1. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Gewiss 5.55.36 (42,688 km/h) 2. Mauro Bettin (Ita) Refin-Mobilvetta + 0.22 3. Johan Museeuw (Bel) Mapei-GB 4. Alexander Gontchenkov (Ukr) Roslotto-ZG 5. Fabiano Fontanelli (Ita) MG-Technogym 6. Andrej Tchmil (Ukr) Lotto 7. Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) Festina 8. Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Mapei-GB 9. Jens Heppner (Ger) Telekom 10. Beat Zberg (Sch) Carrera 11. Rolf Sorensen (Den) Rabobank 12. Claudio Chiappucci (Ita) Carrera 13. Marcos Serrano (Spa) Kelme 14. Maurizio Fondriest (Ita) Roslotto-ZG 15. Gabriele Missaglia (Ita) San Marco Group 16. Vjatjeslav Ekimov (Rus) Rabobank 17. Lance Armstrong (USA) Motorola 18. Andrea Peron (Ita) Motorola 19. Enrico Zaina (Ita) Carrera 20. Bjarne Riis (Den) Telekom 21. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei-GB 22. Zenon Jaskula (Pol) Brescialat 23. Gianni Faresin (Ita) Panaria-Vinavil 24. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Motorola 25. Franco Ballerini (Ita) Mapei-GB 26. Miguel Indurain (Spa) Banesto 27. Gianni Bugno (Ita) MG-Technogym 28. Michele Bartoli (Ita) MG-Technogym all s.t. 29. Axel Merckx (Bel) Motorola + 1.06 30. Stefano Cattai (Ita) Roslotto-ZG 31. Davide Rebellin (Ita) Team Polti + 1.11 32. Pascal Herve (Fra) Festina 33. Franck Corvers (Bel) Lotto 34. Bruno Thibout (Fra) Motorola 35. Laurent Dufaux (Sch) Festina + 1.14 36. Daniele Nardello (Ita) Mapei-GB 37. Antonio Santaromita (Ita) Gewiss 39. Fabrizio Bontempi (Ita) Brescialat 40. Mariano Piccoli (Ita) Brescialat 41. Roux 42. Faustini 43. Salmon 44. Virenque 45. Saligari 46. Furlan 47. J. Dominguez all s.t. 48. Puttini + 1.36 49. Escartin 50. Piepoli 51. Gonzalez Arrieta 52. Cenghialta 53. Brignoli 54. Heulot all s.t. 55. Dotti + 2.05 56. Colage s.t. 57. Den Bakker + 2.19 58. Van Petegem s.t 59. K. Garcia + 2.34 60. Hamburger 61. Holm 62. Aldag 63. Meinert 64. Gianetti 65. Massi all s.t. 66. Brochard + 3.19 67. Boogerd + 3.46 68. Van der Steen s.t 69. Zen + 7.34 70. Outschakov +11.52 71. Calzavera s.t. 72. Verbeken +13.56 73. Verheyen 74. Meijs 75. Van Bon 76. Voskamp 77. Sgnaolin 78. Breukink 79. Van de Wouwer 80. Zanette 81. Tieteriouk 82. S. Blanco 83. Della Vedova 84. Edo all s.t. (194 starters, 84 classifed)Race Report
The course: 28 classified climbs in the 253km from Herlen to Maastricht, five of which are in Belgium. The steepest climbs are the Kruisberg (km168) and the Cauberg (km192).The last climb, the Pietersberg, with 900m of climbing, is 5km from the finish.
The weather on the day: fine and hot
An early attack by Scott Sunderland (Australia, Lotto) was followed by attempts at breaks by Stefano Colage (It, Refin) and Laurent Roux (Fr, TVM). Then three riders - Sergei Outschakov Ukr, Polti), Ramon Gonzalez-Arrieta (Sp, Banesto) and Laurent Madouas (Fr, Motorola) got away briefly. On twisty, up and-down roads where security wasn't always complete (cars were approaching in the opposite direction to the race), Andrea Brognara (It, Gewiss) injured his wrist and later Madouas crashed, suffering bruising.
72km from the finish a four-man break got away (Lance Armstrong, USA, Motorola; Davide Rebellin, It, Polti; Stephane Heulot, Fr, Festina); Rodolfo Massi, It, Refin) which after 19 climbs had been completed had built a lead of 30 seconds over a main peloton of about 40 which had Miguel Indurain (Sp, Banesto) at its tail.
On the Cauberg (192km) nine additional riders got up the break, including Alexandre Gontchenkov Ukr, Roslotto) who attacked. Armstrong immediately counter-attacked and with 60km to go the pair got away with Beat Zberg (Swi, Carrera) and Massi. They were caught 4km later. A number of other attacks followed [only one mentioned!]--Didier Rous (Fr, GAN) got away for a few kilometres. The last time through Maastricht (km200), the lead group was down to 30 riders.
Johan Museeuw (Bel, Mapei-GB) was at the head of the peloton when it began the climb of the Pietersberg (km206), where Richard Virenque (Fr, Festina) launched an attack. He pulled out 16 secs on Rolf Sorensen (Den, Rabobank), Zberg and Andrea
Peron (It, Motorola). Gontchenkov and then Zberg pulled themselves up to Virenque on the Muezenberg (km214). Behind these three, Axel Merckx (Bel, Motorola) was very active.
33km from the finish the lead group of three was joined by Museeuw, Peron, Gabriele Missaglia (It, San Marco), Sorensen, Jens Heppner (Ger, Telekom), Merckx and Stefano Zanini (It, Gewiss). Immediately Sorensen, Missaglia and Peron went away and the gap to the next riders grew to 40 seconds. Museeuw tried two attacks, the second at Haccourt (km231).
Heppner also had a go at the foot of the Halembaye climb. Then Zberg also attacked, causing Virenque and Heppner to slip off the back. Zanini's was the crucial attack, Museeuw settled down and the Italian went off alone, catching Sorensen, Missaglia and Peron and dropping them on the cote de Saint-Pierre (km241)
With Zanini away and behind him Missaglia, Peron and Sorensen, the small chase group, including Indurain, came together. But with 10k to go Gianluca Bortolami (It, Mapei), Bettin, Maurizio Fondriest (It, Roslotto) and Gianni Bugno (It, MG) attacked out of the chasers to catch Missaglia, Peron and Sorensen. On the front of the peloton Festina worked hard to try to catch Zanini and these seven counter-attackers. But Zanini, who had 43 secs with 7km to go, finished alone.
World cup standings after Amstel Gold Race:
1. Johan Museeuw (Bel) Mapei-GB 112 pts 2. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Gewiss 88 3. Alexander Gontchenkov (Ukr) Roslotto 67 4. Gabriele Colombo (Ita) Gewiss 58 5. Andrej Tchmil (Ukr) Lotto 56 6. Michele Bartoli (Ita) MG-Technogym 55 7. Fabiano Fontanelli (Ita) MG-Technogym 54 8. Fabio Baldato (Ita) MG-Technogym 51 9. Pascal Richard (Sch) MG-Technogym 50 10. Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Mapei-GB 47 11. Lance Armstrong (USA) Motorola 41 12. Mauro Bettin (Ita) Refin-Mobilvetta 35 13. Vjatjeslav Ekimov (Rus) Rabobank 32 14. Rolf Sorensen (Den) Rabobank 26 15. Michele Coppolillo (Ita) MG-Technogym 25 Andrea Tafi (Ita) Mapei-GB 25 Mauro Gianetti (Sch) Team Polti 25 18. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina 24 19. Maximilian Sciandri (Eng) Motorola 20 Laurent Madouas (Fra) Motorola 20 21. Franco Ballerini (Ita) Mapei-GB 18 22. Davide Rebellin (Ita) Team Polti 16 23. Brian Holm (Den) Telekom 14 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Saeco 14 Axel Merckx (Bel) Motorola 14 Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) Festina 14 27. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina 12 28. Francis Moreau (Fra) Gan 10 Jens Heppner (Ger) Telekom 10 30. Peter Van Petegem (Bel) TVM 8 Marco Milesi (Ita) Brescialat 8 Beat Zberg (Sch) Carrera 8 33. Gabriele Missaglia (Ita) San Marco Group 6 Wilfried Peeters (Bel) Mapei-GB 6 Pascal Herve (Fra) Festina 6 36. Tristan Hoffman (Ned) TVM 5 Abraham Olano (Spa) Mapei-GB 5 Gianluca Pianegonda (Ita) Team Polti 5 Claudio Chiappucci (Ita) Carrera 5Team standings:
1. Mapei-GB (Ita) 40 pts 2. MG-Technogym (Ita) 39 3. Motorola (USA) 35 4. Festina-Lotus (And) 29 5. Telekom (Ger) 21 6. Roslotto-ZG (Rus) 19 7. Gewiss-Playbus (Ita) 18 8. Lotto (Bel) 15 9. Carrera (Ita) 14 10. Team Polti (Ita) 11 Coming up in the World Cup: Clasica San Sebastian August 10 Leeds International Classic (Eng) August 18 Grand Prix Suisse (Sch) August 25 Paris-Tours (Fra) October 6 Giro di Lombardia (Ita) October 19 Japan Cup (Jap) October 27