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

[jaylew]

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.

And Phil had help most of the way. Great job by OPL all the way around.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I'm beginning to think Gesink has left his legs on his trialing bike.
His edge seems to be gone at present.
Really expected more from him, today.
That was the Rabo of old. No idea what to do when you have half the team left in a small group.


Has Greg van Slowatthat finished yet?

 

[movingtarget]

Let's face it, Gilbert was not going to lose today. Lotto team did really well. At least Schleck had a go. Good to see Gerrans regaining some form.

 

[auscyclefan94]

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.

Yes we have acknowledged that Schleck only does something in 4 races a year.

 

[Granville57]

VDB great superdomestique job there and got the deserved win for his leader

That was a shared a victory for sure. The played the team script perfectly.

 

[Sasquatch]

Has Greg van Slowatthat finished yet?

What happened was when BMC were up the front, it was their team that got lost during last year's Giro that was caught by the peloton. When they were caught by the peloton, Greg van Slowatthat pulled over to the side of the road with them and popped open a beer.

They have a lot of catching up to do. It's nearly been 12 months since they last saw their team-mates.

 

[Ferminal]

Has Greg van Slowatthat finished yet?

At least I don't have to worry about him beating Phil on an uphill... can't even stick with him on the flat.

 

[roundabout]

Wasn't it Vanendert?

 

[meandmygitane]

The sweetest thing in the race: Gilbert and Gesink arguing(?) about chasing Schleck before the descent down to Valkenburg -> Gilbert drops Gesink on the descent, makes him chase back on the flat and then crushes him up Cauberg..

 

[NickRooz]

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

Don't act surprised ACF, that's how they always ride. Rabo are a team of losers, who will never win something major. When they have the chance they always fail, that's a fact. And all this Rabo bashing is true and deserved, they rode like cowards.

Not to mention the form of Gesink looks worrying. He is better at time trialling then climbing these days, how's that even possible? He completely blew up at the Cauberg, that shouldn't happen with a climber that wants to compete with the best climbers at the Tour.

 

[sublimit]

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.

He had a go so I give him that. If some of Gilberts class rubs off on him maybe he could be a better rider in the future.

12 man chase was VDB and a downhill effort by Gilbert and 10 riders sitting on remember.

 

[Sasquatch]

JVB exhausted himself on the second last climb. He would have finished with the peloton.

 

[Descender]

Purito now has been 2nd in all three of the Ardennes classics.

 

[KassyC]

Can someone answer a stupid question for me:

Just started watching cycling ... but why when cancellara was so dominant in the cobbled classics was this race not suited for him, is it really that different? (to the point that he was just a domestique)

 

[Sasquatch]

Purito now has been 2nd in all three of the Ardennes classics.

His win comes on Wednesday on a climb that suits him.

 

[beer_thirty]

That was the Rabo of old. No idea what to do when you have half the team left in a small group.

I do not get them at all today; three guys in the final. Send SOMEONE up the road to Andy, please? Unless they were all just dead on their bikes, everyone waiting for the Cauberg is just silly. I can see Freire waiting of course, but aside from that... wow.

 

[Granville57]

Any word on who was in the Garmin team car today?

(Although I hazard to guess they're may have a been a few riders)

 

[movingtarget]

Looks like only Evans can save BMC's season unless some of the other riders can pick up stage wins in one of the grand tours.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

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.

I don't disagree, I totally understand why everyone let OPL chase. Gilbert had to be made to do some work, only chance of beating him in the finale.
Was reply to acf, that maybe he could have chase.

but like sublimit said, rabo played there cards, and were simply outclassed and not good enough. ACF is acting like a child. surprise.

 

[maltiv]

I'm beginning to think Gesink has left his legs on his trialing bike.
His edge seems to be gone at present.
Really expected more from him, today.
That was the Rabo of old. No idea what to do when you have half the team left in a small group.


Has Greg van Slowatthat finished yet?

Indeed, Gesink has looked exhausted on almost every climb since Oman. I was hoping for him to make it today but it was quite visible early on that he didn't have the legs. Freire was outclimbing him...

 

[sTTevie]

Gilbert is indeed no Cancellara ... unlike the Belgian newspapers stated

Gilbert takes all those f**kin' slepers to the finish & kills 'em all!!!

 

[Sasquatch]

Looks like only Evans can save BMC's season unless some of the other riders can pick up stage wins in one of the grand tours.

Evans is the only one on that team that is capable of winning a race.

BMC won't win a race this year with anyone apart from Evans. That's a given.

 

[Dutchsmurf]

Not to mention the form of Gesink looks worrying. He is better at time trialling then climbing these days, how's that even possible? He completely blew up at the Cauberg, that should't happen with a climber that wants to compete with the best climbers at the Tour.

Considering his main goal of the season is still months away, I don't see anything to worry about. His ride at the Cauberg also didn't seem any worse than previous years to me.

Tactically Rabobank rode a good race. They got the people they wanted in the final group and still managed to let Gilbert do all the work. In the end they just didn't have the legs.

 

[Ney the Viking]

Can someone answer a stupid question for me:

Just started watching cycling ... but why when cancellara was so dominant in the cobbled classics was this race not suited for him, is it really that different? (to the point that he was just a domestique)

The end climb is WAY too steep for him, he will just stand still compared to the likes of gilbert.

 

[NickRooz]

Indeed, Gesink has looked exhausted on almost every climb since Oman. I was hoping for him to make it today but it was quite visible early on that he didn't have the legs. Freire was outclimbing him...

Indeed that is worrying. But is it surprising that Rabo ****s another talented rider up? Like they did with countless of other riders, who reached their potential when they left Rabo?