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

[Benotti69]

They did try to animate the race but they got nobody to go with them. And in the final they simply were dead.

But that's what people didn't understand if I read the reactions. They all seemed to think Rabo was able to work or attack. But if they'd been able to, they'd have done it.

Cobblestoned was on the Eyserbosweg so he must have seen it as well, the peloton was full of dead bodies.
Nobody really understands how hard the Amstel Gold Race is. I'd advise people to ride the tourist version one time, and ride it as fast as you can. Then you understand how completely different this race to f.e Flanders

There is no flat to recover, it's just uphill, downhill, breaking for a corner, accelerating out of the corner, and then uphill again. It's so demanding that just by riding pace everyone withers and dies.
Only the very very very best can attack, and even they have trouble staying away....
Andy Schleck could solo 30km in LBL and win. But he can't solo 10km in AGR. That's how hard this race is

Rabo and their home race and even though they knew there is no recovery anywhere and that they should keep something for the last 30kms, so what your saying is a dutch team made a complete balls of AGR.

 

[Barrus]

I was thinking the same but no, he didnt. This race seems to have been for RS what PR is for Euskatel. Deignan was their leader. Theyll have a better team for FW and LBL. I really hope to see Horner do well in both.

You can say a lot, but Hermans really did a great job

 

[Flamin]

I was thinking the same but no, he didnt. This race seems to have been for RS what PR is for Euskatel. Deignan was their leader. Theyll have a better team for FW and LBL. I really hope to see Horner do well in both.

Ben Hermans?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I never knew that the AGR was a George A Romero film.
Will they be able to dig these boys up in time for LBL, next weekend and can zombies ride bikes?

I invite you to go watch the race up close next time, on the eyserbos or cauberg

then you'll see how most riders have absolutely nothing left in the tank.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Rabo and their home race and even though they knew there is no recovery anywhere and that they should keep something for the last 30kms, so what your saying is a dutch team made a complete balls of AGR.

I'm saying they weren't able to do anything better in the final then follow. You can only go as fast as you can. And if that's as fast as the tempo of the group your riding in and your holding on for dear life...then there is no tactical plan

Amstel Gold Race is a race where, if they keep riding tempo, the strongest always wins. Period.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

at this moment,in an uphill sprint between gilbert,di luca,ricco,valverde and rebellin(those guys at their best not in this kind of form or totally lack of form),gilbert would win every time i guess.he is super strong.chapeau!

Depends. What kind of uphill sprint are we talking?

On something like Cauberg, then definitely. Something like Huy, Montelupone or Valdepenas de Jaén is too steep for him, and he could well be dropped on the climbs like Crans-Montana, San Martino di Castrozza and Montevergine di Mercigliano that end up being sprints of 20 guys.

 

[roundabout]

It has become a bit formulaic. Elimination race til the Eyserbosweg. Selection there. Attacks (in a good year). Keutenberg. Final selection. Attacks by people who won't win the sprint.

Basically 30 km worth watching (and yes, the previous 230 are very important).

Hopefully apart from Rabo the rest wont wait to be slaughtered by Gilbert next year

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The race is too hard to be attractive. But I like elimination races.
Strongest guy wins....

Also, I just saw myself and Ryo Hazuki on tv. We were the guys standing behind the Columbian flag at 200m from the finish (Ryo brought it)

Also a random American guy came up to Ryo and talked about the Columbian cyclists, that guy was also a huge fan of columbians

 

[The Hitch]

We'll certainly have to agree to disagree. Gilbert pulling for 1k to chase down 1 man does not equal Canc chasing for many, many K to bring back several riders. It was a studly performance by Gilbert, though.


I'd still probably put my $ on Valverde.

Yes and Yes. Just because its Cancellara (whether you dont like him, or believe he is superman or whatever) doesnt make 50km on the front easy and just because Gilbert isnt called Fabian doesnt make a 1km pull anywhere near as impressive.

And is it a coincidence that Gilberts major successes have come in races without Valverde? When they both ride, Piti tends to finish ahead. And bare in mind that in between all that, Phil is training for these races, while Valverde is fighting Sastre up Angirilu, contador up Mende, Evans up Ventoux, Freire on flat sprints and for the GC in every race he enters.

Andy Schleck could solo 30km in LBL and win. But he can't solo 10km in AGR. That's how hard this race is

lol Ruben. Calm down for a second. Take a breath.

Contador can win 5 gts but didnt win CyL. does that make CyL harder

Or alternatively do different situations in different races in different years produce different results.

I understand you love your home race but have all those hours with Ryo Hazuki made you even more fiesty than usual?

Especially considering that Andy Schlecks main talent is climbing and his performance on flats is usually poor, youd think a harder race would give him MORE of a chance at staying away, not less. I mean as I recall Floyd Landis didnt get his 5 minutes on Champs Elysee. He got it in the Alpes.

You can say a lot.

What are you inferring.

 

[The Hitch]

Andy Schleck could solo 30km in LBL and win. But he can't solo 10km in AGR. That's how hard this race is

lol Ruben. Calm down for a second. Take a breath.

Contador can win 5 gts but didnt win CyL. does that make CyL harder

Or alternatively do different situations in different races in different years produce different results.

I understand you love your home race but have all those hours with Ryo Hazuki made you even more fiesty than usual?

Especially considering that Andy Schlecks main talent is climbing and his performance on flats is usually poor, youd think a harder race would give him MORE of a chance at staying away, not less. I mean as I recall Floyd Landis didnt get his 5 minutes on Champs Elysee. He got it in the Alpes.

You can say a lot.

What are you inferring.

 

[The Hitch]

You can say a lot.

What are you inferring.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

lol Ruben. Calm down for a second. Take a breath.

Contador can win 5 gts but didnt win CyL. does that make CyL harder

Or alternatively do different situations in different races in different years produce different results.

I understand you love your home race but have all those hours with Ryo Hazuki made you even more fiesty than usual?

Especially considering that Andy Schlecks main talent is climbing and his performance on flats is usually poor, youd think a harder race would give him MORE of a chance at staying away, not less. I mean as I recall Floyd Landis didnt get his 5 minutes on Champs Elysee. He got it in the Alpes.

You know what I mean, the character of the race you know.

 

[The Hitch]

Also a random American guy came up to Ryo and talked about the Columbian cyclists, that guy was also a huge fan of columbians

So you finaly met Daotec?

Anyone have a video. I want to see that colombian flag.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

DAOTEC is dutch.

But we had no clue who he was

 

[kurtinsc]

I was thinking the same but no, he didnt. This race seems to have been for RS what PR is for Euskatel. Deignan was their leader. Theyll have a better team for FW and LBL. I really hope to see Horner do well in both.

I'm not sure Hermans wasn't the leader coming in with Radioshack's squad.

He's having a very solid season so far. While he hasn't won a ton or even got podiums, he's racking up a few top-10 finishes in hilly races. He showed some signs last year and seems to be continuing to progress.

 

[The Hitch]

All right Ruben. Where are you in this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvAxL6_gftc

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Cant see it there. We were just past the viaduct at the point where Gilbert has just passed Rodriguez and blasted towards the finish

 

[decondor]

Freire and Gesink aren't current? Rabobank is one of the longest tenured teams in the pro ranks and i don't recall there being any recent issues regarding there being a possiblility that they would be pulling out so what do they have to worry about? They have one of if not the best development programs in the sport so they appear to be in it for the long haul. As a team they have never been a team that won huge amounts of races ala HTC. Their presence is always felt in most of the important races which is more that can be said for many teams. They'll be alright.

Rabo even signed till 2016 allready.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

DAOTEC is dutch.

But we had no clue who he was

I know who he is. I've been told but don't know if it's good from me to tell. let's just say it's bizarre...

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

All right Ruben. Where are you in this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvAxL6_gftc

you can't see us there. quim rodriguez blasted alongside us

 

[greenedge]

Congrats to gilbert for racing smart. He used his teammates well. Fuglsang and the A.Schleck combo looked deadly. Well done to Gerrans finishing 3rd. He is really suited to these tough hilly races. I want to find out what happened to make riders who came low or did not fufill their expectations. What happened to Roche, undertraining? Cunego had a good build up? Taaramae failed to live up to expectations? Kiryienka maybe was working as teammate for whom/ overaced? Devolder was racing for the win but tired after chasing down moves? L.L.Sanchez lost two minutes yet was near the cauberg at the end? What were Visconti's objectives? Wegmann riding for Fuglsang and the schlecks? Last of all how did Hesjedal come 2nd last and how did we all end up going for GVA, who might need a few more yrs to toughen up to this course like Oscar.F. Also good work to hermans can't wait to see you win this race next yr

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

LL Sanchez was never near the front near the end.

Only Martens, Gesink and Freire were.

 

[greenedge]

Yes 'decent' is the word, but will anyone, in a few years, remember all those second or third places? All that matters are wins, and Rabo need them fast. It's nice that they won Oman and de Omloop, but they really need a 'real' win. Just like Leopard for example.

True but they will get stages at the GT's. Cancellara will win all time trials he is in and unless if something goes wrong for andy he should win the tour. I think that is something major and it will all go towards their points in the rankings.

 

[greenedge]

LL Sanchez was never near the front near the end.

Only Martens, Gesink and Freire were.

Thanks. They said in the article though that he was near the front and would not do any work to chase schleck down along with Oscar and Gesink. Liked how rabobank had earlier controlled the race and tried to be attacking with Barredo. Tjangilli and Tankink also did good work

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Rabobank is not doing bad, yes they miss the big win, but so do plenty of other teams like Leopard.
They still were up there in every classic except MSR... 5th in flanders, 3rd in roubaix, 6th, 9th, 10th and 19th in amstel.
They're just missing the extra for the big win. Too bad.

But last year they won MSR and Tours and pretty much sucked in every other major one day race... what do you prefer? meh.