46th Amstel Gold Race (The maze) - Sunday April 17, 2011

[hfer07]

Is purito turning into the next "valverde"? really amazing to see him in such great shape-all things considered since the giro countdown is there-but im secured he'll get at least podium on all Ardenness

 

[auscyclefan94]

greg va was nowhere to be seen. Egg on acf's face!

 

[killswitch]

Great ride by Gilbert and Lotto. Bet Canc regrets joining leopard now.

 

[hrotha]

Leopard messed up the tactics yet again.

Wait, what? Leopard did what they had to do to win. I don't like Leopard or the Schlecks, but they rode well today.

 

[beer_thirty]

Rodriguez for Fleche Wallone.

Sure looks that way after today; looked really good on the Keutenberg and the Mur should suit him well.

 

[The Hitch]

Oh my god Freire 6th.

lol Friere apparently beat Gesink

 

[Bala Verde]

they didn't want to ride for each other. Gesink should have gone to the front and rode for the team with 10km to go. he never had a chance on the finish. I still think he looks pretty meh.

Again, I think Martens should have done better.

jRod looked good. I like him for fleche

Gesink was spent, and wouldn't have made a dent. It would also have been bad tactics to help gilbert pull back Schleck. Why ride for the team if the team is bad? Freire was theoreticaly their only chance, but as always, he comes up short. So there was not much they could do with the riders they had left.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Superb all round performance from Gilbert. That's how to ride with head and heart and minus ego. He clearly had VDB bring his A-game

 

[luckyboy]

Is purito turning into the next "valverde"? really amazing to see him in such great shape-all things considered since the giro countdown is there-but im secured he'll get at least podium on all Ardenness

He's like Piti minus the wins

 

[Dutchsmurf]

they didn't want to ride for each other. Gesink should have gone to the front and rode for the team with 10km to go. he never had a chance on the finish. I still think he looks pretty meh.

And what effect would that have had exactly? Gesink could have done some work, but all that would have changed was Gilbert winning more easily. Nobody can beat him on a hill like that anyway. I'm all for some Rabo bashing, but I don't see what they could have done better. Except maybe someone jumping with Andy, but I doubt they had the legs for that.

 

[sublimit]

they didn't want to ride for each other. Gesink should have gone to the front and rode for the team with 10km to go. he never had a chance on the finish. I still think he looks pretty meh.

Again, I think Martens should have done better.

jRod looked good. I like him for fleche

Both of them in my Velogames team, put the kiss of death on them probably lol.

Rabo at least had a go but fell apart Sky style and outclassed in the end.

 

[Thomsena]

The finale wasn't down to tactics, this was about legs and a bit of luck.

lack of initiative from all teams in a disappointing race. Schleck attack on flat road with a result of max gap of 10 seconds. Should have been Fuglsang who looked really good today and is a great time trialist as well.

 

[maltiv]

greg va was nowhere to be seen. Egg on acf's face!

Normally he should've been able to be up there, considering Freire was there.

Really surprised by Gerrans today, he has been looking completely rubbish all season but today he was very strong. Great result for Sky! Garmin-Cervelo on the other hand looked to be back to their pre P-R riding...

 

[auscyclefan94]

And what effect would that have had exactly? Gesink could have done some work, but all that would have changed was Gilbert winning more easily. Nobody can beat him on a hill like that anyway. I'm all for some Rabo bashing, but I don't see what they could have done better. Except maybe someone jumping with Andy, but I doubt they had the legs for that.

they rode like losers just like garmin did in de ronde.

 

[jaylew]

Great job by OPL. Not sure Gilbert wins without his team today.

 

[thirteen]

that child is simply edible!

 

[Bala Verde]

Gerrans showed good form.

Disappointing were di luca, ivanov, cunego... (amongst others)

 

[More Strides than Rides]

I think Rabobank did everything right, besides being the fittest at the end: They had good numbers, and still ushered Gilbert to chase, which was the optimal situation. Sometimes you just get beat.

 

[The Hitch]

Funny, I thought he should have gone to the Rabo car and whined about how they needed to chase...

To be fair Canc was chasing for a lot more than 3km. He was asked to pull the whole thing all by himself for half the race. Not comparable to Gilber being at the front for 2 minutes.

Friere needs to accept he will never win here.

Not really. Its his last season so hes never riding this again.

 

[beer_thirty]

Wait, what? Leopard did what they had to do to win. I don't like Leopard or the Schlecks, but they rode well today.

+1. What else were they going to do? They got Andy off the front, the rest of the team doesn't have to work til the Cauberg; perfect. Just because no one had the legs to finish it off doesn't mean the tactics were wrong. Leopard tried to do something in the final, unlike Rabo; chapeau to them. I think AS looks very good for LBL.

This was a great win for Phil, but he's going to need someone around to help in the final next weekend; let's hope VDB is on a great day and committed to working for him. AGR is no LBL!! (How's that for stating the obvious!)

 

[Sasquatch]

greg va was nowhere to be seen. Egg on acf's face!

I told you he would be nowhere. Why else would I make a bold statement of putting a rider I despise as my avatar if he came top 5?

It's not surprising he wasn't up there. This race isn't suited to him. The Ardennes are not his races.

 

[luckyboy]

I thought Freire was retiring after the Olympics?

 

[sublimit]

Cancellara should take note, you need riders to help otherwise you get marked out.
VDB great superdomestique job there and got the deserved win for his leader

 

[Granville57]

From CN feed:

1 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
2 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team
3 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Sky Procycling
4 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Leopard Trek
5 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Katusha Team
6 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team
7 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
8 Ben Hermans (Bel) Team RadioShack
9 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
10 Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team

 

[The Hitch]

Huh?

Yeah right

Yes. He attacked on the flat and managed to hold off a 12 man chase. He didnt win, but he tried. Weve all be critiscing him for doing nothing outside the TDF and there just waiting for the climbs. But today he tried something in a different race and made the final kms interesting.