Amstel Gold 2011

ednwireland

start list

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/amstel-gold-race-upt/start-list

interesting to see the two schleck's on team leopard are they finally admitting that cancellara cant win every race on his own

might get to watch this as i have a stcking head cold so prob wont ride tomorrow

also
Team RadioShack
* 161 Philip Deignan (Irl)

HTC-Highroad)
* 42 Matthew Brammeier (Irl)

dont rate these guys chance of getting away with it

Police investigation is under way

Dutch police have launched an investigation after finding tacks on the route of Sunday's Amstel Gold Race in Limburg, Netherlands. The parcours located around the city of Maastricht has been the target of one or several "local residents", according to De Telegraaf, protesting against the "nuisance" that cyclists bring to their homes.

Tacks on the road in holland wtf?

cantalach

ednwireland wrote: »

Tacks on the road in holland wtf?

We were discussing this on Facebook yesterday and one of the lads reckons it's all a big misunderstanding - it's actually discarded Tacx bottles that were found on the road.

sy

ednwireland wrote: »

Team RadioShack
* 161 Philip Deignan (Irl)

HTC-Highroad)
* 42 Matthew Brammeier (Irl)

* 18 Nick Roche

Re the Schleks riding this week.

I think Andy Schleck is hoping to be in form for Liege and Frank might fancy his chances here if Cancellara is marked out of it by Gilbert.

Gilbert FTW but Fabian should still be holding on to some of that incredible form he has been showing for the past 3 weeks.

ROK ON

I'd like to see Gilbert win but think Gesink will do well.

sy wrote: »

* 18 Nick Roche

Re the Schleks riding this week.

I think Andy Schleck is hoping to be in form for Liege and Frank might fancy his chances here if Cancellara is marked out of it by Gilbert.

Gilbert FTW but Fabian should still be holding on to some of that incredible form he has been showing for the past 3 weeks.

tfrancer

FC a good each way bet at 20 to 1?

cantalach

Saw that 20/1 for Cancellara on PaddyPower.com. Dunno tbh. He surely can't maintain that sort of form for a third consecutive weekend (I realise he was beaten on both weekends but that's not the point - he was still the strongest man on both occasions).

I'm with ROK_OK - I think Gesink might be the man to watch tomorrow. Gilbert may prefer to keep his powder dry for L-B-L which undoubtedly has more prestige, even more so for a Walloon. But for a Dutchman riding for what is almost a Dutch national team, Amstel would be very important.

fireblade001

for those that don't have eurosport: www.procyclinglive.com

karlmyson

I'm gonna stick my neck out and say Gilbert is going to do the double (or even the treble - has that ever been done?). Nobody has won Amstel more than once in the last 30 years, so that would be a bit of an achievement. He's just so aggressive and can hold form better than most over quite a bit of time. There's nobody can stay with that kick on the short steep stuff when he's on song. If he's in contention at the bottom of the Cauberg I can't see him being beaten. Of course, for sure LBL is the one he really wants.

jiffybag

No way that FC can win on a course like this . Its not suited to his riding style .
Unfortunatley it will be the same old faces at the front Di Luca , Kolobnev , Vino etc .
Good luck to the Irish lads , great to see them on the roads at this level. Hope to see Dan Martin doing good in Flehce Wallonie this week too.
Matt Brammeier got very litte credit for making it all the way to the finish in Roubaix last Sunday , he is having a good season in the higher reanks this year.

ednwireland

Boiling nicely now

cancellara and frank schleck crash then schleck chews his derailliur

ednwireland

brilliant finish from gilbert chase from the front then kick up the finish

Hail 2 Da Thief

Great win for Gibert! Well deserved after leading the bunch from 4km to the finish.

pprendeville

karlmyson wrote: »

I'm gonna stick my neck out and say Gilbert is going to do the double (or even the treble - has that ever been done?). Nobody has won Amstel more than once in the last 30 years, so that would be a bit of an achievement. He's just so aggressive and can hold form better than most over quite a bit of time. There's nobody can stay with that kick on the short steep stuff when he's on song. If he's in contention at the bottom of the Cauberg I can't see him being beaten. Of course, for sure LBL is the one he really wants.

did you put money on this?

karlmyson

Unfortunately not

I rode the Cauberg twice myself in the last fortnight ... a gang of us rode the final 160km of the route a couple of weekends ago. It's a very very selective course, moreso than Flanders. Tailor made for Gilbert's ultra punchy ability.

Racing up the Cauberg is absolutely thrilling. Cantalach here blew it apart and the other 5 of us gave it some serious welly too.

cantalach

karlmyson wrote: »

I rode the Cauberg twice myself in the last fortnight ... a gang of us rode the final 160km of the route a couple of weekends ago. It's a very very selective course, moreso than Flanders. Tailor made for Gilbert's ultra punchy ability.

Racing up the Cauberg is absolutely thrilling. Cantalach here blew it apart and the other 5 of us gave it some serious welly too.

I must say it was pretty cool watching the race today and remembering a particular hill or village or sometimes even just a particular bend in the road. It definitely gives you a much better understanding and appreciation when you've actually ridden the course...even if it was at a much more modest speed! I'd heartily recommend a classics weekend to anyone who follows pro racing. You don't even have to ride the course as part of an organised sportive - just download the course to your GPS device and off you go!

ROK ON

Fantastic Gilbert. Pure Unadulterated Class. What balls. Kudos to A Schleck - I'm not a fan, but fair dues he gave it his all.
Great ride by Gerrans - Sky are having a good year.

What a ballsey finish. Beautiful parcours.

Chips Lovell

"I thought he was loco or super strong"

MrCreosote

Our baby has the same dummy as Philippe Gilbert's!

karlmyson

karlmyson wrote: »

I'm gonna stick my neck out and say Gilbert is going to do the double (or even the treble - has that ever been done?). Nobody has won Amstel more than once in the last 30 years, so that would be a bit of an achievement. He's just so aggressive and can hold form better than most over quite a bit of time. There's nobody can stay with that kick on the short steep stuff when he's on song. If he's in contention at the bottom of the Cauberg I can't see him being beaten. Of course, for sure LBL is the one he really wants.

Two for two, with Sunday to come. The man of the moment. Who'd bet against it now?!

Chips Lovell

karlmyson wrote: »

Two for two, with Sunday to come. The man of the moment. Who'd bet against it now?!

Three for three if you count that he won Brabantse Pijl last Wednesday. Three big wins in eight days. That's some going.

karlmyson

karlmyson wrote: »

I'm gonna stick my neck out and say Gilbert is going to do the double (or even the treble - has that ever been done?). Nobody has won Amstel more than once in the last 30 years, so that would be a bit of an achievement. He's just so aggressive and can hold form better than most over quite a bit of time. There's nobody can stay with that kick on the short steep stuff when he's on song. If he's in contention at the bottom of the Cauberg I can't see him being beaten. Of course, for sure LBL is the one he really wants.

I posted that on 16th April, before his Amstel win. I should listen to myself more often. Wonder what odds were available on the Ardennes triple at that time? :rolleyes: