Velominati Super Prestige: Womens Amstel Gold Race 2017

Into the Ardennes we go

It’s funny how national borders seem to disappear when it comes to bike racing. The Netherlands and Belgium have had a long-lasting sibling rivalry, and I’m sure Belgium has held a similar rivalry with France. Yet when it comes to the Classics, it seems Belgium happily lays claim to the northern bit of France as well as the monkey’s tail of The Netherlands.

And, while the French Belgians haven’t yet added a Women’s Paris-Roubaix, the Dutch Belgians have, and it this year it sets the stage for a guns-a-blazing finale over the Cauberg into Maastricht.

The women’s classics season so far has not been terribly predictable, and I don’t expect that to change on Sunday. So prognosticate on the start list, get your picks in by the time the countdown timer becomes a donut, and good luck!

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frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

Phillip Mercer says:

Apr 15 2017 at 3:07 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Marianne Vos
2. Eleonora Van Dijk
3. Anna van der Breggen
4. Annemiek van Vleuten
5. Elena Cecchini
Quadzilla says:

Apr 15 2017 at 5:29 am
ummmmm no idea but should be a cracking race if we actually get to see any of it.

VSP PICKS:
1. van Vleuten
2. Anna van der Bruggen
3. Borghini
4. Deignan
5. Elvin
Clingon says:

Apr 15 2017 at 5:39 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Kasia Niewiadoma
2. Elisa Longo Borghini
3. Anna van der Breggen
4. Coryn Rivera
5. Elena Cecchini
mulebeatsdrums says:

Apr 15 2017 at 6:53 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Annamiek Van Vleuten
2. Chantal Blaak
3. Anna Van Der Breggen
4. Trixi Worrack
5. Marianne Vos
tony macaroni says:

Apr 15 2017 at 8:59 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Anna Van der Breggen
2. Gracie Elvin
3. K. Niewiadoma
4. Elisa Longo Borghini
5. E. Deignan
Haldy says:

Apr 15 2017 at 9:35 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Van Vleuten
2. Van Der Breggen
3. Blaak
4. Cecchini
5. Rivera
ErikdR says:

Apr 15 2017 at 11:32 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Chantal Blaak
2. Anna van der Breggen
3. Gracie Elvin
4. Annemiek van Vleuten
5. Elizabeth Deignan
Lebowski Achiever says:

Apr 15 2017 at 11:44 am
VSP PICKS:
1. Longo Borghini
2. Rivera
3. van der Breggen
4. Niewiadoma
5. Rivera
xyxax says:

Apr 15 2017 at 12:02 pm
Hope we get the video. I haven't seen the women race all year.

VSP PICKS:
1. Rootin' Tootin' Van Vleuten
2. ELB
3. Kasia Niewiadoma
4. Anna van der Breggen
5. Elena Cecchini
LeoTea says:

Apr 15 2017 at 3:19 pm
VSP PICKS:
1. Coryn Rivera
2. Anna van der Breggen
3. Marianne Vos
4. Chantal Blaak
5. PFP