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52nd Amstel Gold Race - April 16 - 261km

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GvA won't ride LBL.
Gilbert was actually a bit surprised, but it was 300m to go and he didn't expect Kwiat going from (too) far. He bossed it. Not only the last 10K with Kwiat pushing him to ride, but also before in that group. Going very smoothly and never losing control over that group.
Stybar had cramps in PR. If you have cramps you start sprinting before the other one starts, to have at least a small chance.
 
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DFA123 said:
Jagartrott said:
Nice race. Such a pity Benoot got that mechanical.
And Giant must be instructing their riders to hold wheels. If Barguil and Costa (in wheelsucking mode) would've cooperated when they were trailing by 15 seconds, they would've bridged I think. Now there's Matthews with a 10th place. Wow, great.
I can kind of understand why they wanted to wait for the peloton at that stage, which was only 10-15 seconds behind; especially Barguil. If Barguil would have helped dragged GVA, Valverde and Wellens to the front group - the peloton was finished for sure and he would have had only a very small chance of winning. But once it was obvious the peloton wasn't going to bridge and come to the rescue of the 2nd group anyway, it was bizarre that Costa and Barguil didn't commit. They still would have had little chance of winning, but at least some chance, compared with none at all by not taking any pulls.
Yes, perhaps, but at that point, I don't think Giant really had riders left to chase. Their plans A, B and C where 'Matthews'. Anyway, Costa didn't have any reason not to ride, and also Felline seemed to hold back.
 
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Jagartrott said:
DFA123 said:
Jagartrott said:
Nice race. Such a pity Benoot got that mechanical.
And Giant must be instructing their riders to hold wheels. If Barguil and Costa (in wheelsucking mode) would've cooperated when they were trailing by 15 seconds, they would've bridged I think. Now there's Matthews with a 10th place. Wow, great.
I can kind of understand why they wanted to wait for the peloton at that stage, which was only 10-15 seconds behind; especially Barguil. If Barguil would have helped dragged GVA, Valverde and Wellens to the front group - the peloton was finished for sure and he would have had only a very small chance of winning. But once it was obvious the peloton wasn't going to bridge and come to the rescue of the 2nd group anyway, it was bizarre that Costa and Barguil didn't commit. They still would have had little chance of winning, but at least some chance, compared with none at all by not taking any pulls.
Yes, perhaps, but at that point, I don't think Giant really had riders left to chase. Their plans A, B and C where 'Matthews'. Anyway, Costa didn't have any reason not to ride, and also Felline seemed to hold back.

Barguil had no incentive to pull regardless if Giant had riders left to chase or not. What was he going to do on a route like this against Gilbert, Kwiat, GVA etc.? Only thing he could hope for was GVA and Valverde killing themselves and bring the group across while he could save some energy for an all-or-nothing attack at the end.

Similar thing for Costa and Felline. They probably didn't have the legs to both commit 100% in the chase AND still have a shot at the victory later.
 
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El Pistolero said:
Zinoviev Letter said:
There seems to have been a reasonably consistent pattern among most of this year's classics that at an early stage there is an attack by a subset of favourites, they ride away and one of them wins. It's not quite a select group of the very strongest, because the strongest are split between those who go and those who wait, but this year it seems that going with the first big move rather than waiting has been the correct decision just about every time.

That consistent pattern is called Gilbert. :lol:

Also GVA, Kwia, and Sagan as Gilbert wasn't present in half those races.

Great observation though. Omloop, KBK, Strade, MSR, E3, GW, RVV, Roubaix, Amstel...

We've butted heads lately Pisti, but congrats to your boy today - he was great and definitely owns Amstel
 
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Ikbengodniet said:
Really dissappointed ride by Valverde, looked like he was cooked after Keutenberg. Thought they could bridge it easily with GVA, Wellens and Felline to the leaders but he just did nothing at all at that moment.
Yeah, he should have gone with Kwia when he went but he looked to be struggling just to stay with GVA. At that point the front group was only a few seconds away and normally he would have bridged there but I don't think he had the legs today. He looked like he was laboring a bunch. I'll be curious to see if he comes good later this week or if his form has gone down a bit.
 
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Ikbengodniet said:
Really dissappointed ride by Valverde, looked like he was cooked after Keutenberg. Thought they could bridge it easily with GVA, Wellens and Felline to the leaders but he just did nothing at all at that moment.
Valverde for some reason never really does well in the Amstel Gold Race. Yeah he finished podium and top 5 a couple of times, but it's simply not his race.
Think the main problem lies in the too many and too short hills. And then the many turns. It doesn't suit Valverde as well as the longer hills.

As for the race, today has proven that when you race hard on Kruisberg/Eyserbosweg/Keutenberg trio, the race will split apart. This is with or without Cauberg in the end. That is why I was so sad they never raced on these climbs when the Cauberg was there. Because then you could go with a small group like today, AND have it decided further on the Cauberg. They did so in the earlier versions (2001-2004). But after these years everyone liked to wait until the CAuberg instead.
In that sense, glad today showed some racing and not waiting.

I'm sure FW will be boring as *** and LBL too (wait until 3km)
 
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Dekker_Tifosi said:
Ikbengodniet said:
Really dissappointed ride by Valverde, looked like he was cooked after Keutenberg. Thought they could bridge it easily with GVA, Wellens and Felline to the leaders but he just did nothing at all at that moment.
Valverde for some reason never really does well in the Amstel Gold Race. Yeah he finished podium and top 5 a couple of times, but it's simply not his race.
Think the main problem lies in the too many and too short hills. And then the many turns. It doesn't suit Valverde as well as the longer hills.

As for the race, today has proven that when you race hard on Kruisberg/Eyserbosweg/Keutenberg trio, the race will split apart. This is with or without Cauberg in the end. That is why I was so sad they never raced on these climbs when the Cauberg was there. Because then you could go with a small group like today, AND have it decided further on the Cauberg. They did so in the earlier versions (2001-2004). But after these years everyone liked to wait until the CAuberg instead.
In that sense, glad today showed some racing and not waiting.

I'm sure FW will be boring as **** and LBL too (wait until 3km)
Didn't that trio use to be closer to the finish? So instead of having the Bemelerberg you had Keutenberg before the finish. That would also have encouraged attacks
 
Another great race. This really has been an excellent Spring for cavalier riding. Having riders like Sagan, Kwiat, Gilbert, GVA and Balaphilipe around at the same time is a luxury. Add in the likes of Wellens... just fantastic. Big Kwiat fan but hats off the Gilbert today. He mugged the mugger.
 
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frisenfruitig said:
Red Rick said:
I don't know about LBL. The better climbers may want to let the Redoute, RaF and SN count or risk getting recked by Gilbert, Kwiat and Valverde.

Isn't Valverde one of the better climbers though?
Obviously. But I think the only way to fry him is if multiple climbs are raced hard. I don't think it benefits Valverde if it goes all out on all of the last climbs. Look at how he does in the Amstel compared to FW.

Or you can hope for snow ofcourse.
 
Re: Re:

Red Rick said:
frisenfruitig said:
Red Rick said:
I don't know about LBL. The better climbers may want to let the Redoute, RaF and SN count or risk getting recked by Gilbert, Kwiat and Valverde.

Isn't Valverde one of the better climbers though?
Obviously. But I think the only way to fry him is if multiple climbs are raced hard. I don't think it benefits Valverde if it goes all out on all of the last climbs. Look at how he does in the Amstel compared to FW.

Or you can hope for snow ofcourse.

It's hard for me to imagine Valverde getting fried on those longer climbs in LBL tbh. I wouldn't be surprised if he won FW and LBL even though he didn't really look all that impressive today.
 
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TourOfSardinia said:
Ikbengodniet said:
Really dissappointed ride by Valverde, looked like he was cooked after Keutenberg. Thought they could bridge it easily with GVA, Wellens and Felline to the leaders but he just did nothing at all at that moment.
Don't see why Rojas didn't drop back to pull him back
Rojas wasn't doing anything else useful
;)

I think Rojas was glad he was even there. Didn't even won the sprint for 3rd. So I think he couldn't mean anything for Valverde anymore.
 

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