47th Amstel Gold Race (The maze) - Sunday April 15, 2012

[Panda Claws]

Any reactions by Rodriguez, Valverde, Andy Schleck or other losers yet?

 

[theyoungest]

He implied Liège-Bastogne was easier, all right.
I remember his post very well. No rider would say that.

Actually there are riders who claim that the AGR is just as hard as LBL. And for some riders, I think LBL is definitely easier. Valverde springs to mind.

I think a guy like Gesink would wish his home race was LBL as well... the AGR is near impossible for him to win, LBL could one day be within his reach.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

How did Ryo react that Nordhaug was much better than Henao unitl the unlucky crash ?

well nordhaug crashed and henao finished 22th

so technically henao was better

 

[jens_attacks]

although this was the true mother of all explosions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDPVFX2vvKY

he will be back

phil on mur de huy way more impressive destroying all the record ascents there

also this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34AY5epnluw&feature=player_detailpage#t=139s

the rumours saying he will be cleared by coni these days...

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Also I find it beyond funny that Thomas Dekker finished in front of the widely hailed Gerrans, Rodriguez and Valverde today (and also Henao, Gesink, Andy Schleck and Nibali)

 

[jens_attacks]

Also I find it beyond funny that Thomas Dekker finished in front of the widely hailed Gerrans, Rodriguez and Valverde today (and also Henao, Gesink, Andy Schleck and Nibali)

true,i'd never had bet on that,i thought it's too early...a giro stage win might be a really good target now,also a top ten in liege.this will be kind of difficult,top 20 again maybe

 

[El Pistolero]

Also I find it beyond funny that Thomas Dekker finished in front of the widely hailed Gerrans, Rodriguez and Valverde today (and also Henao, Gesink, Andy Schleck and Nibali)

Not really that odd considering Gerrans was peaking at Milan-San Remo already. I think he's happy with his first place in a Monument. But an 18th place in the Amstel comes pretty close indeed.

As for Valverde, this race has never suited him, so it's hardly a surprise. Rodriguez failed once again at a big race, as I predicted. He'll be much closer at FW though.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Not really that odd considering Gerrans was peaking at Milan-San Remo already. I think he's happy with his first place in a Monument. But an 18th place in the Amstel comes pretty close indeed.

As for Valverde, this race has never suited him, so it's hardly a surprise. Rodriguez failed once again at a big race, as I predicted. He'll be much closer at FW though.

rodriguez was 2nd here last year. Valverde has been 3rd here in 2008, Gerrans was 3rd and another time top 10 here before.

For the way Dekker took this is very good progress. And he was just behind the fall of Nordhaug and Cunego as well

 

[hrotha]

Not really that odd considering Gerrans was peaking at Milan-San Remo already. I think he's happy with his first place in a Monument. But an 18th place in the Amstel comes pretty close indeed.

As for Valverde, this race has never suited him, so it's hardly a surprise. Rodriguez failed once again at a big race, as I predicted. He'll be much closer at FW though.

Of course, Nostradamus. "Purito always finds someone to come 2nd to". Definitely called that 24th place.

 

[El Pistolero]

At this stage any racing is good training for July.

Have you ever ridden AGR? Might as well stay home to train if you're not interested in the Ardennes classics. AGR is a very nervous race where crashes happen frequently. No one uses this as a training ride for the Tour...

Truth is, Lotto needs all the WT points they can get, so that's why he's racing.

 

[El Pistolero]

rodriguez was 2nd here last year. Valverde has been 3rd here in 2008, Gerrans was 3rd and another time top 10 here before.

For the way Dekker took this is very good progress. And he was just behind the fall of Nordhaug and Cunego as well

Valverde has also crashed out of Catalunya and couldn't ride Pais Vasco because of injuries. And he's coming of a 1.5 year ban. Hardly the perfect preparation.

Like I said, Gerrans peaked at Milan-San Remo. He was poor at Pais Vasco.

Rodriguez failed, but he has never won a big one day race anyway.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

hahahahah an eye talian won el pistolero hahahahahahahhaahah

 

[El Pistolero]

hahahahah an eye talian won el pistolero hahahahahahahhaahah

You haven't heard? Vino made him change nationalities. He's Kazakh now.

 

[theyoungest]

Also I find it beyond funny that Thomas Dekker finished in front of the widely hailed Gerrans, Rodriguez and Valverde today (and also Henao, Gesink, Andy Schleck and Nibali)

Indeed, an incredible performance by Dekker. I think he's surprised his team a little as well.

And he's still the "old" Dekker in his fantastic position in the peloton, right at the back

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Doesn't sound like D.Martin's allergies were the reason for him finishing way back today;

Fair to say I made a mess of that one. Positioning all important and I misread it. #experience. Strangely legs feel better now then lastnite

Hopefully he'll be able to show something in the coming week.

 

[hrotha]

Indeed, an incredible performance by Dekker. I think he's surprised his team a little as well.

And he's still the "old" Dekker in his fantastic position in the peloton, right at the back

Aren't you guys getting too carried away here? Dekker was 18th, which is a decent result, but if he beat the likes of Purito, Gerrans and Valverde it's because they were pretty bad. Nicki Sørensen was 16th after all.

 

[Kvinto]

Wegmann is 8th - the best example. The guy who said dozens of times that 250km is too much for him...

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Indeed, an incredible performance by Dekker. I think he's surprised his team a little as well.

And he's still the "old" Dekker in his fantastic position in the peloton, right at the back

He was in the front when it mattered from the eyserbosweg/kruisberg. Only at the Keutenberg he simply had difficulties following.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Aren't you guys getting too carried away here? Dekker was 18th, which is a decent result, but if he beat the likes of Purito, Gerrans and Valverde it's because they were pretty bad. Nicki Sørensen was 16th after all.

The thing you are missing now is perspective. Look where Dekker is coming from and remember how much of a struggle his comeback road was so far in terms of results

 

[El Pistolero]

If Gasparotto was the 3rd, Hagen can even win. )

Someone has got to feel stupid now.

 

[theyoungest]

Aren't you guys getting too carried away here? Dekker was 18th, which is a decent result, but if he beat the likes of Purito, Gerrans and Valverde it's because they were pretty bad. Nicki Sørensen was 16th after all.

I'm not saying that from here on he'll podium Fleche and win Liege, I just mean that he performed beyond what most people would have expected. He wasn't exactly as disciplined during his suspension as the Green Bullet, and to get top-20 in his first classic, that's not bad at all.

 

[Parrulo]

The thing you are missing now is perspective. Look where Dekker is coming from and remember how much of a struggle his comeback road was so far in terms of results

i must say he has improved a lot since the volta last year

 

[TourOfSardinia]

You haven't heard? Vino made him change nationalities. He's Kazakh now.

Definitely not! - The RaiSport2 guys were so happy that after such a long wait an Italian won a Classic - phew.

 

[El Pistolero]

Definitely not! - The RaiSport2 guys were so happy that after such a long wait an Italian won a Classic - phew.

I'm just teasing Zam

Well deserved victory, but we still got a Belgian in second.

 

[jens_attacks]

Definitely not! - The RaiSport2 guys were so happy that after such a long wait an Italian won a Classic - phew.

three years after rebellin is not so much though

now on the other hand look at the french and the tour.that's a long wait