Amstel!!!!!!!!!

bobke

Predictions?

Sentimental favorite? Erik Dekker who's retiring.

favorites:

Valverde
Pozzato (if he's not too tired)
Astarloa

bobke

Amstel anyone?

jerbleus

yes yes, I'm going to ride it this saturday . (If the weather isn't to bad )

Hookyrider

Not sure I have any predictions - but I intend to be at the start and to be on the finish and a few key points along the way. I expect it to be an exciting race. The course is always a challenge - I just need to decide which climb I will paint!

HR

TrekDedicated

I'm looking forward to this race. I've never watched it before (no tv coverage), but OLN is covering it, so I can watch it.

While I was watching P-R, didn't they say this is one of the most technical courses?

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bobke

Very hilly and curvy and descendy and back and forth over the last parts of the course.
Lots of great hiils to attacks and curves to disappear behind, then some long open flat sections toward the end.

Catabolic_Jones

I will go for a bit of a longshot and say Astarloa.

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YMCA

I agree with the Valverde pick. The guy is suited to this Classic and is ready to tackle more than stage wins.

Hookyrider

Actually it's quite the opposite... Due to some pending permits they haven't released this years course, however it is nearly the same as last years... Organisers have pulled last years course form the web page, fortunately I printed it out.

http://www.amstelgoldrace.nl/index....1ca221f0&p=2532

up in the banner you can watch last years course in action. The run out to Geleen is about as flat and open as the course gets, from Geleen to Klimmen is the next easiest portion and it goes from there. While we don't have any monster climbs here in South Limburg - nothing is flat either.

All in all it's a great race made better since it's in my back yard :-)

HR

bobke

I think you may have misunderstood my post.
The profile you linked shows, as I pointed out, that the course is famous for being very hilly and technical, especially toward the very end as I pointed out.

There are two long flat sections getting on toward the end but not at the end, like from km 180 on which Erik Dekker used to TT back to Armstrong and Mazzoleni to catch them on the flats, its a point in the race in which non-climbers can crawl back.

The very end is of course quite hilly and since Lance convinced the organizer with whom hes good friends to make the Cauberg the finish (he still couldnt win!) uphill I guess it has been that way for the past several years. Before a number of sprinters had won the race like Zabel.

Demol:

Turning to Amstel Gold, I asked Demol why this race was so selective, there's usually just a few riders left to contest the finish. "It's a very tough race - 253 km / 157 mi - with 25-30 climbs along the way. None of them are more than 1500m in length, but it's a lot like the Tour of Flanders (but with no cobbles): up and down all day and very narrow roads, lots of turns. The selection actually comes from the back of the race to the front. If you want to win at Amstel you must be in the first 50-60 riders at all times."

Hookyrider

Okay I give - there is about a 20KM "easy spot" in there towards the end. However given the pounding these guys will have had for the day, that slight slope back in V-burg, probably doesn't feel as easy as it should or could.


I pulling for anyone on the Raboank team with a special push for members with the last name of Dekker. They've spent a fair amount of time this past week doing recon on the course, and their trainer is a South Limburg native.

A lot of the roads that are used for this race are closed/restricted to normal auto traffic the rest of the year, narrow one lane jobs used by farmers, and the handfull of locals that live in the places accessed only by those roads. Meaning if you are with a large group getting around is difficult - larger than 12 +/-... All in all having a clear idea of what lies ahead will be a key element.

Okay it's time to ride


HR

ishiwata

Hard race to predict. Earlier in the year, you'd just say "Boonen." I'll go with Rebellin. For fun I'll throw Horner's name out there as a potential protaganist. Valverde is a good choice as well.

hombredesubaru

Its a cool race and definitely my favorite.
I hope Dekker wins but he'll have to go to the line alone or with one or two strong guys. (Erik Dekker)

The bunch will probably swallow up a break in the last ten kms, is my prediction.
The Valverde and Bettini will do the uphill sprint thing.
Cant wait.

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Hookyrider

current list of players:

http://www.amstelgoldrace.nl/index....f187d3b9&p=2092

Got out and did a little course recon today, the "civilian" tour version was going on today w/ 12,000 +/- cyclists clogging the roads. A perfect day. Ran across a couple of the young Credit Agicole guys with flats on their high zoot carbon wheels... I'll see about getting their photos tomorrow morning.

Rabo is clearly the "home town" favorite, and with a few of the names we've been hearing a lot of missing from the official start list - even last years winner isn't back, it should make for an exciting race!

HR