42nd Amstel Gold Race - PT

Netherlands, April 22, 2007

Live schedule

This Sunday Cyclingnews will be covering the 42nd Amstel Gold Race live. Coverage begins around 10:30 local European time (CEST)/ 4:30 (USA East)/ 19:30 Australia (EST) - also on WAP-enabled mobile devices at http://live.cyclingnews.com/wap/

10:21 CEST   
Hello and welcome back to Cyclingnews' Live coverage of the Amstel Gold race, coming to you out of our legendary blimp hovering over the town of Maastricht in the Dutch province of Limburg. The first of the two ProTour races held in the Netherlands is the first of the three Ardennes classics that await us in the next few days, and will definitely show who's hot and who's not for end of the Spring classics season - contested on asphalt rather than cobbles, and much more suited to versatile climbers than power 'rouleurs'.

The riders of the pro cycling circus have gathered on the Markt place in Maastricht, close to the German border, and are currently signing in for the 252.2 kilometre journey to Valkenburg, which will make them tackle the famous, all-decisive Cauberg three times during the race. But there are a total of 31 climbs on the schedule today, so the racing will be nervous for the whole of the event.

10:43 CEST   
Temperatures are up already to a nice 23° Celsius, and with no cloud around in the sky, the Dutch countryside will be heating up to 27° later on in the day. There is practically no wind as the riders roll outside of Maastricht, starting the race now.

Last year's winner Fränk Schleck and his powerful team CSC will be doing everything to keep the tile within the Danish squad, as die-hard German Jens Voigt announced this morning that he would be on the attack again today...

10:52 CEST   
But the Italians and Spaniards are also in contention for the victory. Especially Alejandro Valverde would love to add this race to his palmarès after he scored the other two of the Ardennes classics last year already. Not to speak of four-times second Michael Boogerd, for whom a second victory of the Amstel Gold has become an essential leitmotiv of his career, which the Dutchman will end after this season.

10:52 CEST   
But the Italians and Spaniards are also in contention for the victory. Especially Alejandro Valverde would love to add this race to his palmarès after he scored the other two of the Ardennes classics last year already. Not to speak of four-times second Michael Boogerd, for whom a second victory of the Amstel Gold has become an essential leitmotiv of his career, which the Dutchman will end after this season.

11:04 CEST   
Dutch team Rabobank is believed to be considering CSC rider Karsten Kroon as a possible transfer, which would see the Dutchman fill the position vacated by Boogerd in the future. "I'm flattered, especially because it's Rabobank, but this is not the moment to think about this," Kroon told Cyclingnews' Brecht Decaluwé yesterday in an exclusive interview. "I have the biggest respect for Michael and I would immediately sign for a palmarès like his. He has 51 wins and I have eight, that says enough."

Last year Kroon finished fourth in Valkenburg after dominating the finale together with teammate Fränk Schleck; the most remarkable race move was an attack on the Eyserbosweg. "Attacking on the Eyserbosweg was a great sensation, as all favourites were lined up near the front," Kroon said. "The climb gets steeper at the end so you can't go too early but halfway Bjarne [Riis] was shouting through the radio 'go!go!go!'. But I know the climb so I knew where to attack." Teammate Fränk Schleck eventually sneaked away and could solo to his first classic while being protected at the back by Kroon, who missed his chance of victory.

11:11 CEST    32km/220km to go
As the peloton takes on the third climb of today, the Lange Raarberg, riders continue to try and jump away from the bunch, but at the moment, it's still all together.

11:16 CEST   
Regarding the last race of his team leader Michael Boogerd, Rabobank DS Erik Dekker was realistic. "There are other riders who can step forward for us in these races, but if you're looking for a follow-up for Boogerd, then we can wait a long time," he told Cyclingnews at the start this morning.

Boogerd himself didn't think this year's start wasn't different to his other participations. "It's still the same situation: I'm nervous. We're going to try everything to make it a great race," he said while receiving applause at the start in sunny Maastricht.

11:21 CEST   
Rabobank's Oscar Freire was hopeful that his form and good health would pay off again during this spring: "I'm aiming for the first position in this important race. My form is good," he told Cyclingnews.

Teammate Juan-Antonio Flecha will be assuring a different role in the Amstel Gold Race than he had in Paris-Roubaix. "I know this is not my race so I have different tactics: giving my wheel if necessary or getting water bottles," Flecha said this morning. Team leader Boogerd can definitely count of first-class support today!

11:34 CEST   
In the first hour of racing, the bunch has covered 47.5 km - that is pretty fast considering the hilly parcours. A first breakaway meanwhile seems to have established itself, with Nick Ingels (Predictor), Olivier Bonnaire (Bouygues), Tom Stubbe (Chocolade Jacques), Daniel Musiol (Wiesenhof) and Piet Rooijakkers (Skil) off the front with an advantage of 1.15 minutes, and rapidly increasing.

11:40 CEST   
Cyclingnews' Shane Stokes also spoke to CSC's Fränk Schleck yesterday, and asked him what it was like to wear race number one. The thin Luxemburger explained his view of the team's tactics, and also commented on his overall career.

11:47 CEST    58km/194km to go
The gap has increased to 5 minutes... this breakaway of five men seems to do the trick, as there are no really dangerous riders in it. At the back of the bunch, many riders are taking off their excessive jerseys now, as the midday sun heats up the tarmac.

The bunch is coming up to the fifth climb of the day now, the Sibbergrubbe.

Situation

• Nick Ingels (Predictor), Olivier Bonnaire (Bouygues), Tom Stubbe (Chocolade Jacques), Daniel Musiol (Wiesenhof), Piet Rooijakkers (Skil)
• Peloton at 5.00

11:50 CEST   
Besides Rabobank and CSC, team Astana also has some aces up its sleeve today, but Russian Sergey Ivanov was confronted with heel problems in the Tour of Flanders. "I'm still bothered with them but my shape is 100 percent. Today we [Astana] have Kessler and myself as team leaders," Ivanov told us. When asked about his tactics for today Ivanov knew the trick: "It's very important to get past Boogerd or you will never be first..." he smiled.

Team leader Matthias Kessler said to Cyclingnews' Brecht Decaluwé that he was a little sick in the Basque Country. "It's still possible to go well as this is a one day race," Kessler said. Referring to the win of his friend Alexander Vinokourov in 2003, the German started smiling. "If I have his legs then I have a good chance to win the race," he added.

11:57 CEST   
Josep Jufre (Predictor-Lotto), teammate of one of the breakaways, Nick Ingels, was realistic about his squad's chances today. "We don't have a real team leader as Leukemans isn't at the start," he said. "For me an important period of the season is starting, so I hope to get a good result in the classics and hopefully we can get some stage wins in the Giro."

12:04 CEST   
The riders are on their way back to Maastricht now, climbing the Cauberg where some of the decisive action is expected later today.

Gerolsteiner's Stefan Schumacher was one of the pre-race favourites, but this morning he said to Cyclingnews' Brecht Decaluwé that he was only an outsider. "I crashed in the last stage in the Basque Country needing 12 stitches. So my preparation isn't perfect although during training I wasn't bothered with it. Due to this setback I'm very relaxed but it's still an important race for me," he said.

12:16 CEST   
The breakaway is still increasing its advantage: 8.30 minutes are reached now. Rabobank and Caisse d'Epargne are working at the front of the pack, holding the five riders on a loose leash as they leave Maastricht once again.

12:22 CEST    83km/169km to go
The leaders now approach the Wolfsberg, the 7th climb of the parcours. In a few clicks, around km 99, they will pass through the first feed zone, where their soigneurs are already waiting for them.

12:31 CEST   
Title defender Fränk Schleck also explained to Cyclingnews that one of the most decisive moments in the race was the 28th climb, the Eyserbosweg with 21 kilometres to go. "I expect a very hard race, and then the final, of course, it will start with the Kruisberg (km 230), then after on the Eyserbosweg (km 231), where we expect Michael [Boogerd] to attack. Everybody expects him to go there, it is his climb," he said.

But first, this breakaway needs to get caught, and the bunch is taking things easy at the moment.

12:47 CEST   
Statistically, it will not be easy for Schleck to double his victory at the Amstel Gold race today. Since 1980, when Jan Raas won for the fourth consecutive time, nobody achieved to win more twice in a row anymore.

If Alejandro Valverde takes the victory today, he would be the first Spaniard to win this race since its creation in 1966.

12:52 CEST   
One of the five leaders, Olivier Bonnaire from Bouygues Telecom, changed his bike at the feed zone. They still have some road ahead of them!

13:04 CEST   
Cyclingnews' Brecht Decaluwé and Shane Stokes report huge amounts of spectators from the course, cheering the riders on as they have left behind Valkenburg, where they will return for the race finale later. There have been a few minor crashes since the bunch left Maastricht this morning, but nothing serious.

13:17 CEST   
Lampre's Enrico Franzoi had a great Paris-Roubaix, but we wondered what he was doing at the start of the Amstel Gold Race this morning. "From now on I prepare for cyclo-cross on the road until the Dauphiné. Today I want to finish, nothing more. Paris-Roubaix was great for me and I think I can do better in the future," Franzoi explained to Cyclingnews.

13:23 CEST   
The gap to the leaders has slightly decreased to 7.40 minutes now, who are currently crossing the border to Germany for a few kilometres. The riders will return on Dutch soil after climb #12, the Gemmenich.

13:44 CEST   
Daniel Musiol, the German within the breakaway, is in good form right now; he got ninth in the Scheldeprijs on Wednesday. The 24 year-old started his career with Wiesenhof in 2005, and returned to the German Continental Pro team this season after spending last year with Milram.

We have uploaded some pictures of the race start in Maastricht, if you want to take a look...

14:20 CEST   
CSC is leading the chase on the five escapees. The roads that mark the Amstel Gold are very narrow and make it seem as those these riders are flying along even faster then they are.

14:23 CEST   
The escape will have a hard time of getting to finish due to the composition. None of the major teams are represented; the escape could have used a rider from Rabobank, Caisse, CSC or Quickstep to ensure success.

14:24 CEST   
Cofidis is added muscle to the chase. What a beautiful day here in Holland.

14:26 CEST   
The second ascent of the Cauberg is on its way. The climb is covered three times today; the second coming at kilometre 175 and the last being the finish, kilometre 251.

14:30 CEST   
The riders are strung out here under the pressure of CSC and Rabobank. The gap to the five is falling and, once caught, we should soon see some counter-attacks.

At the start all of the riders interviewed mentioned Valverde as a hot favourite. The Spaniard missed out on the Amstel win in 2006, but pulled off wins in Flèche Wallonne and Liège.

14:33 CEST   
The main pack has covered climb number 18, the St. Remigiusstraat: Huls

14:34 CEST   
David López García (Caisse d'Epargne) just rammed the back-end of an Ag2R rider. It was the result of a moment of inattention. He is back up and riding.

14:36 CEST   
"I am still having some problems with my knee after Pays Basques," said Michael Rogers (T-Mobile) to Cyclingnews at the start. "I bashed it pretty hard. I fell when I hit a rock on the road. I didn't see it and hit it, coming down pretty hard.

"I am pretty happy with my form so far. I wasn't too bad in Pays Basques – the level was really high there. We will see how it goes today. I haven't an idea what to expect, really.

Are you targeting these races, this and the Ardennes Classics? "Well, I like to ride well. It is not as if my whole season is based around these. I am looking to do well in Romandie next week. So we will see how it goes.

"We have quite a strong team here. Nobody really stands out but I think the whole level is quite high. Morale is pretty high after the good performances lately. We are really starting to get it going now."

14:40 CEST   
Bram Tankink (Quickstep-Innergetic) stops for a natural break but, lost in the confusion, Pierre Drancourt (Bouygues Telecom) hits the deck right by his legs. Drancourt was not hurt nor was he caught in Tankink's path. They are both chasing back on now.

14:43 CEST   
Liquigas and Caisse are on the front of the peloton. The gap has fallen and is now at 4'10".

14:45 CEST    175km/77km to go
The five are starting the second ascent of the Cauberg. Tom Stubbe (Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen) leads and he is followed by Daniel Musiol (Wiesenhof-Felt).

14:48 CEST   
The crowds are thick here in Holland. The last big race through here was stage three of the Tour de France. In July, Amstel race favourite Valverde crashed out of the Tour in this same area.

Many fans are supporting Michael Boogerd. Recently, the Dutchman announced his retirement from the sport. He will retire at the end of this year, making this Amstel his last. He has won once and appeared on the podium more times than we can remember.

14:51 CEST   
The main pack has reached the base of climb 21, the Cauberg. The sun is beating down and is making for a great day of race watching for the fans. Paolo Bettini is right up at the front in his World Champ jersey. Kim Kirchen (T-Mobile) and Erik Zabel (Milram) are there as well.

14:53 CEST    179km/73km to go
Egoi Martínez (Discovery Channel) crashes right by the team busses. His team is right there to help him. He is grabbing on to the water bottles while trying to get back on the back of the main pack, which is now around 73 kilometres to go.

14:55 CEST   
T-Mobile is digging into its feed-bags. It is time to fuel up for the finale of this Classic.
Full team for today:
121 Thomas Ziegler (Ger)
122 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger)
123 Michael Rogers (Aus)
124 Marcus Burghardt (Ger)
125 Andreas Klier (Ger)
126 Kim Kirchen (Lux)
127 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita)
128 Michael Barry (Can)

14:56 CEST   
Johan Coenen (Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen) has a dig off the front of the peloton but he quickly sits up. It does not look too serious.

14:57 CEST   
We have just got word that Matthé Pronk (Unibet.com) and Lars Bak (Team CSC) have abandoned the race. They took the opportunity to stop as the race made its way past the team buses.

15:01 CEST   
Liquigas is digging hard for 'The Killer,' Danilo Di Luca. He won this race in 2005 and is on form for this season, already winning a stage in Coppi e Bartali and Milano-Torino.

15:04 CEST    183km/69km to go
The race has entered the Maastricht area, where it started early this morning. The roads are very tight here. A source has informed us that the riders are covering the 252 kilometres in a land space of 25 sq kilometres. That means a parcours that twists and turns on itself.

15:08 CEST   
Christophe Moreau (Ag2r Prévoyance) is lagging off the back. The pace is really heating up here under the power of Liquigas.

Piet Rooijakkers (Skil-Shimano) is working well with the other escapees. He is checking his jersey for food, making sure everything is in place. His time is numbered, he will soon be caught; the gap is just over three minutes.

15:13 CEST   
Nick Ingels (Predictor-Lotto) is now back in the peloton, he was dropped about 50 minutes ago, around kilometre 152. The escape is down to four riders.

15:15 CEST   
Fumiyuki Beppu (Discovery Channel) is at the back of the peloton signaling for water. His left calf is bandaged but still looks very cool in his Japanese national jersey. The team will be happy from the good news in the USA. Janez Brajkovic (Discovery Channel) leads the race with one stage to go.

15:17 CEST    192km/60km to go
The race has hit climb number 23, the Bemelerberg.

15:20 CEST   
CSC is blowing apart the race. The gap is now at 2'00". The boys are getting help from Caisse; it is a completely black and red affair on the front of the peloton.

Jens Voigt (Team CSC)
Photo ©: Elmar Krings

15:21 CEST   
Before the Danish and Spanish teams took over it was Kjell Carlström (Liquigas) doing a HUGE turn for Di Luca.

The race is heading down the back of climb 23. It is completely green and very pretty.

15:22 CEST   
Jens Voigt (Team CSC) puts in a dig to soften the peloton for his leaders. He is off the front by 5".

15:28 CEST   
The six has caught the four leaders. Tom Stubbe (Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen) is right off the back.

15:29 CEST   
Daniele Righi (Lampre-Fondital), Jens Voigt (Team CSC), Steffen Wesemann (Wiesenhof-Felt) have formed a small move to chase up to the leaders. Caisse is chasing.

Fränk Schleck (Team CSC) has crashed hard! His race looks over.

15:31 CEST    209km/43km to go
He is being helped by 1996 Tour winner Bjarne Riis. The race is moving on quickly without him. It is to bad to lose the returning champion in such a sad manner.

15:33 CEST   
Piet Rooijakkers (Skil-Shimano) is the fourth rider with Daniele Righi (Lampre-Fondital), Jens Voigt (Team CSC) and Steffen Wesemann (Wiesenhof-Felt). The first group of six riders has been caught. The race is really forming here.

15:36 CEST   
Schleck is back up and riding. He is trying to catch back on to the peloton while his bike is being serviced. He will hope to save himself for the Liège, next Sunday.

The race has entered Mheer.

15:37 CEST   
Team Manager Riis is helping clean some of Schleck's wounds. The young sensation of 2006 is chasing on his own. He will just want to keep riding for form but not risk his chances in the following Ardennes Classics.

15:41 CEST   
Our new leaders, Piet Rooijakkers (Skil-Shimano), Daniele Righi (Lampre-Fondital), Jens Voigt (Team CSC) and Steffen Wesemann (Wiesenhof-Felt), are working well. CSC has the German up front in a winning move, he is a recent winner in the País Vasco. And of course Wesemann, a past winner of Ronde, is very reliable.

15:43 CEST    213.5km/38.5km to go
The riders are in Slenaken, at kilometre 213. Kjell Carlström (Liquigas) is again on the front and chasing for his leader, 'The Killer,' Di Luca.

15:44 CEST   
The Loorberg starts. This is climb number 25 of 31 for the day. The gap is at 15".

15:45 CEST    212km/40km to go
We have word that Schleck has re-entered the main pack. The front men have ditched Rooijakkers, and so are down to three.

15:48 CEST   
They are now on the descent of the Loorberg and heading towards the Gulperberg.

Wesemann is looking strong. His jersey is completely unzipped. He is with two ProTour riders, and the three still have a slight gap.

Steffen Wesemann (Wiesenhof-Felt)
Photo ©: Elmar Krings

15:49 CEST   
When chasing back on, Schleck took a bottle from the team car and had a hand-sling off it, helping him to get around an official's car as the CSC car couldn't pass at that point. What made it look rather blatant was that Schleck immediately threw the full bottle to one side once he had got by.

15:50 CEST   
Astana and Gerolsteiner are on the front of the chase.

15:53 CEST   
31 year-old Daniele Righi (Lampre-Fondital) became a pro in 1999 with Mobilvetta Design. He has never won a race but placed third in the 2004 GP Miguel Indurain.

15:53 CEST   
A small move is forming off the peloton.

15:55 CEST   
Manuele Mori (Saunier Duval-Prodir) helped form the move of around six. He is looking at the others to contribute.

T-Mobile and Rabobank are leading the charge.

15:57 CEST    224km/28km to go
Voigt looks so strong here.

The race is on small farm tracks, there is not much space on the sides. Any mistake and one could end up in the fields.

The race has hit the Gulperberg.

15:59 CEST    225km/27km to go
A hard attack by Carlos Barredo (Quickstep-Innergetic). The Spaniard is very excited to be on this Classics team and is anxious to learn all he can. Although he missed out on his favourite races, Roubaix and Ronde while competing in País Vasco, he is back for the Ardennes Classics.

16:00 CEST   
The move has helped form a bigger group. There is Marcus Burghardt (T-Mobile), Cristian Moreni (Cofidis) and Bram Tankink (Quickstep-Innergetic)

16:00 CEST   
Barredo is still on is own.

16:02 CEST   
The young Spaniard has passed the three-man escape and now leads the race.

Climb number 27 of 31 is approaching, the Kruisberg. The peloton lacks any clear team leading.

16:04 CEST    229km/23km to go
Barredo has just been caught as the peloton manoeuvres around a traffic barrier.

Astana leads the race with Rabobank in the third and fourth wheels. Visable is Michael Boogerd in his Dutch Champ jersey.

The race is on the Kruisberg.

16:07 CEST   
Pieter Weening (Rabobank) has charged off the front. There are many parked cars here, it is really dangerous. He is looking back and will be caught.

16:08 CEST   
Tankink is there, so is Popovych, Kroon, 'Tin-Tin' Rebellin and Riccò.

16:09 CEST   
Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner) attacks at the top of the Kruisberg. Bettini follows the German. Then Boogerd, who is digging hard. Schumacher looks back. The field is splitting here. Karsten Kroon (Team CSC) is there too.

16:10 CEST   
Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner), Michael Boogerd (Rabobank), Matthias Kessler (Astana) and Paolo Bettini (Quickstep-Innergetic) have formed a small move.

16:11 CEST   
Rebellin is there too, giving an advantage to Gerolsteiner.

16:12 CEST    231km/21km to go
The five are flying down the backside of the Kruisberg. Heading towards Eys, at kilometre 231.

16:12 CEST   
Mirco Lorenzetto (Milram) crashes on a right-hander but quickly re-joins.

16:14 CEST   
Schleck is in the main chase! Amazing after that crash of before. Two Sauniers are there, Mori and Riccò. They are chasing the five off the front: Stefan Schumacher, Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner), Michael Boogerd (Rabobank), Matthias Kessler (Astana) and Paolo Bettini (Quickstep-Innergetic)

16:16 CEST   
Thomas Dekker (Rabobank) is struggling and has just re-joined the main chase.

16:17 CEST   
Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner) and Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas) have just bridged to the five up front. There are now three Gerolsteiners.

Stefan Schumacher, Davide Rebellin, Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner) and Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas) , Michael Boogerd (Rabobank), Matthias Kessler (Astana) and Paolo Bettini (Quickstep-Innergetic)

The German team should send one of its riders off in a solo move.

16:19 CEST   
The Eyserbosweg climb is approaching, climb number 28.

Valverde is there too.

Wegmann goes solo!

16:20 CEST    231km/21km to go
We now have eight on the front: Stefan Schumacher, Davide Rebellin, Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner), Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas) , Michael Boogerd (Rabobank), Matthias Kessler (Astana), Paolo Bettini (Quickstep-Innergetic), Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne).

They are on the climb of Eyserbosweg.

16:23 CEST   
The race has really exploded on the Eyserbosweg. Many of the riders are hurting. Could Bettini be riding towards his first Amstel win? Could Valverde make up for his 2006 hunger-knock? Could Tin-Tin Rebellin repeat his 2004 success? Stay tuned...

16:27 CEST   
We have lost Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner). He exploded and will be picked up by the chase. There is still Rebellin and Schumi in the front seven. They are heading towards the Fromberg, climb number 29 of 31.

16:28 CEST   
There is a 12-man group including Oscar Freire (Rabobank), Fränk Schleck, Kim Kirchen (CSC) at 50"

16:30 CEST   
Di Luca takes a drink. He is looking very cold and calculating here, 'The Killer.' While Schumi seems to show his game face; maybe he should lower his sunglasses. The gap is at 50"; it is looking good for the front group of seven.

16:31 CEST   
Six kilometres to go. The escape has entered the Valkenburg area. Di Luca is riding at the back.

16:33 CEST   
Boogerd would love to win this race in his final year but he will have to watch for the young German, Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner).

16:34 CEST   
Schumi attacks! Perfect team move with Rebellin in the group.

16:34 CEST    251km/1km to go
Final kilometre; he has 10". Di Luca leads under the 1K banner.

16:35 CEST   
The German is being cheered on. This is very similar to his stage in the Giro last year, when he took the Maglia Rosa.

16:36 CEST   
Kessler is off on his own, chasing.

16:36 CEST   
Schumi should win here, with Kessler to be second.
Boogerd counters!

16:37 CEST   
Schumi wins the 42nd edition. Kessler is caught; Rebellin in 2nd and Di Luca in 3rd.

16:40 CEST   
Kessler hung on to take fourth. The German was followed by Boogerd, Valverde and Bettini.

16:45 CEST   
Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner) added win number two to his 2007 palmarès. In March the 25 year-old won the time trial stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico. The winner of the 2006 Tour of Benelux and Tour of Poland has taken his first ever Classic.

Thanks for joining Cyclingnews for our live coverage. We will have a full report for you soon.

Provisional Results

1 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner
2 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner
3 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas
4 Matthias Kessler (Ger) Astana
5 Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank
6 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
7 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick-Step