bravest and best players in the world would gather here to compete in the PDC World Darts Championship.

In the year 2014, a young lad named Luke Littler, at the tender age of 16, managed to charm his way into the final round of this prestigious championship. With his quick-witted accuracy and a calm demeanor, he managed to outplay many seasoned veterans, earning himself a place in the grand finale.

The final match was to be against the mighty Luke Humphries, a player known far and wide for his piercing throws and unyielding spirit. As the match began, young Littler showed no fear. He took control of the game, leading 4:2 against the experienced Humphries. The crowd was on their feet, cheering for the young underdog who was on his way to a fairytale victory.

However, the winds of fate had a different story to tell. Humphries, sensing the mounting pressure, gathered his strength and experience. He fought back with the tenacity of a lion, refusing to let the young Littler snatch away his dream victory. As the game moved forward, Humphries slowly clawed his way back, turning the tide in his favor.

Eventually, it was Humphries who emerged victorious, winning the match 7:4 against the young Littler. The crowd watched in awe as the experienced Humphries overcame the initial setback to claim his throne in the kingdom of darts. The Ally Pally roared with applause for the new world champion, but also for the young Littler, who, despite the loss, had won the hearts of many.

The fairy tale didn't have the ending that Littler might have dreamed of, but it was a tale of courage, grit, and determination. Young Littler, although defeated, was not broken. He had shown the world his potential and proved that he was a force to be reckoned with in future championships.

And so, the 16-year-old knight of the round dartboard walked away from the tournament, head held high, carrying with him lessons of the game and the experience of a lifetime. As the tale of the PDC World Darts Championship 2014 ended, a new chapter began in the story of Luke Littler, the boy who dared to dream.
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.

I'll detete the XFL 2024 and USFL 2024 prediction games and create a new UFL 2024 prediction game.
The UFL will have 8 teams (5 from XFL and 3 from USFL).

As the new year makes its grand debut,
To all our players, old and new,
We send you cheer and a hearty hurray,
May luck be yours in the game you play.

From puzzles, riddles, or a guessing spree,
In our world of prediction, you're the key.
So here's to a year of strategic delight,
May your new year predictions be exactly right.

May each guess you make be a winning shot,
And your game strategy hit the right spot.
As the new year bell begins to chime,
Here's to a year of winning, sublime.

As the ball drops, don't forget to cheer,
For all the fun we've had this year.
To all our players, near and far,
Happy New Year, you're our shining star.

So keep on playing, don't lose your spark,
In the realm of guessing, you've made your mark.
To all our champions, big and small,
Happy New Year, best wishes to all!
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.

Here's the top-6 of most overestimated riders in this Vuelta (some of them dropped out already), as per number of total stars/votes received from predictors at procyclingstats.com vs their actual points score in all stages (all of them actually scored ZERO):

Coquard FRA 4480
De Gendt BEL 879
Higuita COL 868
Mollema 733
Caruso 664
Fraile 488

Some of other clearly underperforming riders (at least vs people's expectations) include:
JP.Lopez, Menten, Hofstetter, Tiberi, G.Thomas, Lazkano, Almeida, Gregoire,

An interesting little stat, which shows with certainty what the prime age for a GC rider is.

The average age of top-10 finishers in the last 10 years is practically the same for each of the three grand tours.

It is: 29

Not totally sure if all the rosters I used were up to date but a good exercise even if only for illustratory purposes anyway. Here are the teams with 10-plus World Cup roster players:

19 Leinster
19 Benetton
19 Fijian Drua
18 Moana Pasifika
17 Toulouse
16 Edinburgh
15 Glasgow
13 Saracens
13 Toulon
12 Lyon
11 La Rochelle
10 Munster
10 Crusaders

As regards stars and big hopes on the team, I think the numbers are not that representative. I took a quick look at some previews (like top-25 players to watch; best player by national team etc) and fantasy values of players on particular positions. Not a rugby expert by any means but here is how many stars and players to watch I found on the best teams:

Teams with 5-plus star-players:

13(!) Leinster, 8 Toulouse, 5 La Rochelle

So a question to experts: Do Leinster really stand out as regards the team quality (by these measures)?

If it helps with a decision re: GC predictions, here is 50days form ranking from pcc.com:

pcc points scored over last 50D - Name

480 Van Aert
423 C.Rodriguez
295 D.van Poppel
218 Pidcock
203 S.Williams
200 Johannessen
193 Tillier
168 Kooij
136 Politt
116 Swift

It doesn't mean GC points, as points are scored in various categories (eg. sprint) but looking at the list, most of the riders are actually GC favourites for this year's ToB so could be a good guideline, esp. outside the seemingly top-2 clear favourites WVA/Pidcock.

Last year's winner and top-6 favourite Serrano only with 20 points but wasn't perhaps riding much (not sure).

Looking at the ELO ratings, there seem to be 3 big absentees this year:

Tottenham H, Juventus, Chelsea

Otherwise, I think the three cups are fully packed with what Europe has to offer.

Pts (each CL team scores 3pts, each EL team 2pts, each ECL team 1pt) - Country - no of CL participants, no of EL participants, no of ECL paticipants


19 Spain 5 2 0
19 England 4 3 1
17 Germany 4 2 1
17 Italy 4 2 1
13 France 2 3 1
11 Portugal 3 1 0
9 Netherlands 2 1 1
8 Belgium 1 1 3
7 Austria 1 2 0
7 Greece 0 3 1
6 Switzerland 1 1 1
6 Serbia 1 1 1
6 Scotland 1 1 1
5 Turkey 1 0 2
5 Czech Rep 0 2 1
4 Denmark 1 0 1
4 Ukraine 1 0 1
3 Israel 0 1 1
3 Norway 0 1 1
3 Poland 0 1 1
2 Azerbaijan 0 1 0
2 Cyprus 0 1 0
2 Moldova 0 1 0
2 Sweden 0 1 0
2 Slovakia 0 0 2
1 Bulgaria 0 0 1
1 Bosnia and Herceg 0 0 1
1 Faroe Islands 0 0 1
1 Finland 0 0 1
1 Croatia 0 0 1
1 Hungary 0 0 1
1 Iceland 0 0 1
1 Kosovo 0 0 1
1 Kazakhstan 0 0 1
1 Slovenia 0 0 1

35 countries in total with at least one rep in the group phase of a European cup.

It is very rare that a rider is physically able to race in all three grand tours in one season.

This year's there are two such riders: Sepp Kuss and LL.Sanchez and it's been 4 years since it happened previous time (T.de Gendt 2019).

In this view, there is one rider in the modern history of cycling that is definitely worth mentioning, not a very big name, he won a stage at Vuelta and one more at Giro. Adam Hansen is his name (age 41 today) and he is an Australian.

His big achievement: he was able to repeat the triple GT appearance on as many as 6 ocassions and this came in consecutive years 2012-2017! Not only appeared but finished them all. The best GC place he ever managed was 53rd though.

I ran quickly through the names on the list 2000-now. Just one rider made 3 appearances (Farrar 2009-2011) while I think all others were able to to this just once in their career (or 2 max if I missed anyone).

So 6 in a row must be a massive physical burden (18 races in 6 years)!

On SEPP KUSS, he is a powerhouse and a superdomestique for the Jumbo big guys (Ving, Roglic), could likely shine on its own in some smaller team. So with the massive effort he contributes in every tour (plus stress as expectations in this team are always high), 3x in a row is a big thing too.

A rather scary piece of news from today. Luckily one of the offenders was caught redhanded.

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/video-spanish-police-arrest-four-men-who-planned-on-sabotaging-vuelta-a-espana-with-400-liters-of-oil

I wonder if it might have something to do with a 'Catalunya not Espana' demonstration? Or maybe just a stupid joke. In any case, it might have had very tragic consequences for the ride

In case anyone wondered why none of the highly acclaimed GC contenders made it to top-3 or even top-10 today despite favourable odds, today's stage was neutralised (i.e. time stopped) 1km before the Mont Juic climb and 8km before the finish line following safety concerns from the riders (rainy weather in Barcelona yestarday and today).

As a result, there was never a proper GC fight on the punchy finish as originally planned. 8km from the line all GC contenders switched on a tourist ride mode. The podium and Mt Juic intermediate sprint time bonuses still did count.

A lot of postponed matches at season start across all European leagues this year. As a result we have more skipped Rat Race rounds and postponed Cup rounds.
Besides the deliberate attacks of the Russians on civilians in the Ukraine I don't know why matches in Belgium, Bulgaria, Turkey, Czech Republic are postponed this weekend. This makes administration not easier.

Due to the given occasion, here is again the reference to the filter function:
'Player -> Settings' or click on 'filter' on the bottom of the according forum post.

Available only in the new version, but the set filters there are now also work on the old version.

The sprinters field is rather weak as Vuelta doesn't offer too many opportunities for sprinters. The more difficult it will be to predict the sprinters stages. And by the time of Madrid's final sprint on Day 21 this group is likely to be further depleted.

The notable names on the startlist are: Coquard, Thijssen, Groves, Menten, Molano, M.vd Berg, Theuns, Dainese, Hoffsteter, Garcia Cortina, Page, Vendrame. That doesnt' even add up to a full ten of genuine sprinters.

GC and GC-type domestiques. The list might help with GC overall predictions as it is usually the case that only the real leader gets to top-10 while others are fully devoted to help him and often lose time because of that. Not always though. And in some instances it is difficult to say who the leader will be at the start; sometime the leader emerges just over week 1 depending on the current form of potential co-leaders. A big question about the Vingegaard-Roglic tandem, too.

JUMBO-VISMA: Vingegaard, Roglic, Kuss, Kelderman
UAE TEAM EMIRATES: Ayuso, Almeida, Vine
MOVISTAR: Mas
INEOS GRENADIERS: Thomas, Arensman
SOUDAL-QUICK STEP: Evenepoel
TEAM DSM: Bardet, Poole
BAHRAIN-VICTORIOUS: Landa, Poels
JAYCO-ALULA: Dunbar
GROUPAMA: L.Martinez
ARKEA SAMSIC: C.Rodriguez
LIDL TREK: Mollema
EF EDUCATION: Carthy
BORA HANSGROHE: Vlasov, Kamna, Uijtdebroeks, Buchmann

Interesting fact... Guess who the reigning World Cyclo-cross Champion and Runner-up 2023 are :

1. Mathieu van der Poel, 2. Wout van Aert !

I could find just one more road cyclist on the starting list (at least the names I recognise), Clement Venturini, so the rest are pure cyclo-cross specialists I guess, which shows how versatile MvdP and WVA are.

MvdP is actually the first rider in history to win both road race and cyclo-cross championships.

Meanwhile, Filippo Ganna, a recognised ITT specialist wins his 6th world championship at the velodrome today.

The rainbow jersey has been worn by Cycling World Champions since 1927!

It's called rainbow but technically the colours worn are the five colour of the olympic flag circles on a white jersey (for instance, there is no black in the real rainbow).

There is officially a term 'curse of the rainbow jersey' which means statistically its owner typically declines on his performance the following season. There are a few statistical and psychological studies trying to prove/find corelations. Evenepoel has a great chance to break the spell today although the curse probably took its toll already with his forced exit from Giro due to covid when he was really in his prime.

Today's World Championship Road Race starts at 10h40 CET.
Edinburgh-Glasgow 271km
Expected finish time: 16h30-17h45 CET

Highest pcs.com ranked on the startlist are:

Pogacar 1, Evenepoel 2, Philipsen 4, Van Aert 5, M.Pedersen 7, Almeida 9, Skjelmose 10, Laporte 12, M.vd Poel 14, Kooij 23, Powless 24, Kung 30, Hirschi 32, Healy 38, Kristoff 39, Coquard 43, Trentin 45, Madouas 47, Matthews 48, Schmid 49

Bookies favs are:

**** vd Poel, van Aert, Evenepoel
*** Pogacar, Philipsen, M.Pedersen
** Asgreen, Laporte
* Van Baarle, Skjelmose, Kooij, Alaphilippe, Healy

The defending champion from Wollongong AUS 2022 is Evenepoel.

A great gesture from Matej Mohoric, the winner of this year's TdP. He will donate the entire prize money he earned during the race to the victims of most recent floods in Slovenia.

A very unusual situation before the final stage of TdP today, which is supposed to be a sprinters stage.

Almeida trails Mohorić by...ZERO seconds! Mohoric is the leader by fractions of seconds (thx to ITT where the results are measured more precisely).

So today is a mission impossible for Almeida. He simply needs a time bonus, either in intermediate sprint at 67.km or on the finish line. Not being a sprinter (even though he has a sprinter's punch in uphill finishes) it will be almost impossible to beat the professional sprinters but we'll see. 3rd place at intermediate sprint may just prove enough. There is also this crazy last chance idea that Ackermann (who would normally sprint on his own) would be his leadout man at the finish.

And speaking of movie recommendations, as Balazs mentioned Quarterbacks, there's also a new movie (or series?) about the life and the works of Mark Cavendish!

Best-128

47 different countries represented.

Countries with most players qualified for Round 2:

Russia 12, Azerbaijan 11, India 9, Germany 8, USA 7, Ukraine 5, France 5, China 4, Poland 4

chatGPT as a rugby player who hates football in form of several limericks:

In football's table they stand,
Teams battle for glory in this land,
But as a rugby player,
I find it all a bore,
As I chase an oval ball in my hand.

Elfsborg sits at the top,
With 39 points, they just won't stop,
But I care not for their skills,
Or their penalty shoot-out thrills,
For rugby is the game that I'll swap.

Häcken and Malmö fight for place,
With points and goals, their pace they chase,
But I'll pass on this drama,
With its dives and fake trauma,
Give me a scrum, a ruck, and a chase.

Djurgårdens' goal difference is small,
But in rugby, that doesn't matter at all,
For it's tries we seek,
Not just goals in a week,
Football's drama, to me, feels so small.

Norrköping, Kalmar, and Halmstads,
All battling for the middle spots they have,
But I'll stick to my sport,
Where teamwork is taught,
And where tackling brings more applause.

The table changes, rearranged,
But my rugby love, it remains unchanged,
For on the rugby field I'm free,
From football's monotony,
And in scrums and mauls, my heart is engaged.

So, let the football fans cheer,
As the table shifts and becomes clear,
For me, rugby is the game,
Where passion and strength truly flame,
And I'll keep kicking that oval ball, my dear.
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.

ChatGPT acting as a cranky conspiracy theorist on the current table:

Ah, the football tables, the perfect tool for deception and manipulation. Let me tell you, my friend, there is something fishy going on here. These tables, oh boy, they seem to have been magically transformed overnight. It's almost like someone waved a wand and changed the positions of the teams.

Now, take a look at this. Botafogo, the team sitting comfortably at the top of the table, suddenly gains 3 points and extends their lead. Suspicious, isn't it? And what about SE Palmeiras and Flamengo? They both conveniently jump up the table, leaving Grêmio Porto Alegrense behind. It's as if they were given a boost, a little push up the ladder.

But it doesn't end there, my friend. RB Bragantino, Fluminense, and Club Athletico Paranaense, all of them magically climbing up the ranks. And let's not forget about poor Corinthians, losing ground and slipping down the table. How convenient for those in power, isn't it?

And what about the goal differences? Look at how they've changed. It's almost like someone is trying to make it seem more believable, more natural. But I see through their tricks.

Oh, and let's not forget the mysterious case of Goiás EC. They've been stuck at 16 points for ages, never really moving up or down. It's almost like someone is intentionally keeping them in that spot, preventing any progress.

My friend, this is all a grand conspiracy. The powers that be are manipulating these tables to control the narrative, to shape the outcome of the league. It's all about money, power, and influence. Don't be fooled by these tables, they are nothing but a facade, a smokescreen to distract us from the truth.

Stay vigilant, my friend, and question everything. These football tables are just another tool in the hands of the puppeteers pulling the strings.
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.

Just read that top riders in the peloton, the likes of Pogacar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel can count on ca. 6 MEUR per season. I think it compares to a very good NHL player.

I guess this is not bad. Honestly I thought they make less, esp compared to grand tour prize money which is ridiculous.

Today starts TdP 2023. As many as 5 former winners are taking part in this edition:

Almeida 2021, Sivakov 2019, Kwiatkowski 2018, Wellens 2016, Majka 2014

Almeida is top-fav to win TdP for the 2nd time, Kwiatkowski and Sivakov mentioned by most experts as favourites for top-6 and Majka and Wellens still outsiders to win, too.

I forgot to create/prepare a tournament prediction for the forthcoming ECB One-Day Tournament 2023 prediction game. As a result there won't be tournament prediction this year.

The final phase of the stage reminded me of the famous fairytale about the Hare and the Tortoise and their race. I read a review saying that the peloton was arogant enough to underestimate the breakaway. The gap was very small all the way over the last 30-40km, in 99 percent similar cases it would be totally controllable. It's not that it started big and then gradually melted down. Even 1km before the finish line I was sure that the escapees had no chance. Great win. Looked like sprinters didn't care.

A tactical thought for tomorrow then. Will the sprinters teams be disappointed because of what happened today and will like to control the likely breakaway better? Hard to say as there are only 2-3 genuine sprinters left in the peloton so only 2-3 teams will really be interested in chasing the break. May not be a sufficient motivation, esp that the royal Champs Elysee sprinters stage is just around the corner.

Another question mark. Will Philipsen finally give his top leadout man M.van der Poel some freedom and let MVdP shine this one time? I think MVdP really deserves this type of recognition after leading out Philipsen to 4 sprint victories. And he's a perfect candidate from a breakaway/reduced sprint. It's not that likely that they could both finish top-10 so a right guess which of the two will go for it tomorrow (instead of putting both in top-3-5) would free up some space in top-10 entries that could bring extra points spent on another rider.

Wow, look at that! The football season has finally started, and we have a grand total of... one match played. Such an exciting time to be alive! Let's take a look at the table, shall we?

In first place, we have FC Krumovgrad with a whopping 3 points. I'm sure they're already planning their victory parade. And right behind them, we have FC CSKA 1948 Sofia, Lokomotiv Sofia, Beroe Stara Zagora, and Slavia Sofia, all tied with 3 points as well. It's a real nail-biter, folks!

Moving on to the middle of the table, we have Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Botev Plovdiv, FC Arda Kardzhali, Cherno More Varna, FC Hebar Pazardzhik, CSKA Sofia, all with 1 point each. I'm sure they're all feeling incredibly accomplished after that one match.

And then we have Levski Sofia, Botev Vratsa, Pirin Blagoevgrad, Etar Veliko Tarnovo, Ludogorets Razgrad, all with 0 points. Don't worry, guys, there's still plenty of time to turn things around. Or not. Who knows?

Well, that's it for now, folks. Stay tuned for more thrilling updates on the exciting world of one-match football tables. Can you feel the excitement in the air? I know I can't.
Забележка: Този текст е създаден от ChatGPT.