56th Amstel Gold Race: 10 April, 2022

[Pantani_lives]

One week after a spectacular Tour of Flanders everyone is wondering who will win in France. However this isn't the place to discuss politics, so we'll turn our eyes to the Netherlands instead. The hilly classic in Limburg is younger than some others, but it has a lot of big winners. Over a distance of 254 km the riders will take on no less than thirty-three climbs, including three times the Cauberg and twice the Bemelerberg. The steepest are the Kruisberg, the Eyserbosweg and the Keutenberg. The finish is on the Rijksweg in Valkenburg.

Recent winners:
2012 Enrico Gasparotto
2013 Roman Kreuziger
2014 Philippe Gilbert
2015 Michal Kwiatkowski
2016 Enrico Gasparotto
2017 Philippe Gilbert
2018 Michael Valgren
2019 Mathieu van der Poel
2020 /
2021 Wout van Aert

Multiple winners:
5x Jan Raas
4s Philippe Gilbert

The women's race will be held for the eighth time. For the first time they will receive equal prize money. They will ride 128 km over nineteen hills. Their finish is expected just after 14 PM.

Previous winners:
2021 Marianne Vos
2019 Katarzyna Niewiadoma
2018 Chantal Blaak
2017 Anna van der Breggen
2003 Nicole Cooke
2002 Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel
2001 Debby Mansveld

There's gold in them thar hills!

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Really hard to see how Van der Poel doesn't win here. I'm just hoping for a good race which AGR usually is.

 

[Netserk]

While the last 40 km is the same as in 2019, Gulperberg is approached differently and ridden in the opposite direction and from there they avoid the usual big road (N278) leading to Kruisberg.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

It's been three years since we've had a real Amstel Gold Race, really looking forward to this one. With Van Aert having caught Covid, Pogacar taking a break and there being an overlap with Itzulia, the field is a bit weaker than usual (thanks, Macron), so we'll have to hope Van der Poel doesn't just destroy everyone else - the tense finales after the real hills are done are always the best thing about this route.

 

[Lequack]

Why doesn't Pog want to win this race?

 

[Red Rick]

Why doesn't Pog want to win this race?

It just doesn't fit in the program. Also he's a much bigger underdog to MvdP than in De Ronde

 

[tobydawq]

Itzulia's new date and the disease flowing around the peloton must mean that this is the worst start list for this race since forever.

Van der Poel heavy favourite, closest rivals must be Pidcock, Hirschi, Madouas, Cosnefroy, Matthews, Søren Kragh, Benoot and most of the Bahrain team.

 

[Netserk]

Itzulia's new date

What?!

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

*amstels new date for one year while the french elections are going on.

 

[tobydawq]

What?!

Oh, dear

Obviously I was talking about a calendar where Amstel is day one and the dates of all other events are relative to that

 

[Valv.Piti]

You guys are always taking about Roglstomp, even when he wins off of his patented 400 m MTF sprint, but this will be a real stomp. Not that weak sauce stomp.

 

[topcat]

Under a hard interrogation, Gilbert said that he's unlikely to win another AGR. I think he's bluffing.

 

[RedheadDane]

CW preview:

Five things to look out for at Amstel Gold Race 2022 | Cycling Weekly

Whereas usually these riders take a well-earned race by the time Amstel Gold comes around, the fact that possibly the biggest cobbled race of them all — Paris-Roubaix — is still to come means they’ll want to maintain their current peak of form.

Sometimes, you've just earned some racing!

 

[Velolover2]

Van Baarle seems to be in shape. I wouldn't exclude him after 250 km of hilly racing. He is a better climber than most think. Should be a co-leader along with Pidcock.

 

[tobydawq]

Van Baarle seems to be in shape. I wouldn't exclude him after 250 km of hilly racing. He is a better climber than most think. Should be a co-leader along with Pidcock.

True, I should have included him in my list before.

 

[postmanhat]

Itzulia's new date and the disease flowing around the peloton must mean that this is the worst start list for this race since forever.

Van der Poel heavy favourite, closest rivals must be Pidcock, Hirschi, Madouas, Cosnefroy, Matthews, Søren Kragh, Benoot and most of the Bahrain team.

And the first two you mention (probably his closest rivals?) are coming back from illness/injury, and Soren kragh apparently missed RVV due to illness? Bettiol looked a little bit more like his old self until the final 50K at Flanders. Maybe with a less challenging course and competition he could do something again.

But the only way this looks like a race for victory is MVDP having a mechanical. Such a shame for one of my favourite races.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Van der Poel is almost too much favourite. Something is bound to go wrong.

 

[vladimir]

Van der Poel is almost too much favourite. Something is bound to go wrong.

And that is why Matteo Trentin is gonna win this bike race

 

[Red Rick]

I'm actually really struggling to find people who can hang Van der Poels first attack, but is he just gonna solo for 40km?

 

[tobydawq]

I'm actually really struggling to find people who can hang Van der Poels first attack, but is he just gonna solo for 40km?

Yeah, I think he will.

 

[Netserk]

Yeah, I think he will.

No, I don't think he cares that much about a beer crit. He should save himself for next week, just win it in a sprint.

 

[tobydawq]

No, I don't think he cares that much about a beer crit. He should save himself for next week, just win it in a sprint.

A crit?

 

[Lequack]

MVDP will get the Sagan treatment I think, no one will want to take him to the line. So his option will be limited to a solo or maybe 2 person attack.
Pidcock should win this easily.

 

[Netserk]

A crit?

A kermesse. The loop-de-loop race. Okay, it was a more fitting description for last year's race, but it's not completely off the mark.

The point stands. He has been racing more conservative so far in this season, and I see absolutely no reason for that to change tomorrow. Roubaix is the big target.

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

Everybody will be looking at Alpecin to chase any move with a top ten favorite in there and they will need enough guys to control for MVDP.