Donks joins the critics:
Amstel Gold Race no times?
Then Sicilia: A bitch to find, seem to have no website yet. Google giro di Sicilia and you'll find a car race, and the Giro della Sicilia, an amateur cycling event, which is on a different date of course. End of April? But the one we want, no own site yet it seems. Let's hope they manage to put up something....If not, obviously we can't design and won't be ridden.
Gipfel:
1) Times, 4... why not.
2) Why twice the same? Some people can at 9, not at 10, some maybe at 10, not at 9, same with 20/21, same with 14/15, why have twice the same? And add LBL to the equation, monument on a Sunday. I think it makes sense to look at races of the same category as kind of a unit, especially if they are even on the same weekday, as here. And I think spreading it out better than always the same standard times.
Right now the monument on Sunday times are 9-10-11-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-21-23-23-23. One glaring omission: 22.
So I'd propose to cut the 23 RVV and put it to 22. Would mean all times once, 21 and 23 twice,.
3) 20. You're consitently ignoring 20 as a strong time. Why? And again, look at it as a "unit", include Romandie, even if only one day is in April. and Catalunya, PN, Tirreno as well. And again, spread it out a bit. Here IMO times to avoid are 16-17 mostly, 17 very nice to plan, fits in well, but has consistently lower participation than 18-19. 16 similar compared to 14-15, but not as big. If I remember correctly.
In March we had 9-10-14-15-15-18-19-20-21-22-23-24 So evening and late evening nicely spread out. Actually looking at it now, 16 for PN or Cat probably would have been better than another 15, even if it is usually weaker.
The 2 April cat 4 tours right now:
Right now:
9-14-18-20-23
10-15-18-21-23
Morning afternoon seems ok to me. Twice 18 and 23 not ideal. One to 19 better. 19-21-23? Or 19-21-24? Since 24 will most likely not get any GT this year... another cat 4 stage race might be warranted.
9-14-18-20-23
10-15-19-21-24
22 getting nothing, not ideal at all, agree, but...? The general 22 problem with 5 editions. 22-23 clearly no, 22-24 IMO better avoided too, people who can do both more often than not will go to 22, so making 24 weaker. With 5 editions, 18-20-22...There 23 just fits better.
Gipfelposal:
10-15-19-21/22-23/24... 22-24 no, so 10-15-19-21-23/24. Why not? No problem with that, but then change Romandie, and we get basically the same proposal I wrote above again. One 10-15 etc, one 9-14 etc.
4) Turkey: No problem for me to go down to 2. Times. Clash with more important races, Brabant and Amstel, That explains the times. 24, if Pais Vasco or Romandie gets a 24, then here 23 better, if no 24 for either of those, then IMO a 24 is ok. 16 has not been getting any stage race in March, nothing either in April? While it is weaker than 14-15, it can get the occasional tour too. Can? Should! 16 or 17, change it to 10-17-20/21-24 (depending on cat 4 stage races still) ok too. Maybe even better.
5) The wednesday classics, again, move them around a bit IMO sensible. From DVV to FW.
Morning 9-10-10-11. Sems ok. You don't get 11? Neither do I. But 11 gets the numbers. Often. Lots of complaints each time it's there, but in the end when offered the numbers aren't that bad. Those that ride don't complain? So gets less times than 9+10, but no reason to cancel it completely. And the occasional important race, why not. 1 of the 4 April Wednesday classics, seems ok to me.
Afternoon: 15-15-15-16. Bad, agreed, one 14 should be there. One 16, again, occasionnally it should be offered on a weekday for an important race too.
Early evening: 18-19-18-19. No 17, but here IMO the dropoff is usually big enough to avoid 17 for important races.
Evening: 21-22-21-22. Seems to me 20 could or should get one.
Late Evening: 24-x-23-24. One 24 too many I think. But one IMO is ok, since the more important Sunday races usually can never be offered there, due to the length.
11 again: On weekends, everything different of course, don't really remember how it fared there usually but I'll leave that research to you.