Team stevens wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2026 9:34 am
Unfortunately, this is one of the game’s limitations. How can we actually prove that there was real cooperation between them? I know it, you know it, we all know it, but it is impossible to prove.
I will use the Giro as an example, a race I watched a lot to prepare for my own defeat in the 18H edition.
There were two members of the group in the morning race and two others in the 14H race, and the gameplay was outrageous.
In the morning, ALK was completely fed up with NML’s excessive control. NML tried absolutely nothing and just kept hammering the pace on every mountain stage. Ask ALK himself what his experience of that race was. He was so frustrated that he even started calling him out in the race chat. He asked him how many stages he wanted and whether he was ever going to try anything for the GC. Obviously, he was never going to.
At 14H, it was a different kind of show. Tuk had the sprint, so they could stay relaxed on the flat stages. Then came a succession of breakaways, suspicious chains of attacks (stage 7, for example) and situations that looked like, “You finish first, I finish second.”
That is simply what I observed while watching the races, and unfortunately it is impossible to prove. But it is extremely unlikely that people who are FPC members, who were cheating with multi and bragging about it on WhatsApp, suddenly decided during the races: “Now we are racing, so it is every man for himself.”
Especially when those five teams are currently dominating Division 1, farming Grand Tours and category 6 races.
So first of all, I wasn't even in this or another group with them during giro. I joined start/mid June - so it's not possible what you insinuating here. The whole group can validate this.
Then I have to say that what you are saying is simply not true. It was my first gt ever and I also wasn't very experienced with tours, esp long ones. First half of the Giro I tried something with low risk 2-3 times, but I noticed no one cooperated with me against dreizehn. This was mainly due to the fact I had a 87 climber and others had 84 or lower. From team strengths mainly Bugatti (only 80 climbers) and alk (2x 83, guys) could really coop and challenge dreizehns strong team (next to KP, 1 85 climber + 80-70 and several classics) with me. Alone id be much to weak.
I needed to get at least 3min 30s to dreizehn, not really possible in the morning giro against someone that has a team for controlling and knows how to do it.
I also saw in my tries for GC that I got vulnerable against all the other teams that showed no interest in cooperation. Due to my inexperience in long tours I chatted with several teams not participating in the morning giro about my options, what they think etc. and everyone said it may be the best outcome to go for stages, to also secure podium, possibly p2 against Alks strong TT climber. So the giro became a fight about p2 with alk and dreizehn could relax. Alk himself didn't try one single time against dreizehn, cause he probably also was focused on me. I get the frustration for his giro, but that's not on me.
In the end I had the option of a very little chance for a gt win or try to go for the saver option of lot of stages (I didn't really had a challenge there with my 87 climber against 84s) and a podium. When the first option became less likely due to all things I mentioned it was pretty clear for me. And it was a success, 9 stages (5from mountain coop) and p3 GC, if I didn't make mistakes p2 very much possible.
I don't know what you are onto here, you mention us/me "dominating" div 1 for the past couple months a lot. So maybe that's your take? you yourself are one of the very good teams here, if you simply ride more tours and less cat1s, you can be there too I guess. Conspiring against other good teams is not the solution.