The Cycliste Moderne, April 15, 2005

Amstel Gold Preview

Amazingly, there is only one significant race in the cycling-mad Netherlands: the Amstel Gold Race. Amazingly, it is less than forty years old. Amazingly, the organizers of the Amstel Gold Race have managed to find thirty-one (31) short but steep climbs in the Limburg region of the Netherlands to challenge the peleton. Amazingly, no Spanish rider has ever won the Amstel Gold Race. (Wait – that is not really amazing).

Commencing in Maastricht, the Amstel Gold Race makes three loops through the extreme southeastern corner of the Netherlands, crossing briefly into Belgium before finishing on the slopes of the Cauberg above the resort town of Valkenburg. It is a short but difficult climb that the peleton goes over three times in the course of the day.

The Amstel Gold Race is everything you would expect from a Dutch race. Dutch cyclists have been very successful; since the inception of the Race, 26 editions of the Race have had at least one Dutch rider on the podium. Dutch great Jan Raas turned it into the “Amstel Gold Raas” with five wins between 1977 and 1982. A Dutch brewery sponsors the Race.

I visited the Cauberg on a bright day last November. Even though the sky was blue, the trees lining the route make the Cauberg seem darker and more imposing than it really is. I quickly realized that the Cauberg is neither the Koppenberg nor the Arenburg Forest. Cars race up and down the Cauberg because it is located along the major road between Valkenburg and Maastricht. You know you are truly in the Netherlands when you see the painted bike lane on both sides of the wide and smooth road. When you reach the top of the Cauberg, you discover large parking lots that serve the casino and spa located on both sides of the road.

Although the Cauberg is not the most difficult climb the peleton will confront during the Northern Classics, the race rarely ends in a sprint finish for a reason. Thirty-one climbs take their toll and the roll of winners indicates that it is a race suited for strong all-around riders. This year’s start list is devoid any names we have seen race throughout Belgium and France over the last three weeks.

Last year, Italian Davide Rebellin of Gerolsteiner became the first man ever to win the three hilly classics that take place at the end of the northern campaign during the same year: Amstel Gold Race, Fleche Wallone, and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. What made that feat more incredible is the fact that he did it in the span of one week. Rebellin has to be the favorite again this year. Notwithstanding his excellent one-day results last year, Rebellin was not selected for the Italian National Team for either the Olympics or the World Championships. He was so bitter, in fact, that he attempted to obtain Argentine citizenship in advance of last year’s World Championships.

The Dutch riders are always motivated to perform at the Amstel Gold Race. Michael Boogerd and Erik Dekker of Rabobank are both past winners. Leon Van Bon of Davitamon-Lotto was strong last week and although he has never finished on the podium, he could have a good day. This is the type of race that also favors Quick.Step’s Paolo Bettini.

My dark horse for the Amstel Gold Race is anyone from T-Mobile. T-Mobile is probably sending the strongest team of any of the ProTour teams competing in the Amstel Gold Race. It has entered riders who have previously won the race, in Alexander Vinokourov, or who are capable of winning this type of race in Andreas Klier, Erik Zabel, Steffen Wesemann, Matthias Kessler, and Rolf Aldag. That said, it will be interesting to see if T-Mobile can overcome its poor showing this Spring, a result that has been entirely self-inflicted.