49th Amstel Gold Race, 20 April 2014 (WT) 251km

[BigMac]

One of the best weeks in cycling is upon us. And it kicks off with the Amstel Gold Race.

Maastricht › Valkenburg
STARTLIST (provisional)

Map.

Profile.

OP's money is on Simon Gerrans.

 

[podunavac]

Yes, one of the best weeks, but somehow I can't develop the same interest like for the preceding one. Although the Ardennes week has a better Wednesday race.
Far more open field than the cobbled, and without a dominant team, could provide more exciting racing.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

You mean a better Wednesday 2km?

 

[theyoungest]

Yes, one of the best weeks, but somehow I can't develop the same interest like for the preceding one. Although the Ardennes week has a better Wednesday race.
Far more open field than the cobbled, and without a dominant team, could provide more exciting racing.

Funny, for me it's the other way around. While I like the cobbled races, I love the Ardennes classics.

Also, there wasn't really a dominant team in the cobbled races. OPQS liked to think they were. Garmin have the potential to be quite dominant in the Ardennes, I think.

 

[podunavac]

You mean a better Wednesday 2km?

Yes, it comes down to the final meters in the both cases.
I prefer illusive Mur de Huy.

Funny, for me it's the other way around. While I like the cobbled races, I love the Ardennes classics.

Also, there wasn't really a dominant team in the cobbled races. OPQS liked to think they were. Garmin have the potential to be quite dominant in the Ardennes, I think.

Dominant team in terms of pre-race expectations.
They didn't justify the expectations, I agree.

 

[therhodeo]

Yes, it comes down to the final meters in the both cases.
I prefer illusive Mur de Huy.

Dominant team in terms of pre-race expectations.
They didn't justify the expectations, I agree.

They won KBK, De Panne, Dwars, and Roubaix. 3 in the top 10 at Flanders, podium at Sheldeprijs, etc. Plenty of teams wish they had that disappointing of a classics season.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

They won KBK, De Panne, Dwars, and Roubaix. 3 in the top 10 at Flanders, podium at Sheldeprijs, etc. Plenty of teams wish they had that disappointing of a classics season.

I guess the word domination means winning all races in the series. Perhaps the showing in RVV drags the overall impression down too much.

They were by far the best team imo.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Cobbled season is over, let's keep Amstel Gold Race talk in here

I hope for some old school racing from the Eyserbosweg on. Hope they don't wait until the final bergs... we need a new Boogerd to break things early

 

[therhodeo]

Not to continue the cobbled/OPQS talk but someone needs to do in Amstel what Boonen did in Roubaix. Blow the whole thing to hell early on.

 

[trevim]

My hope is that someone tries to win with a move on the Keutenberg, like Freire tried to do a couple of years ago, in his last season (?). I think he only got caught on the Cauberg.

My favourites: Boasson Hagen, Rui Costa, Frank Schleck.
My other favourites: Kreuz, Nibs, GvA, Hermans, Navardauskas, Purito, Knees (WTF ), Leukemans.
My prediction: 1-Valverde, 2-Gerrans, 3-Gilbert. Colbrelli to finish in a random 5-10 position.

 

[ILovecycling]

Gerrans looks pretty good,favourite for me.
Is the route same as last year?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Cobbled season is over, let's keep Amstel Gold Race talk in here

I hope for some old school racing from the Eyserbosweg on. Hope they don't wait until the final bergs... we need a new Boogerd to break things early

ugh... why on earth would you call them that

 

[trevim]

ugh... why on earth would you call them that

Cauberg, Keutenberg,... But seriously now, "berg" is only applied to cobbled climbs?

 

[Lanark]

Cauberg, Keutenberg,... But seriously now, "berg" is only applied to cobbled climbs?

It's a silly term. It's just Dutch for mountain/hill. Just call it a hill. 'Bergs' sounds terrible, it should be bergen if you wanted to use plural anyway.

 

[Arnout]

It's like saying iceberg, doesn't make sense either

I hate the word berg in English too though, just call it hill or ascent or little climb or whatever.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I do like the word Bergs. Better than hills etc.

So will we witness a resurrection?

Not convinced, at least not at AGR.

 

[BigMac]

I do like the word Bergs. Better than hills etc.

So will we witness a resurrection?

Not convinced, at least not at AGR.

It would be something if the Schlecks perform in Liége.

I also do like the word bergs.

 

[Anderis]

Garmin have the potential to be quite dominant in the Ardennes, I think.

As much as I would love it to happen, I don't think it'll happen. Martin and Hesjedal don't seem to be in their top form ATM. Nuyens, Dekker and Wegmann are not the riders they all used to be. I wouldn't be surprised not to see any of their riders finishing within top10 in AGR. Although Slagter and Navardauskas do seem to be in form, they don't have any achievements in the Ardennes, yet.

 

[Afrank]

I do like the word Bergs. Better than hills etc.

So will we witness a resurrection?

Not convinced, at least not at AGR.

Yes, Frank will destroy them in Amstel, they'll rest in Fleche, and Andy will obliterate everyone in Liege. They'll set out on long range attacks, and by the time the field realizes the threat they pose, it'll be too late.

 

[BigMac]

Yes, Frank will destroy them in Amstel, they'll rest in Fleche, and Andy will obliterate everyone in Liege. They'll set out on long range attacks, and by the time the field realizes the threat they pose, it'll be too late.

This actually seems like a quite reasonable scenario to me.

 

[Pantani_lives]

In the RvV and PR I had seven riders in the top ten. This won't happen in the AGR. Very difficult race to predict, with entirely different riders than the previous weeks.

1. Gilbert
2. Valverde
3. Rodriguez
4. Cunego
5. Kwiatkowski
6. Mollema
7. F. Schleck
8. Kreuziger
9. Betancur
10. D. Martin

 

[Kwibus]

I hope the opportunists learned from last year and will attack early.
If you don't have the punch/sprint up the Cauberg that is good enough to win then attack early.

Mollema is allready talking about how he passed the top of the Cauberg in 5th position last year, but if he's smart he knows that he will never beat some of his rivals like Gilbert or Valverde up the Cauberg or at the finishline.
So far when I read his words he's allready thinking about his Cauberg sprint. Maybe I'm wrong, but a guy like him should try attack before just like 98% of the other contenders that will never beat Valverde, Gilbert or Kwiatkowski.

Too bad that most will wait and wait. Let's hope for another Kreuziger-like win imo.

 

[Pantani_lives]

I hope the opportunists learned from last year and will attack early.
If you don't have the punch/sprint up the Cauberg that is good enough to win then attack early.

I agree. A good idea is often to attack after the penultimate climb. I remember Vino and Fränk Schleck winning after a surprise attack.

 

[Kwibus]

I agree. A good idea is often to attack after the penultimate climb. I remember Vino and Fränk Schleck winning after a surprise attack.

They changed the course since last year though. Which pretty much makes attacks before more useful.
The heavy point of the race is now between km 30 and 40. That's where an attack can be made. Getting an organized chase between km 20 - 40 is hard since there are lots of hills and small roads.

I'm not sure when the Kreuziger group attacked though. I think it was somewhere around 30km.

 

[ILovecycling]

They changed the course since last year though. Which pretty much makes attacks before more useful.
The heavy point of the race is now between km 30 and 40. That's where an attack can be made. Getting an organized chase between km 20 - 40 is hard since there are lots of hills and small roads.

I'm not sure when the Kreuziger group attacked though. I think it was somewhere around 30km.

Do you have a detail profile of last 30 km orso,e.g. form Race desigh thread?