Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition 2023, one day classic, April 16 (women's)

[Lequack]

Most of the women favorites are back racing the Amstel Gold. Can Cavalli repeat her last year's feat and win it? Can Vos repeat her 2021 victory? I'm sure SD Works will not want that to happen.

Notable rider: Cavalli, Vos, Van Anrooij, Van Vleuten, Vollering, Longo Borghini, Persico, Kopecky, Lippert, Brown, Ludwig, Balsamo, Labous

Overview

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Amstel Gold Race

De Amstel Gold Race is de grootste Nederlandse wedstrijd op de wielerkalender. Tussen de start in Maastricht en de aankomst in Valkenburg overwinning de renners heel...

www.amstelgoldrace.nl

Live video stream available on Eurosport/GCN.

Full startlist (not yet final):

Startlist

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Map:

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[Lequack]

Good preview of contenders

Women's Amstel Gold Race 2023 Race Preview - ProCyclingUK.com

The history of the Women's Amstel Gold Race is very much in two parts. An initial race was held between 2001-2003 (won by Nicole Cooke, Leontien van Moorsel and Debby Mansveld), reaching the highest-level Women's World Cup set of races in its final year of that run.

procyclinguk.com

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I think the longer route will make it impossible for anyone to beat Van Vleuten, unless her bad luck continues on Sunday.

It'll be interesting to see if Kopecky can be competitive here and for how long Wiebes and Cavalli will be able to hold on.

My prediction:

1. AVV
2. Vollering
3. Lippert

One of the many podiums I'd like to see:

1. Chabbey
2. Baril
3. Doebel-Hickok

 

[Gwbert]

I think the longer route will make it impossible for anyone to beat Van Vleuten, unless her bad luck continues on Sunday.

It'll be interesting to see if Kopecky can be competitive here and for how long Wiebes and Cavalli will be able to hold on.

My prediction:

1. AVV
2. Vollering
3. Lippert

One of the many podiums I'd like to see:

1. Chabbey
2. Baril
3. Doebel-Hickok

I think Vollering will run her close - her results this season are outrageously good and the team is great. Also there’s no long climbs like she got dropped out last July.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

That short flat run-in is always a deadly thing, it has proven more decisive than the Cauberg in recent years. Yes, I'm still salty about Elisa and Kasia taking an advanced class with Domenico Pozzovivo about how to come 5th in a 2 man sprint.

Also Keutenberg forever! Bemelerberg never!

 

[Netserk]

While I understand the logistical challenges of having two races on the same day in an area like this, it's unfortunate that the route here is still stuck with the Cauberg circuit and finish. At least it's not the WC route. But it seems to me that it should still be possible to have the same final 50 km as the men without the two races interfering, and of course at the very least the same final 5 km.

Finishing around 14:30, I hope they won't be much slower, as the men are expected to reach the finish-line the first time at 15:05. Hmm, I guess it's not a problem, last year the last finisher was 12'07'' down.

 

[Netserk]

It'll be interesting to see if Kopecky can be competitive here

Was there any talk about her doing the race last year? Given how strong she was in Strade, I'd think she could be competitive here as well? Or did the change of dates with Roubaix rule that out?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

While I understand the logistical challenges of having two races on the same day in an area like this, it's unfortunate that the route here is still stuck with the Cauberg circuit and finish. At least it's not the WC route. But it seems to me that it should still be possible to have the same final 50 km as the men without the two races interfering, and of course at the very least the same final 5 km.

Finishing around 14:30, I hope they won't be much slower, as the men are expected to reach the finish-line the first time at 15:05. Hmm, I guess it's not a problem, last year the last finisher was 12'07'' down.

We'll see how the added 27 km will affect the average speed, but the last riders should be able to finish before 15:00.

Was there any talk about her doing the race last year? Given how strong she was in Strade, I'd think she could be competitive here as well? Or did the change of dates with Roubaix rule that out?

I don't remember there being talk about it, but I'm sure the team hadn't expected her to be able to perform that well before the start of the season either. SDW also had Van den Broek-Blaak and Moolman-Pasio then which made it harder for her to get a spot for the race.

She hasn't officially ridden AGR before, but she finished 12th in the Holland Hills Classic in 2016, which was pretty much the same race, but with the finish being at the top of Geulhemmerberg instead.

 

[theyoungest]

I think the longer route will make it impossible for anyone to beat Van Vleuten, unless her bad luck continues on Sunday.

It'll be interesting to see if Kopecky can be competitive here and for how long Wiebes and Cavalli will be able to hold on.

My prediction:

1. AVV
2. Vollering
3. Lippert

One of the many podiums I'd like to see:

1. Chabbey
2. Baril
3. Doebel-Hickok

Van Vleuten has never won the Amstel Gold Race. I'm not sure why this year she would suddenly be the out and out favourite. It's not really a course that suits her.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Van Vleuten has never won the Amstel Gold Race. I'm not sure why this year she would suddenly be the out and out favourite. It's not really a course that suits her.

Usually the harder a race gets, the more it will benefit her, and she's often bounced back when people have doubted her. She's had very bad luck this year, so we don't really know her current strength, but with a stronger team to support her this year, she'll be less vulnerable to the SD Worx attacks (on paper at least).

That said, I could also very well see a scenario where Liane Lippert ends up winning because she either wins the sprint or makes a counter attack after Van Vleuten has hammered the final Cauberg without getting a gap of her own.

 

[theyoungest]

Usually the harder a race gets, the more it will benefit her, and she's often bounced back when people have doubted her. She's had very bad luck this year, so we don't really know her current strength, but with a stronger team to support her this year, she'll be less vulnerable to the SD Worx attacks (on paper at least).

That said, I could also very well see a scenario where Liane Lippert ends up winning because she either wins the sprint or makes a counter attack after Van Vleuten has hammered the final Cauberg without getting a gap of her own.

She'll try, but so far the Cauberg hasn't been kind to her. It's too short. She can't drop the competition, and then it becomes difficult. So yeah, Liane Lippert may be a good option.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

She'll try, but so far the Cauberg hasn't been kind to her. It's too short. She can't drop the competition, and then it becomes difficult. So yeah, Liane Lippert may be a good option.

There's no doubt that the climbs aren't long enough for her liking and the extra 35 minutes might not be enough for her to make a difference this time either, but I assume she'll be highly motivated knowing it'll be her last chance to win it. But we'll see how it goes.

 

[Didinho]

What to expect from Vos? She seems to getting better every race. A really strong Roubaix.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

What to expect from Vos? She seems to getting better every race. A really strong Roubaix.

I don't think she has a great chance. She had to work hard in Roubaix because of her puncture, but she would have finished far behind if it hadn't been for the Longo Borghini crash, so we don't really know how good she actually was.

 

[Lequack]

With her climbing form Kopecky should easily win this.

 

[yaco]

Vos's form is good and it's a pity that her untimely mechanical stopped her from showing how good she can ride the PR Cobbles - In saying that, the way this edition pans out may make it difficult to survive the last climb.

 

[Lequack]

 

[Lequack]

Alive interview

https://twitter.com/x/status/1647522034614714368

View: https://twitter.com/UCI_WWT/status/1647522034614714368?s=20

Shirin getting ready

https://twitter.com/x/status/1647515073047326727

View: https://twitter.com/TrekSegafredo/status/1647515073047326727?s=20

 

[Lequack]

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Alive interview

Always the best type, IMHO.

I just find them unresponsive in any other kind.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Vos, Labous, Brand, Fisher-Black and others are apparently up the road, according to PCS

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The Dutch stream is set to begin in 10 minutes, but I'm not sure if they'll have live oictures right from the start. They'll hit Eyserbosweg in about 10 km. A strong group with Vos, Labous, Fisher-Black, Le Net, Erić, Brand and Stultiens has broken away, but will probably be caught again soon.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

We are live with 87 km left. The break, which also includes Verhulst, Paladin and Amialiusik, has 34 seconds now with Movistar working to control the gap.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Van Vleuten puts in her first of an expected quite a few accelerations and the peloton splinters.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Break was caught by a group with AVV, Vollering, Lippert, Kopecky, Riejanne Markus and others, but a second group soon came back. Brown then countered, but didn't get away. Still 78 km left.