Amstel Gold Race 2025, one day classic, April 20 (men's)

[Salvarani]

I feel like E3 is valued more than Gent - Wevelgem these days as well.

Bit of a shame that Paris - Tours is not a WT-race or valued higher, because I think it has gotten better and it has an old + very prestigious history.

 

[tobydawq]

GW was the 6th monument until riders started handing it out as a promotional gift.
Amstel was never the 6th monument and any chance at becoming so was skilfully squashed when race organisation started cheating in order for their favorite rider to win.
Strade is turning more and more into a gimmick.
FW was always a bit of a gimmick with the finish on the Mur.
San Sebastian has a nice route and a top tier list of winners (seriously) but is probably not ancient enough.
Omloop / Kuurne just don't cut it tbh.

Strade is not a gimmick, Pogacar is just too good for it to be great these days.

 

[rghysens]

The other iberian country

Andorra?

 

[Netserk]

1. Worlds
2. Paris-Roubaix
3. Flanders
4. Liège-Bastogne-Liège
5. Milan-Sanremo
6. Il Lombardia
7. Strade Bianche
8. Amstel Gold Race
9. Gent-Wevelgem
10. Fleche-Wallone

The last one I'm not sure about. San Sebastian? Doesn't attract that good of field. E3? Perhaps.

Some might disagree on the sub-ranking of the monuments, but I'm trying to list them the way I see what the general consensus is - not what I think (although I agree with this, but that doesn't really matter here). Strade I'm ranking highly because there's always all this nonsense 6th monument talk about that race.

I'm leaving Olympics out of this because there's no general consensus on that. Some wouldn't have it in top 10, others would rank it first. I belong to the latter group, but that's irrelevant here.

There's greater consensus for OGRR to be 1st than Strade 7th.

 

[Wvv]

I feel like E3 is valued more than Gent - Wevelgem these days as well.

As a Belgian, I'd say the other way around. Wevelgem slowly took over again since they switched from Wednesday to Sunday.

 

[Salvarani]

As a Belgian, I'd say the other way around. Wevelgem slowly took over again since they switched from Wednesday to Sunday.

It is hard to argue with that, so I will take your word for it.

Maybe I just think E3 is a more interesting and better race, but it is kind of a light-Ronde. So maybe it should be behind GW if you were to rank them.

 

[Panda Claws]

I always struggle to take E3 seriously. Perhaps because it wasn't serious in Boonen's time, perhaps because of it's dumb name.

Gent-Wevelgem has more character in my opinion.

Strade Bianchi is naturally overrated while Amstel gets underrated imo, even though it also has a dumb name.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Andorra?

No, Gibraltar.

 

[Peyroteo94]

6th monument doesn't exist but AGR is clearly the race who has the best prestige since the 00s.

 

[KZD]

Crazy to think that after seven pro seasons, Remco will finally debut in this race. On paper, it should suit him really well and I predict a battle between him and Pogačar but the Slovenian has to be my favourite.

I think Pogačar will attack in that hard section between the Kruisberg and the Keutenberg and possibly only Remco will able to follow and even that one isn't guaranteed. Even if Remco manages to follow, with the Cauberg now so close to the finish, I think Pogačar will win solo anyway.

Healy was really strong back in 2023 and was flying in Itzulia do I pick him to get third, as Pidcock didn't look good in Brabantse Pijl and this is too hard for Van Aert.

 

[Berniece]

Strade is not a gimmick, Pogacar is just too good for it to be great these days.

Strade is just made too hard to be great

 

[hayneplane]

GW was the 6th monument until riders started handing it out as a promotional gift.
Amstel was never the 6th monument and any chance at becoming so was skilfully squashed when race organisation started cheating in order for their favorite rider to win.
Strade is turning more and more into a gimmick.
FW was always a bit of a gimmick with the finish on the Mur.
San Sebastian has a nice route and a top tier list of winners (seriously) but is probably not ancient enough.
Omloop / Kuurne just don't cut it tbh.

Regarding the bit I bolded I think honestly that if you consider SB to be turning into a gimmick then you have to put Paris Roubaix in the same category which would be a travesty.

 

[hayneplane]

It is hard to argue with that, so I will take your word for it.

Maybe I just think E3 is a more interesting and better race, but it is kind of a light-Ronde. So maybe it should be behind GW if you were to rank them.

Similar to my thoughts. I like E3 better but it does not have that point of difference that GW has with the high chances of echelon action and climbs that are not used in 5 different races across the Flandrian spring.

 

[tobydawq]

Strade is just made too hard to be great

Agreed.

 

[Gigs_98]

No, Gibraltar.

Damnit, I wanted to make that joke

 

[Peyroteo94]

Pogacar behind! Did he crash?

 

[Berniece]

Pogacar behind! Did he crash?

No, break in peloton

 

[Gigs_98]

1. Worlds
2. Paris-Roubaix
3. Flanders
4. Liège-Bastogne-Liège
5. Milan-Sanremo
6. Il Lombardia
7. Strade Bianche
8. Amstel Gold Race
9. Gent-Wevelgem
10. Fleche-Wallone

The last one I'm not sure about. San Sebastian? Doesn't attract that good of field. E3? Perhaps.

Some might disagree on the sub-ranking of the monuments, but I'm trying to list them the way I see what the general consensus is - not what I think (although I agree with this, but that doesn't really matter here). Strade I'm ranking highly because there's always all this nonsense 6th monument talk about that race.

I'm leaving Olympics out of this because there's no general consensus on that. Some wouldn't have it in top 10, others would rank it first. I belong to the latter group, but that's irrelevant here.

Mostly agree. I think I would swap AGR and SB, maybe even dropping SB below GW, but those are small details.

 

[Peyroteo94]

This is why Ardennes and cobbled classics deserve full coverage. Action happens so early!

 

[Berniece]

This is why Ardennes and cobbled classics deserve full coverage. Action happens so early!

He’s back already

 

[Taxus4a]

Historic race. Maybe first time we can see at good shape Remco and Pogacar in this kind of race. I think Remco wanst at his best after the olimpic ITT.

Today is the day and I think they will be similar.

 

[Karl Merckx]

Remco's not at all at his best level.

 

[BubbaChuck]

what happened.dead pog destroyed remco,lol.

 

[Froome]

Remco's not at all at his best level.

What happened?

 

[Berniece]

What happened?

Nothing. It’s just that Remco is currently not at his best. He’s really good, just not at his best.