Yes it is a race named after a barely drinkable Dutch beer. I have enjoyed Amstel beer, brought to our table by a nice waitress, sitting outside in the Dutch spring. Atmosphere is everything. Do the Dutch brew awesome beer? I drank some good stuff in Amsterdam last spring but I’m pretty sure it was Belgian.
Now we begin the Ardennes three race-fest of Amstel, La Fléche Wallone and LBL. Peter Sagan has been resting up, Phil Gil is looking for his 2011 form (or his cortisone), Andy Schleck is suiting up for da ‘Shack. The big Spring Classic boys have moved on to the couch. They are not welcome here. Riding up to the start line now are the tough riders who can climb and climb again. Power to weight ratios must be honed to the razor’s edge to win these Ardennes races. Cancellara has talked of losing weight to be competitive in Liége-Bastogne-Liége. Just winning Ronde van Vlaanderen does not qualify you to win in the Ardennes races. Unless your first name was Edddy and last name Merckx.
Enjoy the start list. The betting window is open. Do not let Pedro Delgado sit on your couch.
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@Asyax No it's a thing called the UCWT - a UCI-approved series of events around the world that earn qualificiation to a Masters world championship in the summer, which is being held in Italy. You have to finish in the top 10% to get a place.
it wasn't the V kit - it was our Dubai team kit someone recognised, but I guess it wasn't you.
I'm just always surprised by the number of people one can bump into who read or know of the Velominati site, when if you look at the regular posters you'd think it was no more than a few hundred people.
@Sauterelle That's some funny
@Sauterelle
That's some funny shit right there.
Ha ha ha, Damn it.......2nd place to out the top ten in one foul swoop.....
Didn't even have time to pinch the podium girls arse before being thrown off the stage like one of Hinault's favorite supporters...
My third Delgado in four weeks. I think I'm going to enjoy the rest of the VSP this year from the sidelines, drinking Maltenis and yelling obscenities.
@The Oracle
No, no, no! You have to stay in the game! I owe you beer from last year and if you drop out that means we don't have the opportunity to even the VSP competition or even let you go 2 up. Given my form lately ( I swapped out Valverde from the Amstel VSP at the last minute) you can catch up - there's long way to go. Pulling out now would be a real Schlecky thing to do.
@ChrisO
At the end of our Toronto Cogal, which finished at the Royal York hotel in downtown Toronto, we found ourselves in the way of a limo trying to do a three-point turn (call it an eight-point turn; we couldn't work out what it was trying to do). The doorman kept calling for us to move, but it wasn't clear where we could move to. After the limo pulled out, the doorman started to come over. Big, strapping guy. We thought he was going to get us to move on. Turns out, he's a fan of the site (he came over after recognizing the V-kit) and an avid cyclist himself. The following evening, he helped me load a couple of bikes into my car for the trip home and might join us on the next Cogal. Like you said: it's amazing how many people recognize the site...
Couple of pics from Sunday.. The 'Broom Wagon' has brooms attached..
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The atmosphere at Amstel is way more relaxed then holy cobbles week. Roads were open right up to 10mins before and even between the breakaway and peloton. People riding / driving up the climbs. One old dude was going up on his mobility scooter; a good 3km out of the main village!
@wiscot
Could we make this a verb? Too Shleck- give up, pull out, quit? Is five times already this season?