14 DAY TRIAL // After nine very good stages, both in the real and the virtual world, the Tour de France is delivering its first rest day, with riders getting a bit of well-deserved rest as they prepare for the big mountains that will be part of the second week.
This is one area of the grand tour phenomenon that Pro Cycling Manager, the simulation series from Cyanide, does not deal with in any interesting way, basically ignoring the fact that riders are free to do a lot of things with their spare time.
The game does offer some improvement in the energy levels for those who get through a rest day, but the period, although shortened by transfers and other factors, can be crucial for those riding a three-week race.
Teams tend to conduct reconnaissance for the most important coming stages, which could be easily implemented in PCM 2015, and they also work on strategy, reviewing past stages, and seeing how overall performance can be improved.
And the media plays a major role too, with appearances from the biggest favorites who can offer clues about their form and about their expectations for the coming week.
There was a point when PCM 2015 included reactions from riders who managed to get a place on the podium, which have now been removed, but they were a good way to add some interactivity to a game that can sometimes feel too dry.
Real world and virtual cycling are well aligned
The rest day is also a good moment to explore how the real world Tour de France can deliver results that are very close to those created by Pro Cycling Manager 2015.
BMC picked up the TTT win, and Cavendish managed to get a win in the sprint, but the game did not deliver similar successes for Greipel, who triumphed on two occasions in the real world cycling competition.
The biggest problem with PCM 2015 is one shared with the likes of FIFA, Madden NFL or various NBA sims: numbers can never replicate the actual capabilities of riders or players.
The games do try to take into account daily form or other such values, but it's impossible to quantify the urge to win or the need to deliver a result to keep a team relevant.
On the other hand, there would be no joy in a sim that delivers too much realism in its results, and PCM 2015 manages to walk the fine line between fun and seriousness.