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Amstel Gold Race Discussion
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 07-12-2025 22:13
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| Marcovdw |
Posted on 01-03-2020 10:53
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 Amstel Gold Race
History
| Year | Winner | Team | | 2018 | Simone Ponzi | Hugo Boss | | 2017 | Peter Sagan | Moser - Sygic | | 2016 | Simone Ponzi | Kenya Airways - Dimension Data | | 2015 | Simone Ponzi | Good Energy | | 2014 | Yuri Trofimov | Tinkoff Credit Systems Bank | | 2013 | Edvald Boasson Hagen | Aker - MOT | | 2012 | Philippe Gilbert | Pendleton's Twicer | | 2011 | Edvald Boasson Hagen | Team B&O | | 2010 | Frank Schleck | Accumalux-Huez | | 2009 | Michael Boogerd | Philips - Hummel | | 2008 | Samuel Sánchez Gonazlez | Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team | | 2007 | Filippo Pozzato | AG2R Prevoyance |
The first leg of the Ardennes triplet, Amstel Gold Race. The premier Dutch one-day race goes into its thirteenth edition with a rich history of winners. Over the recent years, Ponzi has gone to record winner status with three wins out of the last four. Many puncheurs will look forward to this week, and the first race will give a nice indication of who is good this year and who isn't. The profile might be easier than La Fleche Wallone or Liège - Bastogne - Liège, but that doesn't make the race less difficult or less prestigious.
Profile
Since this is the Netherlands, we won't climb any mountains, but it's very hard to spot a flat road on this 256.9 kilometer race. The highest points are in the middle of the race, including the highest point of the (continental) Netherlands, the Vaalserberg at 322 meter. The quick succession of climbs in the final part: Eyserbosweg, Keutenberg and the final sprint up the Cauberg. The finish is at the top of this legendary climb.
Startlist
| Favorites | HL | ACC | RES | Outsiders | HL | ACC | RES |  Hagen | 85 | 79 | 74 |  Demare | 80 | 81 | 72 |  Ponzi | 84 | 80 | 72 |  Boswell | 80 | 76 | 73 |  Lutsenko | 83 | 81 | 73 |  Ulissi | 80 | 75 | 71 |  Bakelants | 83 | 77 | 77 |  Vakoc | 80 | 74 | 71 |  Mohoric | 83 | 77 | 72 |  Buchmann | 80 | 73 | 74 |  Skujins | 83 | 76 | 77 | Anuar Aziz | 80 | 69 | 71 |  Sagan | 83 | 76 | 74 |  Chernetskiy | 79 | 71 | 69 |  De Bie | 83 | 75 | 76 | Barbin | 78 | 76 | 73 | | Van Garderen | 82 | 79 | 75 | Moazemi | 78 | 73 | 72 |  Gastauer | 82 | 76 | 70 | Teuns | 78 | 72 | 73 |  Koretzky | 81 | 79 | 70 |  Watson | 78 | 72 | 72 |  McCarthy | 81 | 74 | 75 | Gerts | 78 | 70 | 80 |  Ginanni | 81 | 71 | 75 | Preidler | 78 | 69 | 77 |
The first favorite is the most recent winner, Ponzi. He's also the record holder with three wins, winning in 2015 and 2016 as well. He's determined to become a four-time winner.
Hagen is a two time winner, 2011 and 2013, and was the record holder until last year. He finished second to Ponzi last year, and hopes to bring the balance back to even again.
The only other former winner on the startlist is Sagan, winner of the 2017 edition. He won the Classique du Grand-Duché earlier this season, showing he is in form.
Bakelants has been close on many occasions, a second place in 2011 and 2012, a third place in 2017 and fourth place last year. Will we finally see the Belgian on the top step of the podium?
Van Garderen stood on the podium last year, behind Ponzi and Hagen in third. He's looking to improve on that result. His teammate Buchmann is great support and might score a very good result himself as well.
Two other riders have finished on the podium in the past, though we have to go back a bit further in time. Ginanni was second in 2016 while Gastauer finished third the year before. Both want to go back to those glory days.
Some riders have never finished on the podium here but that doesn't mean they should be discounted as favorites. Lutsenko for instance, who couldn't participate last time because he was in PCT, is a very good bet for at least a podium, maybe even the win.
Skujins has had many top ten finishes of the recent years, but can he finally take it to the next level? De Bie a rider who has never excelled here, a ninth place as best result, but should not be discarded. Mohoric finished 11th last year in his first ever outing in the race, now he has more experience and can aim for higher positions.
The list of outsiders goes on with names such as Koretzky, McCarthy, Boswell, Ulissi, Vakoc and Anuar Aziz all good bets for a top ten.
Demare is known as a great sprinter but he has quality over the hills as well. If the finish wasn't uphill he would be the prime favorite, now he has to stick with the front group before the last ascent of the Cauberg.
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| sgdanny |
Posted on 01-03-2020 11:13
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Classics Specialist
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Ponzi is back in action!
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 01-03-2020 11:26
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Watson won't do a thing, as always. Top-50 would actually be one of his better results, when riding as our leader.
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| roturn |
Posted on 01-03-2020 12:21
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Incredible depth in the hill terrain this season.
Even as 83 puncheur it can basically be anything inside the top10!
And then riders like Koretzky, Demare, Boswell, Ulissi, Ginanni, McCarthy are not even counted.
So goal with De Bie can only be to definitely reach the top10 with hope for a good day that can deliver him a top5 or even the win, which is unlikely to happen though with 2-3 stronger riders on paper alone. |
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| ember |
Posted on 01-03-2020 12:42
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This will be great to watch 
And also an interesting race, as this is, maybe together with the other Ardennes classics, the only hilly races where we won't see any great climber at the start. If the mountain stat counts for something here too, Ponzi has to be the favourite, but this is Amstel. Hoping for a EBH win here, must say it's surprising to see he hasn't won this race since back in 2013, his first season with us.
For us, we've got no expectations at all. Would be nice to see us join the breakaway. |
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| cio93 |
Posted on 02-03-2020 13:16
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It's impossible to predict what Demare will be able to do here on the new engine.
I didn't feel like there was a better way to spend his last two RDs anyway, with the other Ardennes races, Badaling and Lombardia being even harder, so it's a gamble that isn't required to pay off.
In case he can't handle the route, I hope that'll mean it's a much better fit for Arndt, who should be the tied best climber in the race with Formolo, and we can see him overperform as often before.
More than anything, positioning will be crucial as I expect many splits to appear over the sharp climbs and fast descents.
It will be hard to get a good AI treatment with the bib numbers #161 and #162 though.
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| DubbelDekker |
Posted on 02-03-2020 14:49
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Low expectations; a top 10 would already be a good result.
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| cio93 |
Posted on 02-03-2020 20:32
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Just as I expected, it's a continuation of the fucking joke that our cobbles campaign was, and I'm sick and tired of it.
We get dropped early, chase back, don't care to change our approach to the next climb, get dropped again, chase back again, until the elastic finally snaps for good, and then we can't even salvage the race slightly by at least finishing among the first of the "unfortunate" riders of the day. ARNDT OUTSIDE THE TOP 60!!
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 02-03-2020 20:38
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Can't believe we got a mention and didn't finish last... i'd be very happy to repeat that feat in the rest of the Ardennes because we're not going to do anything else 
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| roturn |
Posted on 02-03-2020 20:39
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Most positive here was De Bie being the first to attack at least trying to beat all those top puncheurs.
But as said before, the depth is just crazy and unfortunately in the end I got 8th or those 10 very similar riders, which hopefully improves a bit in the next classics.
My actual decent team mates all finishing way behind is not really good to see. Hugehaben, Eiking, Zardini, Thurau at least should try to make it a top50 or even top75. De Bie must have been isolated way too early.
Congrats to sgdanny for this nice win, which I did not expect against Hagen.
Thanks for this nice report. |
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 02-03-2020 20:39
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tsmoha wrote:
Watson won't do a thing, as always. Top-50 would actually be one of his better results, when riding as our leader.
56th 
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| sgdanny |
Posted on 02-03-2020 20:49
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Just an extremely awesome photoline finish and Ponzi does history with a 4th win here in Amstel. Also we got second hand points for the first time in our teams history? I honestly dont think we usually get anyone in secondary positions in races. We were participating in the control of the race and always responding to each attack. It's a strong field here and basically a lottery, well Ponzi shows otherwise, but could've been anyone really in the end. Good positioning prevailed
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| ember |
Posted on 02-03-2020 20:56
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Thank you for the report! Especially enjoyed the frequent use of the name of the hills, making the race feel realistic.
Good stuff from Siriwardena. The breakaway and a sneaky top 50, can't ask for more
Congratulations, sgdanny! Big win, and maybe a sign for what's to come going forward in the Ardennes. |
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| tastasol |
Posted on 02-03-2020 22:00
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Ponzi still got it! Congrats sgdanny
Happy to see Gillett in the break, and he did a good job by finishing 33rd, so good ride from him. Couldn't really expect more from a race like this.
Thanks for the report, Marco!
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 03-03-2020 08:22
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I'll take that from Boswell and Gerts
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| redordead |
Posted on 03-03-2020 08:39
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Great performance by Polanc
"I am a cyclist, I may not be the best, but that is what I strive to be. I may never get there, but I will never quit trying." - Tadej Pogačar
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 03-03-2020 15:29
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Awesome ride by Polanc and the full support, for the first time this season our helpers overachieved. Only god knows why.
Mohoric could and should have done better with perfect positioning from the teammates though.
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| DubbelDekker |
Posted on 03-03-2020 15:35
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As expected we simply didn't have a rider strong enough to be a top 10 contender here. So getting 15th, 16th and 18th is actually a good result.
Congrats sgdanny! This win makes Ponzi an Amstel Gold Race legend.
And thanks for the solid report, Marco
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| matt17br |
Posted on 03-03-2020 18:53
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Thank you Marco for the detailed report. And you can switch editions but Ponzi's a baaad man regardless, so massive congrats danny, nice to see your team shine.
Absolute joke of a performance from Ulissi. Can't believe how bad he's been this year so far, and that's with a much stronger support cast for the hills. Of course my team needing to chase the front split not once but twice made sure that everyone else was tired as hell so not even Teuns could contest a top 20 or something of that sort. Awful.
Worst race of the year so far. Onwards please.
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| OlegTinkov |
Posted on 04-03-2020 11:20
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The post-Trofimov era is no fun 
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