Rate the Amstel Fold Race 2016

[Red Rick]

Suspected typo may or may not have been deliberate

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Very crappy. I only watched it because of the inertia from watching all the other WT races.

 

[Gigs_98]

At the end this poll might look pretty much like the one from Paris Roubaix...mainly because this time the lowest numbers are above

 

[capuldemetal]

at least i got a nice afternoon nap.

 

[jens_attacks]

7. With this route, you can't ger better
Really liked that gaspa won it for antoine
Also valgren.
Very good last 8 km!

 

[Red Rick]

At the end this poll might look pretty much like the one from Paris Roubaix...mainly because this time the lowest numbers are above

I take it you watched?

 

[DFA123]

I gave it an eight. Obviously nowhere near as good as a cobbled classic, but for Amstel Gold - with this course - it was a pretty good edition.

Favourites getting shelled early, a lone rider making it half way up the Cauberg before being caught. Then two riders going clear and staying clear until the finish. It's the Ardennes; long solo breaks almost never happen, because the contenders are just not strong enough rouleurs to make them stick. An unpredictable and frenetic finale like today, makes it a decent race imo.

 

[LaFlorecita]

7 because I love the podium. Gaspa winning for Antoine, mythical Valgren and Sonny winning the sprint behind them and hitting his bars just like in the Limburg Classic

 

[Gigs_98]

At the end this poll might look pretty much like the one from Paris Roubaix...mainly because this time the lowest numbers are above

I take it you watched?

My evil plan to watch every one day race from now on is already starting to work

 

[Red Rick]

At the end this poll might look pretty much like the one from Paris Roubaix...mainly because this time the lowest numbers are above

I take it you watched?

My evil plan to watch every one day race from now on is already starting to work

I don't know who you are
But I will find you
And stop you from watching races

 

[WillemS]

Re:

7. With this route, you can't get better

I think I disagree. Certainly the route is crap, I don't disagree on that, but in today's race, there were plenty of moments attacks could have been made or have been made (Wellens), but weren't by those who should be doing them (aside from Wellens) as they have no chance on the Cauberg. Even the Dutchies don't seem to care anymore and willing let themselves be led to the slaughterhouse.

I don't think there was much control today in the final lap(s) and attacks of multiple strong riders would have had a chance of sticking. Even those waiting for the sprint should have know they didn't have the team anymore to bring it back together after the Cauberg.

However, the self-fulfilling prophecy of "Attacks never work in the Amstel Fold Race" fulfilled itself once again, with riders pronouncing it prior to the race, then acting according to it, only to lose and strengthen their own belief in the prophecy. One thing for them to meditate on, if you're going to finish outside of the top 10 anyway and have a decent attack, why not chance it? If it fails, you're outside of the top 10, but if you don't try it, you're outside of it anyway.

I think the only way to get this race back on track, despite my belief that today showed us that an entertaining race certainly was possible on this parcours, is to radically alter the course. The beliefs about how the race is going to unfold, whether true or not, are too strong in the minds of riders and the DS's. Radically changing the route might be the only way of getting rid of those beliefs.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

I think people are complaining for the sake of complaining. Last 55k or whenever that counter attack went off were fine. We saw the pace drop contenders, and the race became increasingly unpredictable. Several attacks in the last 30k, even Orica initating two. Lotto Jumbo's aggression was good to watch. Kreuziger raised the excitement. Wellens's move was effective and good to watch. And with the contenders gone, the Cauberg showed some new faces. Last 1800 were great pursuit and gamesmanship. The riders wore the fatigue of the day all over.

Rated 7.5. Below E3, PR, GW. RvV, SB. Above San Remo. But still a positive rating.

 

[BigMac]

Nothing redeemable. Awful. Jumbo, Orica and others chasing Wellens like mad and after that not doing anything themselves sums this race perfectly. To the bin.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re:

7 because I love the podium. Gaspa winning for Antoine, mythical Valgren and Sonny winning the sprint behind them and hitting his bars just like in the Limburg Classic

Mythical Valgren? Wtf?

 

[BigMac]

What's even more sad is that Wellens will again attack before Huy in a few days only to die on the beach. Nobody ever goes with him and therefore he's doomed to fail. Hope he finds a Yates in the two next races to pull something similar to Montréal.

 

[KyoGrey]

This race should not occupy the glorious Sunday after Roubaix.

IMO the Sunday-Wednesday-Sunday-Wednesday-Sunday scheme should be:


Roubaix
Fleche Brabançonne
Liege
Fleche Wallonne
Amstel


We could at least see 1 great Liege with all the flandriens carrying on their peak, instead of the 3 mediocre Ardennes classics we have now.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

7 because I love the podium. Gaspa winning for Antoine, mythical Valgren and Sonny winning the sprint behind them and hitting his bars just like in the Limburg Classic

Mythical Valgren? Wtf?

Come on, did you not watch the race?
Seriously though, I already knew this race suits him well, but I did not expect this result

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

I think people are complaining for the sake of complaining. Last 55k or whenever that counter attack went off were fine. We saw the pace drop contenders, and the race became increasingly unpredictable. Several attacks in the last 30k, even Orica initating two. Lotto Jumbo's aggression was good to watch. Kreuziger raised the excitement. Wellens's move was effective and good to watch. And with the contenders gone, the Cauberg showed some new faces. Last 1800 were great pursuit and gamesmanship. The riders wore the fatigue of the day all over.

Rated 7.5. Below E3, PR, GW. RvV, SB. Above San Remo. But still a positive rating.

You are partly right. It's mostly 2nd/3rd tier riders attacking though. No top tier riders attack besides Wellens in the final 8km. Those 2nd/3rd tier attacks are nice, but they just don't reach the line first.

 

[Red Rick]

The problem is that in the end there's a 50+ man group at the foot of the Cauberg.

-It doesn't matter that favourites get dropped
-It doesn't matter that 2/3rd tier contenders attack
-Why?
-Because even the shittest of teams have 3 riders in the bunch to bring back breaks, because a 20% chance at a top 15 is better then letting those 3 riders get away

 

[Põhja Konn]

6. Expectations were low to begin with and since the race was not decided in a reduced bunch sprint, it exceeded these expectations. As a result comes a positive rating.

Otherwise completely agree with opinions about the course needing major alterations. The current one just doesn't work.

Course is hard enough, but in its current setup, but the selection between the good and the great, is forced into the very end of the race. And at least at the eyes of the overwhelming majority of riders, there is no viable alternative to the predictable waiting game.

 

[TMP402]

This race should not occupy the glorious Sunday after Roubaix.

IMO the Sunday-Wednesday-Sunday-Wednesday-Sunday scheme should be:


Roubaix
Fleche Brabançonne
Liege
Fleche Wallonne
Amstel


We could at least see 1 great Liege with all the flandriens carrying on their peak, instead of the 3 mediocre Ardennes classics we have now.

And move Tro-Bro Léon to Saturday so the weekend is at least half entertaining.

 

[Marco Pantani]

2 because I will never vote for Gerrans and the Wellens move.

 

[sir fly]

I don't like to rate races that haven't excited me much, since I have a feeling I'm belittling the winner's achievement.
So I'm giving a ten to Gasparotto.

 

[PremierAndrew]

5: Wellens' attack finally made for some potentially exciting racing, we saw some favourites getting dropped earlier, and an attacker prevailed in the end.

Overall: 4/10
Considering expectations given the course: 8.5 /10

 

[PremierAndrew]

This race should not occupy the glorious Sunday after Roubaix.

IMO the Sunday-Wednesday-Sunday-Wednesday-Sunday scheme should be:


Roubaix
Fleche Brabançonne
Liege
Fleche Wallonne
Amstel


We could at least see 1 great Liege with all the flandriens carrying on their peak, instead of the 3 mediocre Ardennes classics we have now.

No way Liege should be the first of the Ardennes. I would have Fleche on the Sunday after Roubaix and move Amstel to midweek instead. Or you know, they could always... uhm... revert back to the old course for Amstel???