Enrico Gasparotto (Wanty) took the most emotional victory of his career by coming out on top in the Amstel Gold Race for the second time. After a strong attack on the Cauberg, he beat Michael Valgren (Tinkoff) in a two-rider sprint while Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani) was the fastest in the big group that sprinted for third.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Reinvigorated Enrico Gasparotto: Today I had an angel on my shoulder

Wanty-Groupe Gobert rode this Sunday the Netherlands' only WorldTour Classic, the Amstel Gold Race between Maastricht and Berg-en-Terbijt (248,3 km). After a second place in Brabantse Pijl, Enrico Gasparotto won a historic victory for Wanty-Groupe Gobert.

 

"I had incredible legs today. Everything went as we planned. It is the most beautiful victory for the team.” Enrico Gasparotto said. ”The team did a really good job. We had a rider in the break and then Björn Thurau in a chase group. The rest of the team protected me very well. It was perfect.”

 

The team lined up with Mark McNally, Frederik Veuchelen, Marco Minnaard, Enrico Gasparotto, Björn Thurau, Marco Marcato, Kenny Dehaes and Tom Devriendt. The first goal was to be in the breakaway. The breakaway of the day of eleven riders with Tom Devriendt got the green light after an hour of racing. They received maximum lead of 4'45" on the peloton. At 62 kilometres from the finish, Björn Thurau attacked with three other riders in a chase group.

 

At 16 kilometres from the finish, the breakaway was caught by the peloton. In the first meters of the Cauberg, Enrico Gasparotto attacked. Nobody could follow him on the climb. The Dane Michael Valgren made it back to Gasparotto as they passed the summit.

 

“I knew I had to attack because Orica-GreenEdge was controlling the race for Michael Matthews. If I had sprinted againt him, I would have been beaten.”

 

They rode together and increased their gap. Gasparotto beat Michael Valgren (Tinkoff) in a two-rider sprint.

 

“I had to wait for the good moment because there was a huge headwind in the last meters. After the Volta a Catalunya I trained two weeks in Spain. I felt already good in Brabantse Pijl. This victory is for Antoine Demoitié’s family. Today, I had an angel on my schoulder. When I thought about Antoine, I went faster.

 

“I was with Gaëten Bille, Antoine’s best friend on the team, when we got the call about his crash. It was a special moment. Gaëten called his wife and then we realised that he was close to death. From that point, I felt sick inside. I couldn’t sleep that night.

 

“We realized that there was little hope. Then I had to go to Tenerife for a training camp at altitude. It was hard for me to leave my team.  I asked my teammates and the staff what they thought was best, if I should come to Belgium or stay in Tenerife and they said: ‘Gaspa, stay in Tenerife and try to be focused for this week.’ I did it and I think it was the right choice. I was alone and sometimes when you’re alone, it’s better. You can be more focused.

“I felt a big responsibility inside myself in these days, a really big responsibility. Yesterday, Antoine’s wife came to see us at the hotel and said ‘Guys, go for it.’ It was not easy. It is not easy. I am 34 years old, I have a wife. Every day we think about it. Antoine’s death is so fresh.
 

“I already felt it when I was training in Tenerife. When you do seven hours alone and climb 4,500 metres, you have time to think about everything. When I thought about Antoine, I went 30 watts more than normal, or 3 or 4 or 5kph more than normal.

“Mark McNally  had to travel 900 kilometres from a race in France to get here. His job was to protect me early in the race but he stayed by my side until 60 kilometres to go. Then Kenny Dehaes made a huge effort to get me a bottle in the finale. He came up, gave it to me and said, ‘Gaspa, I’m fucked.’

“It gives you extra power when you have teammates who do so much for you. So I was afraid to come back on the bus afterwards and say ‘Sorry guys, it wasn’t my day.'
 

"The final was tough with a chilling rain. At one point I even thought it was over for me because I suffered a lot. But I saw the faces around me were tired. I remembered that in 2012, at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, it was very cold too, and I had done well. I did the same today by eating me more than usual. 

“The final was very hard because of the rain and at one point, I thought I was maybe out of it, because I was suffering so much with the cold. But then I looked at the faces of the other guys and I saw that they were suffering just like me.
 

“With this new final, you have to try on the Keutenberg or that kind of ascent, but it's a gamble. Orica worked hard to Matthews. So I wanted to try but I also knew that I did not have the power of Philippe Gilbert. 

 

“When I won in 2012, I did most of the Cauberg with the 39 instead of 53, and I decided to do the same today. I almost crashed at the corner at the bottom and then I moved up to the front. Nobody was attacking so I went with the 39 and then I switched to the 53 when I came to the old finish.

“I wouldn’t have won if I’d been alone because there was a super strong headwind over the top. I was maybe lucky that it wasn’t Roman Kreuziger either, because we would have played a bit before the sprint. Instead, Valgren was happy to pull to make sure he came second at least, and I was able to wait and wait for the sprint.

“I don’t have the problem of points anymore. I start races to win and not to finish in the top 10,” Gasparotto said. “That’s a big change in my head.

 

"After 12 years at the WorldTour, going back to Pro Continental level since last year made ​​me understand many things, especially that I do not have to ride for points. Now I take the start of the races to win and not to top 10 and be sure to have points. With Astana, I rode with (Vincenzo) Nibali or (Jakob) Fuglsang here, and they had to attack and I had to stay in the bunch for the sprint. Today, I thought it was best to try on the Cauberg instead of waiting for the sprint with (Michael) Matthews and be fifth. It worked.

 

“After the tragic event we hoped to win a race. This victory is a reward for the whole team. A WorldTour-race for a Pro-Continental team is fantastic. I would like to thank the entire team,” an emotional Hilaire Van der Schueren said.

 

"Yesterday, Antoine's wife came again to us. What we hoped would happen happened.)

 

”Gasparotto went away with the big gear. Only that Dane came back to Gaspa. The plan for the race worked. It's always the big teams who win. After working for two years, this is the result. "

 

General manager Jean-François Bourlart spent the day with different sponsors. Both sponsor and Bourlart were extremely happy with this victory. “After the tragic event of the last weeks, this victory will provide happiness and support to the whole team. It is Wanty-Groupe Gobert’s most beautiful victory since the creation of the team.”

 

Michael Valgren after breakthrough result: I hope to win the race in this future

Tinkoff continued their strong season with Michael Valgren taking second place at the Amstel Gold Race. The podium position is the first time the 24-year-old Danish rider has been in the top three in a UCI WorldTour race, and was the result of a calculated move in the closing kilometres of the race that saw him and the eventual winner finish clear of the chasing peloton.

 

8km out, Tinkoff’s Roman Kreuziger attacked, testing the legs of the peloton in advance of the finish. While the peloton dug deep to stay on his wheel, there remained a gap between him and the bunch, until passed by another attacker and pulled in. With the attack gaining ground, the peloton started working again, but as the front of the group pushing hard to catch, Tinkoff could be seen riding calmly behind. With the final climb of the Cauberg to come, as well as the race’s finish, a more frenetic, frenzied mood descended on the peloton.

 

Into the final 3km, Wanty-Groupe Gobert’s Gasparotto went, and managed to stay clear of the peloton, but with 1.6km to go, Tinkoff’s Michael Valgren bridged to him and started working, with Valgren working hard to increase the gap in an attempt to finish clear of the group. In a sprint between the two, the Tinkoff rider finished just behind the Italian to take second, and his first podium of a UCI WorldTour race.

 

From the race’s finish, Sport Director, Steven De Jongh, was happy with the outcome.

 

“It was a really nice result and a great way to start the Ardennes classics for the team! We knew that Michael could do it so it's a good result for him, 2nd, and it is his first podium in the WorldTour and at a classic is nice.”

 

Valgren echoed his Sport Director’s comments.

 

“I’m really happy. I’d have liked to have won the race – that’s what I was aiming for at the start, but the way it turned out, when it’s so close you’d like to win, but I am really happy.”

 

The Tinkoff riders weren’t seen towards the front of the group until nearer the end of the race, which was part of the team’s plan, as De Jongh explained.

 

“The strategy was to make the other teams with fast guys tired, so it would be harder to bring it back together at the end, and this worked out. I’m really happy that the plan worked and with the result we got at the end.”

 

With the race behind him, Valgren could look at his performance and use it to improve in future races.

 

“My big mistake this year was to try and stay in front and I used some energy on that, but in the end it turned out pretty well. When Gasparotto and I were away he wasn’t able to work with me, so I figured ok, if I just go to the left and try to pull a hard tempo and keep the peloton away, maybe I could beat him in the sprint, but I was dead in the end.”

 

Valgren continued, providing some insight into the last climb and the closing kilometres.

 

“The Cauberg is always really hard, but the last time the crowd helped me fly over it so that was pretty nice. The last 2.5km was really painful. I didn’t attack to go to Gasparotto – I just pulled a hard tempo and the other guys didn’t want to pull with me, so I closed the gap and just had to continue with him.

 

“I’m disappointed I didn’t win, but if I think about it, for me this is a big result. Really I can only be happy with my performance. Doing well in this race has been one of my big goals for the whole year. It suits me a lot. Hopefully I’ll come back and win this thing some time.

 

“I knew it would be very hard but he didn’t want to work, so I had to settle for second. At the end I tried to move out to the left so he wouldn’t be protected from the wind and hopefully that would have killed him. But he was the strongest and that was it.

 

"At first, I was obviously disappointed. Afterwards, when I think about it, I think it's still big result. I have to be happy with my performance. I think after a few hours, I will be also very happy. 

 

“In any case, it was important to make a big result today because most of the time, I help the team. I show that I can respond when they support me and that gives me confidence for next year. "

 

With such a strong finish, and a podium position to wet his appetite for coming editions of the race, Valgren had his eye on similar performances in the future.

 

“I hope to win Amstel Gold in the future. Already at last year’s race I was feeling really, really good and this is a race that suits me very well, but it’s a really hard race – hectic all day and you have to be lucky not to have crashes, and if you have a puncture you’re also in the back. I was lucky today, and strong, but in the future I hope I can be even stronger.”

 

After the end of the cobblestone classics and a change to both the type of terrain and the rider line-ups, this early strong performance was a great start to the Ardennes Classics, as De Jongh explained.

 

“The boys worked hard, did all they could to support Roman & Michael. With all the climbs and the technical route today it's easier said than done. There were no crashes also on a hectic day, which was good. Now we look ahead to Wednesday at Flèche Wallone.”

 

Adding to his Sport Director’s comments, Valgren was pleased to be part of Tinkoff’s strong performance in the season so far.

 

“The team’s on a good streak. We’re first in the WorldTour and then first and second in the rider classification. I think we did something right this winter with the training, so we can be really proud of ourselves.

 

“Liege is a completely different race to the U-23 Liège, it’s 80 kilometres longer. It will be about payback time for the team helping me, I’ll be concentrating on doing the work that’s needed. So don’t expect to see me in the front next Sunday.”

 

Sonny Colbrelli: I was close to making my dream come true

With a great performance, Bardiani-CSF leader Sonny Colbrelli took third place in one of the most important races on the UCI World Tour circuit. Colbrelli who won the sprint, arrived at the finish line just after the two escapees.

 

“Just after the finish I was disappointed, I felt the regret that I had lost a big chance. I won the sprint only a few meters behind the first two riders, and I was feeling really good. Then, looking at the performance and thinking about how prestigious the third place in this race is, I forgot the disappointment and just enjoyed the podium. Many great riders finished the race behind me, this is the proof I did a great race,” said Colbrelli.

 

“It was a hard race, especially when it started to rain and hail. Keeping the firsts position was the key to save energy and have chances in the finale. When we faced the Cauberg for the last time, I was third. I saw Gasparotto attacking and many riders of BMC, Etixx-QuickStep and Orica around me. I decided to wait, even if I was feeling good, thinking they were able to close the gap… but, as everyone saw, it didn’t happen”

 

“This podium is a big boost of confidence for the future, and not just for this season. I always thought Amstel Gold Race was a race suited me, I really like it. Today I was close to making my dream come true and I gained an important experience. I feel I made a quality step and I can look to the Classics with new ambitions.

 

“It’s my first podium finish in a big Classic, so I can’t be too unhappy, but at the same time I didn’t win, so I’m not pleased about that. I’ve got mixed feelings.

 

 “It was a very different race, on the Cauberg things would have played out very differently if Gilbert had been there.

 

"This is my first podium in a big classic. I love this race and the team has given me my chance and worked for me. A podium in a World Tour is necessarily satisfying for us although I'm always a little disappointed because I won the bunch sprint. When Gasparotto sprinted, I knew that we would not catchthe first two. I beat Matthews. That's just fine. “

 

Colbrelli will race the Giro del Trentino (April 19-22) and then face a rest period to prepare for the Giro d’Italia.

 

Bryan Coquard after fourth place: I have proved that I can be up there in hard races

"I can not necessarily say I'm happy because I came here to win this race but at the same time I am really satisfied to have proved that I could be the leader .The team can now rely on me. I prove to my teammates that they have reason to trust me as they have done from the beginning of the season. Fourth is still a good performance,” Bryan Coquard told L’Equipe-

 

“In the end, I saw that the wind at the top of the Cauberg was three-quarter in our face and that could benefit me for the sprint, but the two that were ahead (Gasparatto and Valgren) were able to stay away. However, at the top the Cauberg, I thought I could win because I was one of the best sprinters. Luck was not at my side and I was even beaten by Colbrelli for third place.

 

"I am satisfied. I cannot be happy because we came to win on a course that I really like as I have said for some time. At the Brabantse Pijl and today, I proved my worth in difficult races. I have proven to be not only a sprinter and I proved that my teammates are right in giving me confidence  and in helping me as they have done since the beginning of the season. I am only 24 and in the end this is a nice fourth place.

 

"I think the weather made the race a bit harder. The temperature dropped and in a race with so many curves on a wet word, it is different. This makes the positioning more important.”

 

Orica-GreenEDGE: Matthews and Gerrans didn’t have the legs

Michael Matthews finished in fifth place at the Amstel Gold Race today after a great team effort from Orica-GreenEDGE kept the race under control for the best part of 200 kilometres.

 

Paris-Nice stage winner Matthews and joint team leader Simon Gerrans were protected until the final few kilometres through superb teamwork but were both caught out by the wiinning move of Enrico Gasparatto (Wanty-Gobert-group). The Italian attacked on the final ascent of the Cauberg and held off a group of around thirty riders that included Matthews and Gerrans.

 

A fast race that had something of everything from crashes and breakaways to extreme weather and last minute attacks. Sport director Matt White was pleased with the effort of the team in such a difficult race.

 

“The team effort was five star today,” said White. “We worked hard to give our two leaders the best possible chance for the finale but in the end we didn’t have the legs to go with last move on the Cauberg.

 

“Because of the rain and the sudden drops in temperature we saw the smallest group in recent memory contest the final. Very suddenly it dropped from twelve or thirteen degrees to five for a short period and with many guys already stripped off for the finish it can have an effect.”

 

“Normally in this race you see eighty riders up there to contest the final but today it was maybe thirty,” continued White. “We rode a perfect race up until the final few kilometres and we need to be positive about that.

 

“It’s an important period of racing ahead and after the amount of time we spent on the front of the race today we can take a lot of confidence into the next event and move forward. When you see the champion of Paris-Roubaix, Mathew (Hayman) on the front with 30kilometres to go you know that the team has an exceptional work ethic.”

 

ORICA-GreenEDGE are in action on Wednesday 20th of April at the second race of the Ardennes Classics, La Fleche-Wallone.

 

Julian Alaphilippe: This sixth place give me a lot of confidence

Also in the chasing group was Julian Alaphilippe, who had Czech champion Petr Vakoč working for him, thus repaying the great job he did at Wednesday's Brabantse Pijl. The Frenchman, riding Amstel Gold Race for the third time in his career, improved his result of last season, finishing 6th, a good omen ahead of the next two Ardennes appointments, Flèche Wallonne (April 20th) and Liège–Bastogne–Liège (April24 th).

 

"We came here with the ambition of getting a strong result and we managed to be up there in the final. On a personal note, I really enjoyed the race and was happy to be in the main group in the closing kilometers after what was a complicated first part of the season for me due to health concerns", said Julian Alaphilippe at the finish in Valkenburg. "I missed some power to follow Gasparotto when he went, so I decided to wait for the sprint. I came 6th and considering everything I am happy, especially as I crashed during the race and had to change my shoes and chase back. After a long time I had good feeling today, and that gives me a lot of confidence.

 

"We had the goal of winning so I'm always a little disappointed. But from a more personal perspective, I'm glad with my feelings. I was caught in a crash and I hurt my back but still I felt good throughout the race and I had fun. I lacked the strength to follow the attack on the Cauberg but my role was to wait for the last moment to do the sprint. We have not managed to catch the two attackers.

 

“It bodes well for Wednesday and Sunday. I hope it will go even better next week.

 

Petr Vakoc: I didn’t have the legs I had on Wednesday

After winning Brabantse Pijl, where he pulled off the biggest victory of his career, Petr Vakoč came at the start line in Maastricht as one of the riders to watch, and he led the way on the last ascent of Cauberg, before taking pulls at the front in order to help his good friend Alaphilippe close the gap to the two leaders on the road:

 

"I was feeling good today, but I got quite cold when it started raining, so it wasn't easy for me, as my legs were hurting. Still, I continued to fight and after the top of Cauberg I worked hard and tried to bring the attackers back. I didn't have the same legs as Wednesday, but it was a nice experience and all in all I am content with my ride."

 

Rui Costa: I can’t say that I had good legs

Lampre-Merida obtained 7th place with Ulissi. In the same group, they also had Rui Costa (17th) and Mori (40th). The 8 riders in the blue-fuchsia-green line-up completed the race.

 

Lampre-Merida approached the race in the best possible way and this was confirmed by the presence of one blue-fuchsia-green rider in the main breakaway which started 42km after the start. Matteo Bono, was the obvious pick, considering that the Italian rider is a master in joining the breakaway in the most important races: three times in a row in Milano-Sanremo, in the 2014 Liege-Bastogne-Liege, in many stages of the Giro d'Italia.

 

At the bottom of the Cauberg, Lampre-Merida was represented by Rui Costa, Ulissi and by Mori, who acted as a very precious lead-out man for his team mates despite the fact that he had been involved in a crash with 40km to go. Lampre-Merida’s duo could not join the attack by Gasparotto, so Ulissi and Rui Costa tried to achieve the best possible result in the sprint of the group. Ulissi sprinted on the right side of the road and crossed the finish line in 7th position, Rui Costa could not find the necessary space to perform the progression which gave him 4th place in the 2015 edition.

 

Today Ulissi obtained his best career result in a World Tour classic.

 

”The weather forecast for today pointed for a dry day. Well, we got everything. Rain, fog, hail, 6 ° C and even sun,” Costa wrote in his diary. “It was a hard day with a high speed and it was important to always be aware and well placed because of the dangers. I kept myself in front as I best I could but to always be at the front with all those changes in rhythm and the narrow roads was a complicated task. It was a day of great stress that was marked by some ugly crashes. 

“I cannot say I had great legs. We arrived with only about 30 riders in the front group. In the finish, I felt ready to sprint and moved to the right, thinking that the riders who were in front of me would open to the left and I would be free to sprint. Unfortunately, when they opened, there were only 50 metres left and I failed to do better. I was 17th. During the race I was as well protected as possible, also helped by my teammates, whom I thank for the help.”

 

Giovanni Visconti takes over from Valverde at Amstel Gold Race

Movistar Team had three riders in the group after the penultimate passage of the Cauberg: Daniel Moreno (20th), always attentive in the front and the strongest on the last climb;  Ion Izaguirre (24th) and Giovanni Visconti who saved all his energy for the final sprint , where he was sixth and scored his second WorldTour points after he had been a fifth in a stage at Pais Vasco, taking 8th place in the race.

 

BMC neo-pro in the top 10 in his Amstel Gold Race debut

Loïc Vliegen demonstrated his good form by finishing in the top ten at his first Amstel Gold Race. BMC Racing Team was well-represented in the final with Ben Hermans, Silvan Dillier and Samuel Sánchez and Dylan Teuns joining Vliegen in the sprint for the line. It was attack after attack in the final two kilometers which saw Sánchez, Teuns and Vliegen all try their hand.

 

Philippe Gilbert, who went in as BMC Racing Team’s leader, didn’t have his best race following surgery on a fractured finger one week ago.

 

Loïc Vliegen said:

 

“I’m really happy to be in the top ten today. The first section of the race was really difficult but I felt better and better throughout the race. I think the cold also affected me a lot with the rain. But to be in the top ten at my first Amstel Gold Race is really special.

 

“With Philippe not in the final group at the finish, myself and the other guys had a ‘carte blanche’ from the Sports Directors to see what we could do. I think I launched my sprint a bit too early and the wind wasn’t very favourable but I’m still happy.

 

“It’s a course that suits me well. I’m still too young to win a race like this but I think in the future, it’s a race that will be really good for me. I think the Ardennes will be one of my primary objectives in the years to come.”

 

Broken finger and changed position take Gilbert out of contention at Amstel Gold Race

“It was quite a controlled race and then it really accelerated in the final 50 or 60 kilometers. There were a lot of riders dropped as the race really started to heat up. In the end it wasn’t my day today, but I’ll be back for La Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege so I hope to be better there.

 

“Having to change my position on the bike really blocked everything for me. After about four hours racing, it all started to get bad.

 

It will be complicated [to be better in Fleche and Liege], but we’ll see. My legs felt good, but when you can’t actually get any power out, that makes it much harder.

 

“I had been optimistic. But after four hours, suddenly it went bad. The cold and rain made it harder, too, I was braking a bit later than the others and each time I braked, I lost a lot of positions in the group and I was getting pushed out of the picture time after time. After a while, the elastic breaks and you end up out of it altogether.”

 

Valerio Piva, Sports Director, said:

 

“You have to be in top physical shape for a race like that. Philippe wasn’t feeling so great in the end so it was up to our younger guys to see what they could do in the final part of the race. We knew that Philippe wasn’t 100% with his finger but he did the best he could on the day. Amstel Gold Race is his race so naturally we tried to support him as much as possible.

 

“It’s hard to create miracles in situations like that. and at the end of the day, after 250 kilometres in a race with a finale like Amstel you have to be in absolute tip-top condition in order to be up there to fight for the win.

 

“It’s a course where you’re constantly braking and accelerating on the corners, that wasn’t good for his hand, and then his back started hurting as well.

 

“We knew he wasn’t going to be at 100 percent, but with his determination to do well and his character, we still believed in him. This is ‘his’ race.

 

“We’ll keep on supporting him, there are still two big races to come this week.”

 

“We had a lot of options for our plan B with our young guys. I’m really happy with Loïc’s top ten in his first Amstel Gold Race and Dylan was always up there at the front. These guys are our future so I’m really happy with the way they raced today. The Ardennes are far from over and we can still do a lot.”

 

Tim Wellens: I needed to have some company to win the race

Tim Wellens attacked and he obtained a gap of about twenty seconds. On the Cauberg he was passed by the group of favourites. That’s when Enrico Gasparotto accelerated, only Michael Valgren Andersen was able to follow the Italian. Jelle Vanendert gave his all to close the gap for the chasing group with Wellens and Tony Gallopin but the two attackers fought for the victory.

 

Tim Wellens eventually finished at the tenth place and he obtained the price for ‘the most combative rider’. Tiesj Benoot abandoned the race in the beginning of the day. The young Belgian didn’t feel good and will get the chance to gain strength the next few weeks.

 

Tim Wellens said: “We decided before the race that we wanted to ride aggressively. Pim Ligthart and Tosh Van der Sande did a great job, Tosh eventually was in an escape. After that he did some useful work for myself and the other riders in the group of favourites.

 

“I knew I had to wait long enough to attack because there was a strong headwind in the finale. Nevertheless I decided to attack on the Bemeletberg but due to the strong wind and the fact I was alone, it was almost impossible to remain ahead. It was a pity that other riders from other teams didn’t join me. If we managed to get away with a few riders, perhaps we could obtain a nice gap.

 

“At the beginning of the Cauberg I was twelve seconds ahead but I needed about 30 seconds to remain in front. When the peloton accelerates you know it will be difficult. Eventually I was able to stay in the first chasing group, in that way I obtained a top ten place.

 

“In general I’m happy about my race today, I had a really good feeling. I tried to win the race by taking initiative but unfortunately that didn’t work out. I feel better compared to last year though, then I was unable to follow the better riders on the Cauberg. The way I raced today and the good feeling in my legs are two very positive things with the coming races in mind.

 

Jan Bakelants: I misse done percent to sprint for the win

Jan Bakelants was the final rider to get dropped by Gasparotto on the Cauberg.

 

"The Dane (Valgren, ed.) attacked and I hesitated,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. “I had a hard time, like everyone else. Yes, that's too bad. Much more was possible. Shit, yeah, I was not bad, I was really good. I missed one percent extra to sprint for the win.

 

"I'm very disappointed because I will rarely get such a chance.  I'm going to really lose sleep. Initially I went with Gasparotto, so this is quite a disappointment. Somehow I had thought that I would be there. This is a shame."

 

His teammate Alexis Vuillermoz crashed and will miss the final two classics.

 

Bauke Mollema: There was never any chance to make my attack

Bauke Mollema finished with a vastly reduced bunch in 14th place, while Fabio Felline landed in the hospital with a fractured skull after crashing hard in the neutral ahead of the 250 kilometer Amstel Gold Race.

 

"It was a bit of a strange race today. Until the last 60-70kms we went quite easy on the climbs," explained Bauke Mollema. "We had Laurent (Didier) in the break, and then Niccolo (Bonifazio) covering the attack; it was a good situation for us with two guys in the front at this moment.

 

"With two guys in front I was thinking about maybe jumping in the finale, but then it started raining, hailing, and suddenly it was so cold, and the speed in the peloton was so high there were no attacks anymore.

 

"Our guys came back, and I couldn't do more than wait for the last climb. I tried to make a result, and I didn't do a perfect sprint, but I am not a fast like (Michael) Matthews and all these guys."

 

"It was a strange race. The final was hard and it started quite early. The pace was very high and therefore there was no room to try anything. I wanted to see if I could so something on the Kruisberg or the Eyserbosweg but it was too hard. On the Cauberg I had to give everything to stay in the peloton.

 

"You ride 250 kilometers and finally you have nothing.”

 

Mollema, always hopeful for a win in a home country race, has already turned his focus toward Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, both courses with longer climbs that suit his strengths more than Amstel Gold.

 

"Of course, I hoped for more in this race, but its 250k, a lot of stress because it is a really nervous race, and in the end we still have nothing, so I can't be really satisfied. I felt okay today, like I recovered well after the climbs, so next week we have a new chance."

 

Fabio Felline suffers fractured skull after crashing in neutral zone

Before the official flag waved to signal the race start, Fabio Felline was caught up in a freak solo crash, sustaining numerous injuries to his face.

 

"Fabio crashed with his face directly into the ground," explained team physician Jens Hinder. "He sustained a broken nose and cuts to his face and the radiologists also found a fracture at the base of the skull. He needs further examination to determine if it is stable or unstable and this will determine what treatment is required for recovery. It is too early to know until he undergoes further tests."

 

Felline will be sidelined for the Ardennes Classics, a huge blow after he had recently returned to top form after a lengthy battle with a virus.

 

Bad luck costly for Tom Dumoulin and Warren Barguil at Amstel Gold Race

For Giant-Alpecin, Warren Barguil, Simon Geschke, and Georg Preidler were all visible at the front of the peloton but unfortunately, Tom Dumoulin suffered a puncture and he wasn’t able to close the gap.

 

In the first group Barguil was the first to finish for the team in 15th place. Preidler finished in 38th place closely followed by Geschke in 42th place.

 

“I am really disappointed that I suffered a puncture at the worst moment in the race. I hoped that I could close the gap with the peloton but the gap was already too big,” explained Tom Dumoulin.

 

Warren Barguil said: “We performed well as a team today. After the Keuterberg I had a problem with my chain and I had to stop. I had to use a lot of energy to rejoin the first group and I think that didn’t help me on the last passage of the Cauberg.

 

“In the sprint, I got boxed in on the left and that’s a shame because I had the legs for a top 10. I am disappointed but the legs are good after feeling a bit unwell last week.”

 

Coach Aike Visbeek gave his thoughts after the race: “It was an eventful finale with a lot of attacks taking place. A key moment for us was the passage of the Keutenberg and we still had four guys in the first group. However, Warren had a mechanical problem during the ascent and Tom had a flat tire after that hill. It was very unlucky for tom has he was feeling really good.

 

“Georg did great work in the descent to position Warren and Simon at the front of the bunch at the ascent of the Cauberg. On the last passage of the Cauberg, Simon puts Warren in a great position but he hesitated a bit in the sprint as he took the wrong side of Matthews.

 

“Overall it was a really good team effort today and I think we deserved a better result today with Warren. But you need luck sometimes to get the result. We will recover now and we are already really looking forward to the next week races.”

 

Roompot captain: I could have followed Gasparotto and Valgren

Maurits Lammertink seemed to be on his way to a great result for Roompot - Orange Peloton. The 25-year-old specialist in the hilly classics came was 4th over the last climb of the Cauberg, but hesitated when he seemed to make it across to the later winner Enrico Gasparotto.

 

"The feeling is a bit ambiguous," said the best rider from the team after the finish. "Obviously I'm glad I can compete with the best in the final kilometers of such a big race, but that's why I'm not satisfied with the result. I gambled that the two leaders would be caught and focused on a sprint, but it did not happen like I thought. And then I was not well placed in the last few meters and so the result after such a good race still a bit disappointing.”

 

With 16th place, Lammertink was not, like last year, best Dutchman as he was beaten by Bauke Mollema (14th). Pieter Weening who was also part of the large group that started the final climb of the Cauberg, finished 46th. The fierce rainstorms took its toll: "I was really hit by the cold, my legs did not really wor anymore. Then I tried to assist Maurits as much as possible,” he said.

 

The other Roompot - Orange Peloton riders did a good job. Johnny Hoogerland brought Lammertink back after a crash about 50 kilometers from the finish. He got assistance from his young compatriot Antwan Tolhoek who ended his debut in 107th .

 

"But it was cool that I could start the race and then yoy want to reach the finish. The idea was that I would try to be in the early break but unfortunately it did not work. But this makes me stronger. Hopefully I can show myself in Flèche Wallonne and Liège.”

 

Like Lammertink and Tolhoek, team leader Erik Breukink saw strengths and weaknesses:

 

“The team rode well, but with our form more was possible. We also had two real leaders which we do not haveoften. Maurits and Pieter showed that it was justified, but they did not get the results that we hoped for. A double feeling.”

 

Isolated Vichot in the top 20 at Amstel Gold Race

Arthur Vichot took 19th place.

 

"The result is not bad in the end," says FDJ sports director Franck Pineau, "with the breakaway with Kevin Reza who followed the instructions. Christian Eiking, Jérémy Roy and Reza were designated to go in the break and Kevin was there throughout the day in a group of 10 riders."

 

 

"There were two major events," continues Pineau. "First a very cold shower of rain and hail, which lasted fifteen minutes and caused great harm. Then a crash on a climb that cut the peloton in two. In front, there was a group of 60 riders with Arthur. Benoit Vaugrenard and Anthony Roux did not make it and of course they missed in the final to help their leader and positioned him for the sprint. Valgren and Gasparotto managed to stay ahead.  Arthur was good but today we had to be at the top to get a result. That's why I speak of a balance sheet that is not bad."

 

Alexey Lutsenko crashes out of contention on Amstel finishing straight

“I've tried hard to do my best for the team today and I think I did a good action,” said Laurens De Vreese at the team Bus going back to the hotel.

 

“Our Team Manager, Alexandr Vinokurov, followed us in the car and I did my best to show how much I care for this group,” explained De Vreese. “The tactic decided by the directors, Stefano Zanini and Vinokurov, was for me and for my team mate Lars Boom to stay in front from the start to try to catch the escape. Lars did good a few times but I was more lucky and I got into the ‘right escape’ of the day. Then, when I was in front I didn’t save the energy so we stayed at the front until the finale of the race.”

 

“Then in the finale my team mates were not particularly lucky but this is unpredictable. Now I’ll go to the Tour of Croatia confident that I have a very good condition,” concluded the Belgian of the Astana Pro Team.

 

The ‘bad luck’ was the crash of his team mate Alexey Lutsenko at only 800 metres from the finish, while approaching the sprint for the third position.

 

“I had good legs, there were the two guys at the front and the bunch had a moment of slowdown on the right side of the road,” explained Lutsenko. “So I decided to surprise everyone and I attacked on the left side from the back of the bunch: in that moment the bunch moved so quickly to that side but I had already increased my speed… I tried not to hit someone but I touched a wheel and I fell to the ground.”

 

The best rider for the Astana Pro Team was Diego Rosa in 22nd.

 

No room for attacks for Robert Gesink and Wilco Kelderman in home race

Robert Gesink finished 23rd in the Amstel Gold Race today in the Netherlands. Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s front man saved his energy for the final time up the Cauberg climb, but was unable to place well in the sprint of 47 riders. Enrico Gasparotto (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) won.

 

 The final Cauberg climb decided the Amstel Gold Race. Gasparotto and Michael Valgren (Tinkoff) forced the decisive gap. Behind them, a small group of riders sprinted for the third place, with Gesink and Wilco Kelderman fighting for their best.

 

 “When you look at the small number of riders that sprinted for the victory, you know that it was a tough race,” Sports Director Merijn Zeeman. “The race was controlled from the beginning, so that made it a knock-out.”

 

Team LottoNL-Jumbo counted five riders just before the knock-out fight and tried to take the initiative. Bert-Jan Lindeman, Enrico Battaglin and Sep Vanmarcke attacked.

 

“We wanted to force something ahead of the final,” Zeeman continued. “We are playing at the highest level, though, so when one team made a move, the others reacted immediately. Our men didn’t get enough space and the group was too big for Robert and Wilco to sprint to a good result. We delivered a strong team performance ending up with five riders in front, but we didn’t grab the result we aimed for.”

 

“It was a very hectic race,” Gesink said. “When you see Tim Wellens’s [Lotto-Soudal] move, you see that it’s very hard to stay in front after an attack before the Cauberg. I wanted to ride aggressively myself, but I know that my energy fades away quickly, so we decided to wait. The other men stayed alert and tried to escape in the right moments. I gambled for the final climb. It was all I could today.”

 

Kelderman finished 30th, right behind Gesink.

 

“The rain made it extra hard,” Kelderman said. “It was cold. The guys were strong in front during the final, but not me. I didn’t deliver a strong final and I was in bad position during the sprint. I’m not satisfied.”

 

Vanmarcke debuted in the Amstel Gold Race and supported his team-mates until the final climb of the Cauberg.

 

“I thought that I wouldn’t be able to make it until the end,” the Belgian explained. “I had a cold this week and I wasn’t able to breathe perfectly. I made it through the rain and I felt that I was going to be able to survive the Cauberg, but when I was riding through the wind in the final, my strength faded. I brought Robert to the foot of the Cauberg and that was the end of my race.”

 

Sky hope that Kwiatkowski will bounce back at Liege-Bastogne-Liege

Sergio Henao and Lars Petter Nordhaug both finished in a vastly-reduced peloton after Enrico Gasparotto had escaped to victory at the Amstel Gold Race.

 

Henao and Nordhaug were both towards the front as the race hit the Cauberg for the fourth and final time, but were unable to bridge over to Gasparotto (Wanty Groupe Gobert) when he jumped clear 2.4km from home with Michael Valgren (Tinkoff) on his wheel.

 

That duo then evaded their pursuers on flat run to the finish, with Gasparotto jumping his rival in the last 200m to claim his second Amstel title in the space of five years. Henao and Nordhaug gave it their all behind, but crossed the line in 28th and 29th positions respectively after Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani - CSF) had outsprinted Bryan Coquard (Direct Energie) for the remaining spot on the podium.

 

The first Ardennes Classic of the season was hotly contested from beginning to end and over 30km had been covered before an 11-man breakaway eventually formed. Team Sky assumed pace-setting duties back in the peloton, with Michal Golas, Danny van Poppel and Ben Swift all taking big turns to keep those escapees in check.

 

Wout Poels and the industrious Nordhaug then came to the front when a further four riders slipped clear in the last 65km, while Sebastian Henao looked out for his cousin Sergio and Michal Kwiatkowski back in the bunch.

 

Kwiatkowski had come into the race as defending champion, but was distanced on the penultimate ascent of the Cauberg before everything came back together in the last 15km. Tim Wellens then launched a solo attack of his own, only be chased down seconds before Gasparotto made the move that mattered.

 

After the race Sports Director Kurt-Asle Arvesen was disappointed to see his rider's efforts go unrewarded after what he felt had been a solid showing. 

 

He told TeamSky.com: "It was a good team performance today. Danny was super strong riding in the wind for a long time and that meant the other guys could sit behind him - which is very important in this race. The route goes left and right, up and down along the small roads, and any energy the others saved was a benefit.

 

"Ben then took over from him and also did a good job before Wout and Sebastian looked after things into the finale. Lars Petter and Sergio gave it 100% on the Cauberg but couldn't go with Gasparotto, and they found themselves in a 29-man group which featured better sprinters at the end. Lars Petter tried to start his sprint early but got swept up before the finish, and Sergio was never going to stand much a chance against those faster finishers."

 

Arvesen also shed some light on why Kwiatkowski wasn't able to produce a resolute defence of his title, but is confident the Polish rider will be champing at the bit again at Liege-Bastogne-Liege next Sunday.  

 

"It was unfortunate that Michal got dropped," Arvesen added. "He just didn't have good legs today, it's as simple as that.

 

“The plan was never for him to ride La Fleche Wallonne on Wednesday, so he's going to spend a few days in Spain now before joining back up with the team on Thursday."

 

Frustration for Slagter after bad day at Amstel Gold Race

Cannondale had Alex Howes in the break and he would be their best rider in 32nd.

 

"Honestly, I felt amazing. I did a big block with Catalunya, Indurian, Basque. I got some rest in, and I’m feeling good. I didn’t really want to be in the break today, but sometimes when you’re the guy that’s there and it's your turn to go, there's nothing to do but go,” he said.

 

“Frustrating to have a bad day at one of my objectives. The only thing we can do is go for it again @flechewallonne @Ride_Argyle,” team leader Tom-Jelte Slagter tweeted.

 

Serge Pauwels takes over from Boasson Hagen at Amstel Gold Race

Serge Pauwels flew the flag for Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka in the finale but couldn’t find the legs to compete for the win.

 

On the grueling Keutenberg, the steepest climb in the Netherlands, Edvald Boasson Hagen got dropped together with Philippe Gilbert (BMC) after being held up by a crash. Boasson Hagen eventually managed to fight his way back to the bunch. However, it was up to the others to make the racing in the late crosswinds. Pauwels tried to ride it smart and moved up to the front of the peloton with around 10 kilometers to go.

 

The African team’s best placed finisher Pauwels crossed the line 33rd.

 

Pauwels said:

 

“It was a tough race and the rain in the finale made it really hard. I actually felt pretty good all day, but lost my legs somehow in the end. I saw that a lot of other riders had the same problem, possibly from the wet and cold. I moved to the front of the peloton, hoping for a split in the crosswinds. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. That’s racing I guess, so let’s look forward Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.”

 

Sports director Jens Zemke added:

 

”It was not our day. We wanted to be part of the break. This didn’t happen, even though we tried hard. We then changed our focus on the key stages of the race. Rain and crashes didn’t work to our favor though. Edvald and a few others were held up by a crash on the Keutenberg and had to chase back to the bunch after that. In the finale we had Serge still up along the front of the race, but the final time up the Cauberg was too hard. There are two more races in the Ardennes coming, so we have to keep the moral high and focus on them now.”

 

Stef Clement breaks collarbone on difficult day for IAM at Amstel Gold Race

“Bad luck did not spare us,” IAM sports directorThierry Marichal confirmed.  “Stef Clement crashed with just forty kilometers to go to the finish.  He was immediately taken to the hospital in Maastricht. Jérôme Coppel also crashed a bit later in the race, but luckily he has nothing like the injuries Clement suffered.  He just has a few scratches to show for his pains.  These two incidents for IAM Cycling accurately reflect the level of nervousness that the whole race experienced.”

 

“Though this was hardly a super-positive day for the team, we did have a bright spot on account of Larry Warbasse,” Marichal, the Belgian directeur sportif, continued.  “Finding his way into the breakaway was the best option for him this Sunday.  It was also a big help to the team.  And remember Oliver Naesen’s attack in the final section of the race.  He certainly completed a strong classics campaign.  That is a real source of satisfaction for the IAM Cycling team.”

 

Finding his way into the day’s primary breakaway after forty kilometers of racing, Warbasse proved to be a match for the difficult Dutch roads. 

 

“I’m happy with my day,” Warbasse, who comes from Michigan, explained.  “We worked really well up front.  Though the peloton never gave us much rope, we were able to stay away quite a long time.  I felt great.  When the peloton finally caught us, I then even tried to make a small attack on my own.  I have no regrets.  In this race, it sometimes pays to be at the front, ahead of the bunch.  You can avoid crashing much more easily that way.  I’m really sorry for Stef Clement.  Aside from being an excellent rider, he is a really great road captain.”

 

Victim of a crash on account of a loose water bottle, Clement was immediately taken to the hospital in Maastricht.  Clement suffered a fracture to his right clavicle, which will require surgery.   He will be taken to University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG) on Monday in order to undergo the operation.

 

The IAM Cycling sports management, in consultation with the team doctor, will discuss a possible date for Clement to return to competition based on the evolution of his condition.

 

Starting off under sunny skies in Maastricht, the peloton headed towards dark and threatening skies later in the race. 

 

“The rain really surprised some riders,” Thierry Marichal explained.  “David Tanner suffered a cold snap during the day.  Temperatures plummeted pretty quickly.  That was certainly an important factor to the outcome of the race.”

 

In the interest of allowing Jérôme Coppel to recover properly after his crash on Sunday, the IAM Cycling sports management has decided that the French rider should not participate at the Flèche Wallonne, Wednesday, April 20th.  Coppel will be replaced by Marcel Wyss.

 

Joaquim Rodriguez ready for Fleche and Liege despite crashing out of Amstel Gold Race

The 51st Amstel Gold Race took place in the Netherlands on Sunday, with a repeat winner of Enrico Gasparotto on the top step of the podium, but for Team Katusha it was a disappointing day on the bike with team leader Joaquim Rodriguez crashing hard and unable to chase back for the final. Despite today’s lack of results, Rodriguez is still ready to race for the win in the next Ardennes races.

 

“There was again some bad luck for us – we saw that today when Joaquim crashed with 60 km to go. It was a hard crash. He was able to continue on afterwards for some time, but could not really recover from that. He has some pain, so for him the race was over at that point,” said team director José Azevedo.

 

“We know that “Purito” had good legs today, so we will re-group and look to Wednesday’s La Flèche Wallonne and then Liège–Bastogne–Liège next Sunday. These races suit him better and are big goals for us and for him,” concluded director Azevedo.

 

While Joaquim Rodriguez did not finish, he remains in good condition for the next Ardennes races.

 

Bad crash for Grega Bole at Amstel Gold Race
For Nippo-Vini, Fantini Grega Bole crashed and hit his face. He his now at a Maastricht hospital for a total check, but his condition is not serious. The General Manager of the team is with him at the hospital of Maastricht:

 

“Grega Bole is now talking and with the hit to the head and face,he is injured. His head and neck are. Now he is at the hospital to check his condition," he said. 

 

After the 4 attacks in the Giro d’Italia, Giacomo Berlato made his first escape in the Amstel Gold Race. After 180km, he was caught.

 

“The escape of today was part of our strategy, I have to thank my team mates that worked for me. Then after 180km with cold and rain, it was hard to resist. Now Ihope to continue to do well and to be at the top of my condition to help my team. Now I’m waiting from news from the hospital regarding Bole and Zilioli.”

 

There were also bad news from the Giro of Appennino where seven #OrangeBlue riders were riding. Gianfranco Zilioli crashed an injured his shoulder. He undergoes a hospital check to see if anything is broken. Alessandro Bisolti also crashed.