53rd Amstel Gold Race - 260km

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Very good race (Valverde attacked!) and great podium too. Nice to see Craddock up there as well, even if he was only there because he was in the break.

I think the foruncolo has destroyed Nibali's Liege prep

It really isn't an abnormality to see Valverde attacking - I have seen all the races he has raced this year, and he has attacked one to multiple times every damn time. In the classics, Strade, Dwaars and Amstel (and obviously the lesser Spanish one-day races where he always is the biggest animator) and the stage races, in particular Catalonia. He has been riding very aggressively.

 

[Orbit501]

Great ride by Eddie Dunbar today!
Given how many original breakaway riders hung with the final selection, if Eddie had done less work on the front of the break I think he might have stayed with the elite selection over the final Cauberg.

Really pleased to see Valgren win today. Strong strong rider!

 

[Bardamu]

Re: Re:

Very good race (Valverde attacked!) and great podium too. Nice to see Craddock up there as well, even if he was only there because he was in the break.

I think the foruncolo has destroyed Nibali's Liege prep

It really isn't an abnormality to see Valverde attacking - I have seen all the races he has raced this year, and he has attacked one to multiple times every damn time. In the classics, Strade, Dwaars and Amstel (and obviously the lesser Spanish one-day races where he always is the biggest animator) and the stage races, in particular Catalonia. He has been riding very aggressively.

Hey man that doesn't count because he wins FW and LBL in a group sprint.

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

Very good race (Valverde attacked!) and great podium too. Nice to see Craddock up there as well, even if he was only there because he was in the break.

I think the foruncolo has destroyed Nibali's Liege prep

It really isn't an abnormality to see Valverde attacking - I have seen all the races he has raced this year, and he has attacked one to multiple times every damn time. In the classics, Strade, Dwaars and Amstel (and obviously the lesser Spanish one-day races where he always is the biggest animator) and the stage races, in particular Catalonia. He has been riding very aggressively.

Ah, the strade one was a half attack. But here he went full pelt... maybe not trusting his sprint anymore? That only bodes well for fans.

[quote="Brullnux":3y9mw3db][quote="El Pistolero":3y9mw3db][quote="Anderis":3y9mw3db]I think it's fair to say that the race has benefitted from changing the route. LBL should consider changing something as well.

When was the last time a rider from an early breakaway managed to finish inside top10 in AGR, FW or LBL? That tactic often works in cobbled races but not here I think.

FW and LBL should definitely change routes. The finish in Ans especially is just ugly, like it takes place in some Eastern Bloc country, a disgrace to Belgium.[/quote]
How elitist, you know industrial areas have to exist right? And considering the modern history of Belgium, they are probably the most important area.[/quote]

The industry in Wallonia has been dead for years now lol. Have you ever even visited places like Charleroi?[/quote]
Modern = post 1776. I don't know about Ans specifically, but places like Liege are the reason why Belgium was per capita only behind the UK in terms of industry for about a hundred years. Sure it's dead now, like basically everywhere else, and yes it's ugly but it isn't a 'disgrace to Belgium' - far from it, it's the making of modern belgium.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

Very good race (Valverde attacked!) and great podium too. Nice to see Craddock up there as well, even if he was only there because he was in the break.

I think the foruncolo has destroyed Nibali's Liege prep

It really isn't an abnormality to see Valverde attacking - I have seen all the races he has raced this year, and he has attacked one to multiple times every damn time. In the classics, Strade, Dwaars and Amstel (and obviously the lesser Spanish one-day races where he always is the biggest animator) and the stage races, in particular Catalonia. He has been riding very aggressively.

Hey man that doesn't count because he wins FW and LBL in a group sprint.

Accelerating for five seconds and then immediately looking back to see who's following is not an attack.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

Very good race (Valverde attacked!) and great podium too. Nice to see Craddock up there as well, even if he was only there because he was in the break.

I think the foruncolo has destroyed Nibali's Liege prep

It really isn't an abnormality to see Valverde attacking - I have seen all the races he has raced this year, and he has attacked one to multiple times every damn time. In the classics, Strade, Dwaars and Amstel (and obviously the lesser Spanish one-day races where he always is the biggest animator) and the stage races, in particular Catalonia. He has been riding very aggressively.

Ah, the strade one was a half attack. But here he went full pelt... maybe not trusting his sprint anymore? That only bodes well for fans.

[quote="Brullnux":7q483u8o][quote="El Pistolero":7q483u8o][quote="Anderis":7q483u8o]I think it's fair to say that the race has benefitted from changing the route. LBL should consider changing something as well.

When was the last time a rider from an early breakaway managed to finish inside top10 in AGR, FW or LBL? That tactic often works in cobbled races but not here I think.

FW and LBL should definitely change routes. The finish in Ans especially is just ugly, like it takes place in some Eastern Bloc country, a disgrace to Belgium.

How elitist, you know industrial areas have to exist right? And considering the modern history of Belgium, they are probably the most important area.[/quote]

The industry in Wallonia has been dead for years now lol. Have you ever even visited places like Charleroi?[/quote]
Modern = post 1776. I don't know about Ans specifically, but places like Liege are the reason why Belgium was per capita only behind the UK in terms of industry for about a hundred years. Sure it's dead now, like basically everywhere else, and yes it's ugly but it isn't a 'disgrace to Belgium' - far from it, it's the making of modern belgium.[/quote]

That would be Congo. Wallonia failed to transition to a modern industry (not based on coal).

The reason I call it a disgrace however is that it shouldn't be the finish location of a Monument. Roubaix also takes place in an industrial region, but it has a far more iconic finish.

 

[rick james]

El pickle :lol:

 

[SKSemtex]

Valverde had to attack as he could win only if he get rid of Sagan. He was the strongest climber from that group. He tried but Sagan was to good for him. These up and down short climbs are Sagan territory.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The middle of Liège is perfectly nice.

Charleroi is a proper dump.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Great race from Gulperberg onwards. Seeing how everybody died in the wheel of Valverde on the Geulhemmerberg was amazing to see. Valgren has proven himself to be a great all-round one-day racer. The cobbled-specialists disappointed today. I guess the race is too hard for riders like Vanmarcke, Stuyven, Naesen and Terpstra.

Roubaix is not a good prep for the AGR, it takes a few days to recuperate from Roubaix. And I don't think Terpstra was all that focused and motivated anymore.

Not only that, but also being already great in E3. A full cobbled season is pretty tough

 

[Valv.Piti]

Valverde had to attack as he could win only if he get rid of Sagan. He was the strongest climber from that group. He tried but Sagan was to good for him. These up and down short climbs are Sagan territory.

Was Sagan to good for him?... It was Alaphilippe who closed, not Sagan. Sagan was impressive, but not super on the climbs

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

Great, great finale. Only a little bit disappointed that Kreuziger took the front with 400m(?) to go. I think Valgren would still take the win from the front though. I expected an attack from Sagan, but with his weight he was clearly on the limit on the climbs, I think. Very impressive though, as the only rider in front who rode Roubaix.

Gasparotto was coming from behind with a higher speed, so he lost his cool and went for it.
I don't know if Valgren would have won, but he deserves the win, 2 years ago he did too much work for Gasparotto.

 

[Netserk]

Yes, but Kreuziger clearly had less to lose, and it was Gasparotto in the first place who provoked Valgren to move to the front. From that moment on, it was his responsibility to keep it a two-man sprint. Not easy though, and Valgren clearly is a cold killer.

 

[Bardamu]

Tiesj Benoot just didn't have it today or did he have a mechanical of some sorts at the wrong moment?

 

[SKSemtex]

Valverde had to attack as he could win only if he get rid of Sagan. He was the strongest climber from that group. He tried but Sagan was to good for him. These up and down short climbs are Sagan territory.

Was Sagan to good for him?... It was Alaphilippe who closed, not Sagan. Sagan was impressive, but not super on the climbs

He was too good to be dropped by Valverde attack.
I had to rewatch but he was not too much time out of the saddle.
He was good in climbs he just killed himself chasing all the attacks on the flat.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Valverde had to attack as he could win only if he get rid of Sagan. He was the strongest climber from that group. He tried but Sagan was to good for him. These up and down short climbs are Sagan territory.

Was Sagan to good for him?... It was Alaphilippe who closed, not Sagan. Sagan was impressive, but not super on the climbs

He was too good to be dropped by Valverde attack.
I had to rewatch but he was not too much time out of the saddle.
He was good in climbs he just killed himself chasing all the attacks on the flat.

And thats just stating the obvious. If we are looking at it that way, Wellens and Alaphilippe were also too good for Valverde...

Valverde also did quite a lot of work on the flat. But that comes with being a favourite, I guess.

 

[Krokro]

Re:

Tiesj Benoot just didn't have it today or did he have a mechanical of some sorts at the wrong moment?

Good question. I can't explain why Benoot was not here. He seemed in a good form and I saw him around the head of the peloton a few times before he vanished.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

All the people earlier in the thread, that told me I was crazy, to think Fuglsang would be a contender......................... LOL

 

[Durden93]

Re: Re:

I think it's fair to say that the race has benefitted from changing the route. LBL should consider changing something as well.

When was the last time a rider from an early breakaway managed to finish inside top10 in AGR, FW or LBL? That tactic often works in cobbled races but not here I think.

FW and LBL should definitely change routes. The finish in Ans especially is just ugly, like it takes place in some Eastern Bloc country, a disgrace to Belgium.

Agreed. I think Liege might actually be my least favourite monument. Could anyone tell me what happened after 2012 to make the race so controlled? In 2012 it was one solo on a group formed far out. In 2011 Gilbert one a sprint from a group of 3 formed 20km+ out. What happened?

 

[SKSemtex]

Can anybody enlight me why some people say now that Sagan did not want to chase Roman because of some old business?

I really do not remember any situation why this could be a case.
Ok Roman helped him to win one- TDF stage but still ...

 

[wirral]

Can anybody enlight me why some people say now that Sagan did not want to chase Roman because of some old business?

I really do not remember any situation why this could be a case.
Ok Roman helped him to win one- TDF stage but still ...

He didn't want to be the chump of those behind him.

 

[Jagartrott]

Actually, Sagan was more or less on Kreuziger's wheel. Either he let them get a gap on purpose, or because he was cooked at that time. It did look funny though.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Just watched the race and will never understand Valverde or Alaphilippe. By watching Sagan, they do realise they lose themselves as well?

Everyone is really always looking at Sagan to fix things in the finale.. wow

And Wellens, well, clearly field in Amstel / field in Br Pijl. He wasn't strong enough on the hills today.

 

[Kwibus]

Just watched the race and will never understand Valverde or Alaphilippe. By watching Sagan, they do realise they lose themselves as well?

Everyone is really always looking at Sagan to fix things in the finale.. wow

And Wellens, well, clearly field in Amstel / field in Br Pijl. He wasn't strong enough on the hills today.

Well they were right since Sagan won the sprint.

 

[Blanco]

Just watched the race and will never understand Valverde or Alaphilippe. By watching Sagan, they do realise they lose themselves as well?

Everyone is really always looking at Sagan to fix things in the finale.. wow

And Wellens, well, clearly field in Amstel / field in Br Pijl. He wasn't strong enough on the hills today.

But you do understand Sagan? He was the one to let the wheel of Kreuziger, obviously wanting to force others (mainly Valverde) to spend some energy. It was a bluff from Sagan, Bala and Ala didn't fall for it, and they all collectively lost