31th Amstel Gold Race, 263 km:


Complete Results
Full Race Report

Complete Results

  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             5

Team 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