Velominati Super Prestige: Amstel Gold Race
Holland. Not known as a hilly country, this. I have relatives who live “at elevation” near the Kinderdijk, where I took this photo. They live at 3m above sea level. Right. Known more for wind than we are for hills, then. In fact, one of the many (many) interesting things about the Netherlands is that while most countries use windmills to grind grain, the Dutch use theirs to pump sea water out of what we call polders.
It’s a good thing I wasn’t involved in the planning of the dijk system back in the 11th Century when it was originally designed, because I would have completely overlooked the fact that once you build the dikes and pump the seawater out, it seeps right back in, the little bugger. It turns out that you need a mechanism to keep pumping the water out and back into the sea. Not so easy when you’re pumping the water from several meters below sea level, so the Dutch designed an ingenious system of tiered channels wherein the windmills power a water wheel that scoops water from a lower channel into a channel approximately 1 meter higher. Add more channels until you’re high enough to get it back out into the ocean. Then you sit back, pour yourself a luke-warm Pils, and let the ferocious wind do something more practical than turning cyclist into wind veins.
A fact often overlooked when painting the Netherlands with the “flat as a pancake” brush is our little provence of Limburg. The monkey’s tail of the country, it dips down into the south towards Belgium and into the fabled cycling hills of the Ardennes. The Ardenne are fascinating from a geological standpoint, of which I know almost nothing. When you stand at the top of these hills, the landscape looks almost like you’re standing on a plain. But between you and your neighbor a kilometer away lies a deep valley with short, brutally steep slopes. It seems as though these hills were originally a flat plain until heaps of water washed away all the softer bits and left the Ardennes behind. Between you, me, and the seatpost, this is about the best cycling country you can find in the world. But maybe someone else is onto this secret already. In fact, maybe that’s why they have so many great bike races here.
The Amstel Gold Race is the gateway drug into a three week massacre on the hills of the Ardennes. Amstel is the youngest of the classics, but by no means the easiest. This race used to finish in Maastricht, often in a small bunch sprint similar to MSR, until the organizers decided to move the finish to the top of the Cauberg outside the town of Valkenburg. A 1.5km stinger, a hill like this does not feel good when you’re off the front, trying to keep the lads breathing down your neck at bay.
Hard enough to exclude the sprinters, but not so hard the rouleurs don’t have a chance, this one is about as hard to call as they get – and I think a quick review of the scoring on the VSP thus far pretty clearly paints the picture that we collectively know fuckall about predicting races.
With that, we kick off the 2011 Velominati Super Prestige for the Amstel Gold Race. As usual, the winner of this VSP edition will earn an “Obey the Rules” bumper sticker and all reader’s points qualify towards the final prize of the free personalized Velominati Shop Apron. If you are inclined to enter, simply post your predictions for the top five placings in the designated area above the posts section, bearing in mind that entry/modification of picks closes at 5am Pacific time on the day of the race. Check the Super-Prestige main page for rules and scoring information.
A VSP Edition hardly seems complete without our requisite videos, and this time we have two. One of my nearly-namesake Frank Schleck (who’s about primed for another classics win, I would think), but the one below is actually my favorite Amstel finish; out on the original finish in Maastricht, Dekker was one of the coolest and schrewdestest riders of the last decade, and this one is a masterclass. After bridging up to Pharmstrong, he has the strength to contain Armstrongs attacks on the Cauberg and then sprints off the front to win.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAqIVanqbuw[/youtube]
Sadly this video cuts out the great attack by Pharmy which was contained by some generous helpings of Rule #5 being dished out by my boy Dekker. If anyone can find it, please point us to it.
Good luck.
VSP PICKS:
1. F Schleck
2. Phil Gil
3. Hesjedal
4. Leukemans
5. Di Gregorio
Devastated Cuddles is missing the Ardennes – the beating he handed Clenby on the Muur de Huy was spectacular. And what of Matty Lloyd? Could the Aussie purple patch be over?
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. S Sanchez
3. A Schleck
4. Cunego
5. F Schleck
@Marcus
I hope Lloyd makes a swift come back for sure.
It’s not the end of the world, but you can see it from there…
VSP PICKS:
1. F. Schleck
2. Cunego
3. Hesjedal
4. Vino
5. Chavanel
New picks…
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Cunego
3. Gesink
4. Rodrigez
5. Vinokourov
VSP PICKS:
1. Frank Shleck
2. Gilbert
3. Andy Shleck
4. Sanchez
5. Cancellara
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. S Sanchez
3. Vino
4. Cunego
5. F Schleck
@Brett
Muwahahaahaaaaa! one of my gonzo picks is gonna come good one day, and then you’ll never hear the end of it.
Not gonna lie, I’m a little surprised the little prince is getting so much play around here. when was the last time he had any form?
My outside pick is Gesink. He was great in Quebec.
VSP PICKS:
1. Kolobnev
2. Chavanel
3. Hesjedal
4. Cancellara
5. Gilbert
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Frank Schleck
3. Hesjedal
4. Gesink
5. Devolder
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Gesink
3. Nuyens
4. Leukamens
5. Kolobnev
VSP PICKS:
1. P. Gilbert
2. F. Schleck
3. A. Vinokourov
4. N. Nuyens
5. G. van Avermaet
@RedRanger
I’m with you, man. Ever since he got a rub-on tattoo that said “I’m doping free”, I have not been on board. If you’re going to make a statement, don’t you do something more permanent? Or, was he just saying, “I lose doping free.”
Alright. Time to get off the pot. I’m going with Gesink. My heart says to go for my nearly namesake, but I’ve got a feeling he will peak for La Doyenne. I’d love to see him win any of these three races, and he’s on form. If he stays on his bike, he will win one.
Gesink will put in one of his monster attacks, Ryder will go with him but get distanced just a bit, and Gilbert will do a classic “favorite’s last-minute move” but will lack what he needs to get to the man.
Just for shits, I’ll go with Koblonev for fourth and Grimpelder for fifth.
VSP PICKS:
1. Hometown Hero
2. Ryder on the Storm
3. Gibert
4. Koblonev
5. Grimpelder
@RedRanger
@frank
Yeah, the wee prince, he won Lombardy a while ago, like two or three years ago. That’s the last result of his I remember. Insert twatwaffle joke here…
running late again (birthday parties are horrible things)
VSP PICKS:
1. gilbert
2. can he go
3. devolder
4. gesink
5. spartacus
Just in time I think…
VSP PICKS:
1. Hesje
2. Gilbert
3. Frank
4. Can He Go?
5. Veino
actually…
VSP PICKS:
1. Hesje
2. Gilbert
3. Frank
4. Can He Go?
5. Chav
Hahahahaha! I was on the golf course and had to call my picks in to the Velominata, and she’s put it in on last year’s VSP entry. Tough life.
I’ll put it across to the ’11 version…
Right. Bring it on!
VSP PICKS:
1. Gilbert
2. Hesje
3. FrankS
4. Kreder
5. Cunego
VSP PICKS:
1. Thor
2. Gilbert
3. Chavanel
4. Sagan
5. Jens Voigt
Once again, proof that I know nothing about picking bike races.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan-wagan
2. Philbert Gillipe
3. Giovanni Visconti
4. Andy Schleck
5. Robert Gesink
And I even forgot my original top-5 pick…
VSP PICKS:
1. Sagan-wagan
2. Philbert Gillipe
3. Giovanni Visconti
4. Simon Gerrans
5. Robert Gesink
Live coverage starts here in an hour and a half.
Livestream from the site starts in 45 minutes.
Am I too late to change? Been agonizing about Canny GoGo. Wanna swap him out for Ryder. If too late, so be it.
VSP PICKS:
1. Philli Gilli
2. Whack ’em Rodriguez
3. Das Uberschlecker
4. Keep ’em Guessink
5. Ryder the Rider
@G’phant
Oh. Race has already started. Guess it IS too late to change.
VSP PICKS:
1. Philli Gilli
2. Whack ’em Rodriguez
3. Das Uberschlecker
4. Keep ’em Guessink
5. Ryder the Rider
Hello? Is this thing on? Anyone getting a video feed?
Rabobank is looking strong and confident. Very strong.
Doesn’t look like the English feed is up but I’m getting it in Flemish I think.
LL made riding off the front look so easy.
It was, the only ones doing work are his teammates.
I regret not putting 5 Raboriders in my VSP picks.
@RedRanger
@Netraam
can you guys give me the URL you are using. The Sporza links are not coming thru here in NYC.
@xyxax
Live coverage from the NOS, straight to my TV. I live in the Netherlands.
Perhaps this one works: http://www.amstelgoldrace.nl/live/
It’s Dutch, though.
http://sports-livez.com/channel/ch-3.php
I’m back from my Sunday group ride, today Madonna del Ghisallo. It’s just started the Italian coverage…
@Netraam
Thanks, apparently we are geographically unacceptable.
I have a dream that one day young boys and girls will be able to lift the bonds of their latitude and longitude and watch unrestricted live race feeds….
OK< now on Eurosport. cheers
in english http://www.fromsportcom.com/v-2/4/44/v-244497.html
@xyxax
You live in NYC? That used to be Dutch. They should make sure there is live coverage from the former motherland.
What were those 2 doing so far back? Schleck took Sparty out.
Where did the Rabobank go? I saw Tankink, but where is the rest?
never mind, found them. I don’t like the shirts they are using this race, they’re not standing out as much as they do in their normal kit.
What the heck happened to Ryder?
Where is every one?
@xyxax
I usually go to cyclingfans.com – they have links to all the live video feeds. I was watching the Eurosport stream in english but it kept stopping to re-buffer so I switched tot the Sporza feed in Flemish(?)
@ramenvelo
Not sure, didn’t look good at all today. Had to let go when the Rabo team started shaking.
@RedRanger
Probably watching the race, doing a race or sleeping.
Schleck has blown his load early, surprisingly Freire is still there.
@Mikeweb
Sporza is Flemish.
I must admit, there were a few surprises. Freire and Leukemans: I wouldn’t have guessed they could keep up this long. Gilbert: He won, even though I thought he wouldn’t.
Great race!