Amstel Gold Race: April 21st, 2019

[Anderis]

Re:

Look at EF, 4 guys in the group, more than anyone else.

What a turnaround that team has made!

It's nothing new, they had more riders in the final selections than anyone else in all three of the Ardennes races in 2017 too, they just didn't have the leaders to finish it off.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

13 Big Photos from Amstel Gold Race 2019 (more to come) — corvos
http://www.steephill.tv/2019/amstel-gold-race/photos/page-02/

I don't think these two national jerseys are equally pretty.

Clear highlight of how to do a national jersey vs how not to do a national jersey.

 

[Bolder]

Taped and just watched the last 2 hours. I was on the edge of my seat for the last 30 minutes.

Man...WTF were Alaphilippe and Fugelsang doing? All they had to do was work for 1 km -- no, make that 500 meters ... more before beginning the cat and mouse games. Especially knowing (or did they not know?) that MVDP, the fastest finisher in the top 10, was gaining time? Maybe some bad feelings from Strade Bianche, i.e. if I can't win I won't help him win either? I think both of them will see this as one that got away.

Sure, they were kind of gassed but especially Alaphilippe should have gone harder ... so maybe -- maybe -- he loses to Fuglsang by a bike length, but it would have been an honorable second place.

MVDP ... man, what a beast! Cancellara and prime Sagan-level power.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

I saw many more drones around the race today than I have ever noticed before. I don't think they were for the broadcaster (surely they would have recognised that Schachmann was still ahead of Clarke and Mollema if they had it). I can understand locals wanting their own records of the race, but it could be a serious risk factor. I don't want to think of several kg of metal falling on top of the peloton.

Here (UK) there are all sorts of legal restrictions on where they can be flown: not within 50 metres of a person, vehicle or building not under your control, not where images captured would constitute a breach of privacy. Are the restrictions elsewhere similar: are they enough to make them safe around races?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Re: Re:

As amazing as that was for van der Poel, i'm surprised at how well Lambrecht did. He's a skinny little ****, but he seems to have an engine. He's showing promise as of late.

Got my eyes on that one for Fleche and LBL

He seems to have surpassed Teuns already. He won LBL in the U23's, and his win against Albasini last year was almost identical to his performance last week coming in second behind Alaphilippe.

Apparently, he's going to focus on 1 day racing and 1 week stage races. Not going for GC in grand tours, for at least 3 years.

MVdP:
Makes the CX dull
Makes the Classics quite interesting

Can't wait for RemCo to grow up
to challenge him.

Challenge him where?
In the high mountains and long ITT's? Mathieu doesn't stand a chance.
Anywhere else? Remco doesn't stand a chance.

It's almost like asking Groenewegen to challenge Froome.

 

[SafeBet]

Lambrecht was impressive today and I believe Lotto should ride for him in Fleche, looks like a perfect finale for him.

Madouas was also very good.

 

[Lequack]

Re:

Taped and just watched the last 2 hours. I was on the edge of my seat for the last 30 minutes.

Man...WTF were Alaphilippe and Fugelsang doing? All they had to do was work for 1 km -- no, make that 500 meters ... more before beginning the cat and mouse games. Especially knowing (or did they not know?) that MVDP, the fastest finisher in the top 10, was gaining time? Maybe some bad feelings from Strade Bianche, i.e. if I can't win I won't help him win either? I think both of them will see this as one that got away.

Sure, they were kind of gassed but especially Alaphilippe should have gone harder ... so maybe -- maybe -- he loses to Fuglsang by a bike length, but it would have been an honorable second place.

MVDP ... man, what a beast! Cancellara and prime Sagan-level power.

Yeah if they worked together both of them could be 2nd at worst. But just the will to win is too powerful, in that moment 2nd place means nothing to them. I understand Fuglsang not wanting to do any work with beign the udnerdog and it was team tactics, but Ala I think took out his ear peace so who knows what he was thinking.

 

[Mavic]

Re:

As amazing as that was for van der Poel, i'm surprised at how well Lambrecht did. He's a skinny little ****, but he seems to have an engine. He's showing promise as of late.

This. He has been doing so well and still only 22. Was really good in Barabantsepijl too. Not to mention in Basque where he almost beat Ala in stage 2. Seems to have quite the engine as well like you said. Can’t wait to see what he can do in Fleche.

 

[Danskebjerge]

Re:

I wasn't online, but I watched the final live. My opinion: incredible race with surprise outcome. It reminded me of Argentin in LBL 1987, when he popped up from behind the cars to beat Criq and Roche

I was thinking of exactly the same situation. In fact, I believe there are two or three more examples from those years.

So today it was something of a flashback to see the riders coming from behind and overtake the guys who had stopped riding in the front.

Can't blame Fuglsang really. During the race, many wanted him to leave all the work to the Frenchman much earlier than he did.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Alaphilippe was close to cramps apparently so probably could't pull much harder. Fuglsang didn't want a repeat of Strade and already worked the most.

I think both of them were caught out by how fast the group behind was riding.

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Re: Re:

I wasn't online, but I watched the final live. My opinion: incredible race with surprise outcome. It reminded me of Argentin in LBL 1987, when he popped up from behind the cars to beat Criq and Roche

I was thinking of exactly the same situation. In fact, I believe there are two or three more examples from those years.

So today it was something of a flashback to see the riders coming from behind and overtake the guys who had stopped riding in the front.

Can't blame Fuglsang really. During the race, many wanted him to leave all the work to the Frenchman much earlier than he did.

Absolutely. There was no reason (given form and history) for Fuglsang to pull once they were totally clear. He tried a couple of times to break Ala and couldn't. At that point, no point in being on the front. He played it fine IMO. If Ala was cramping and on the limit, then that's just one of those things that you can't really account for.

 

[Samamba]

Re: Re:

As amazing as that was for van der Poel, i'm surprised at how well Lambrecht did. He's a skinny little ****, but he seems to have an engine. He's showing promise as of late.

Got my eyes on that one for Fleche and LBL

Weather for LBL could be pretty bad and he doesn't like the rain at all (he likes sunny weather like today). Fleche should suit him. If he's in front at the bottom of the last climb, he can make the top-10 but don't expect a top-5 or even better. Lets be realistic here. He did amazing today. He showed that he has an engine which makes me really happy but was a bit lucky getting in to the right counter attack (it's not like he was impressive on some climb or something, maybe Kruisberg because he was behind that crash and was immediately back in the first big group, but we don't have footage of that). Lotto also has Vanendert who proved today that he has the legs to perform well like last year (i don't know why he DNF'd after his attack on the Cauberg tho) and obviously Wellens but he was MIA today. We all know that Fleche is gonna be won on the Mur so i guess Lotto will just try to get those three at the front just before that and then see who performs best.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Bloody idiots

Lmao, Julian is the one who messed up, not Jacob.

 

[The Chicken]

Calm yourselves.

Some dodgy time gap calls from the Dutch organisation combined with some friendly Dutch motos. And wtf was that bike throw from Simon Clarke? LOL hilarious.

All very suspicious.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Calm yourselves.

Some dodgy time gap calls from the Dutch organisation combined with some friendly Dutch motos. And wtf was that bike throw from Simon Clarke? LOL hilarious.

All very suspicious.

When you are going that slowly 45 seconds really is nothing. Julian didn't want to compromise himself in the wind and payed dearly for it, dodgy time gaps or not.

 

[tobydawq]

Alaphilippe and Fuglsang did ride very slowly for a very long time with about a kilometre to go. No wonder they bled time at that point. It probably didn't feel as long when watching it live because the drama with the comeback of van der Poel was commencing but every time we watched them at that point they were practically trackstanding.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Re: Re:

As amazing as that was for van der Poel, i'm surprised at how well Lambrecht did. He's a skinny little ****, but he seems to have an engine. He's showing promise as of late.

Got my eyes on that one for Fleche and LBL

Weather for LBL could be pretty bad and he doesn't like the rain at all (he likes sunny weather like today). Fleche should suit him. If he's in front at the bottom of the last climb, he can make the top-10 but don't expect a top-5 or even better. Lets be realistic here. He did amazing today. He showed that he has an engine which makes me really happy but was a bit lucky getting in to the right counter attack (it's not like he was impressive on some climb or something, maybe Kruisberg because he was behind that crash and was immediately back in the first big group, but we don't have footage of that). Lotto also has Vanendert who proved today that he has the legs to perform well like last year (i don't know why he DNF'd after his attack on the Cauberg tho) and obviously Wellens but he was MIA today. We all know that Fleche is gonna be won on the Mur so i guess Lotto will just try to get those three at the front just before that and then see who performs best.

Wellens is never ever going to contend in FW, imho, it's just too steep for him. Attacking earlier is also out of the question, unless they give him a 2 minute headstart while softpedaling (so he isn't cooked at the bottom of the Mur). In other words, never gonna happen. He'd have better luck courting the daughter of one of the organizers and lobby for a different finish.

If Teuns could finish top 3, and if Vanendert could finish top 3, i see no reason why Lambrecht couldn't finish higher than top 10, as i think he has overtaken Teuns already for these finishes, and his physique is tailored for such a finish. He weighs 56kg. Obviously i'm not saying he will be on the podium or anything, but it wouldn't surprise me if he finishes top 5. He seems to be in great shape, and has been performing steadily the past few weeks. And except for Alaphilippe and Valverde, i don't think there are many riders really a level above on such a finish.

 

[alspacka]

Just watched the race. Not often that cycling makes me speechless these days but that really was incredible. MVDP will surely become an absolute superstar. I realise he already is to a lot of people but I don't follow cross much.

 

[Jungle Cycle]

same here.. just watched and im soooo glad i didn't see anything before hand...
what a finale... Ala, k`mon!! just 1 more minute of pull and probably would`ve been enough..!?..
i was thinking how many times he watched the video from his father in 1990. Same race, came from the group behind and sprinted for the victory passing the 2 in the break a few meters from the finish.. Ok, not exactly the same dynamic but it must have been in his mind in the last km...
MVdP, rock star!!
and I thought Lutsenko 2 fall stage victory would be hard to beat...

 

[Frankschleck]

wow.

MVP with one of the best comebacks i have ever seen.

Allaphillipe and Fulgsang didn't play that one good. I think Allaphillipe was the biggest loser today, he should never have let them comeback. Fuglsang is such a strong rider, but understandable gamble, he needs the wins.

 

[red_flanders]

That was just nuts. He must have pulled that group for 2k and then won it from the front. Never seen anything like it, just astonishing. Best finish to a race I think I’ve ever seen.

 

[Pirazziattacks]

Re:

Calm yourselves.

Some dodgy time gap calls from the Dutch organisation combined with some friendly Dutch motos. And wtf was that bike throw from Simon Clarke? LOL hilarious.

All very suspicious.

Dodgy time gaps? Kwiatkowski got across to the leaders very quickly when he put in that last effort, which shows how slowly they were going.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Re: Re:

Calm yourselves.

Some dodgy time gap calls from the Dutch organisation combined with some friendly Dutch motos. And wtf was that bike throw from Simon Clarke? LOL hilarious.

All very suspicious.

Dodgy time gaps? Kwiatkowski got across to the leaders very quickly when he put in that last effort, which shows how slowly they were going.

I agree. Kwiatkowski caught the leaders who were 20-30 s ahead. The bunch just caught upto Kwiatkowski who was 20-30 s ahead. Kwiatkowski was tired and single but going full gas. The bunch being fresher & numerous were faster. Ala and Fuglsang slowed too much too early.

 

[froschi]

Re: Re:

Calm yourselves.

Some dodgy time gap calls from the Dutch organisation combined with some friendly Dutch motos. And wtf was that bike throw from Simon Clarke? LOL hilarious.

All very suspicious.

Dodgy time gaps? Kwiatkowski got across to the leaders very quickly when he put in that last effort, which shows how slowly they were going.

The time gaps were no more inaccurate than usual. Here's a comment I posted on the inrng blog:

*****
Quote from Alaphilippe
“At two kilometres from the finish, the director of the race told us that we had a 35-second lead. That means those riders raced 15 seconds per kilometre faster than we did. I think that’s impossible.”

Sorry Julian, check the video. Upon examination, the following gaps can defnitiely be established:

* 3km to go sign: Kwiat is 37 sec behind, VDP is 58 behind.
* Slovakian flag at 1.9 to go: Schachman 27 behind (with VDP more than 5 behind him)
* End of hedge/photog on left in grass at 1.5 to go: VDP 23 behind

After that you can’ tell anything until the final KM. But the broadcast gaps seem to have been quite accurate.

 

[Bolder]

They had dropped Kwiat with about 13 km to go. I know he's a great TT'er but as noted above, to let him catch up shows how much they'd dropped off. I think in hindsight both Ala and Fugl are going to be really disappointed with themselves -- they had the best legs, MVDP nothwithstanding, and a 1'10" lead with just a few k's to go on a flat finish and gave it away.

VDP raced a smart race. After his attack on the Whateverberg, he hung back and waited for a move to develop .. when a few strong Ardennes guys like Bardet and Jelle started breaking things up he followed some strong wheels then took over the chase. Already he's someone who other riders are going to coalesce around.