Amstel Gold Race News
Cancellara not under pressure at Amstel Gold Race Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek) will ride the Amstel Gold Race for the first time since 2004 but insisted in a personal column in Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad he feels "As feel as free as a bird" and not under pressure to get a result. Cancellara is part of a powerful Leopard Trek team that is expected to be captained by Andy and Frank Schleck with key support from Jens Voigt, Fabian Wegmann, Jakob Fuglsang and Maxime Monfort. Link: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cancellara-not-under-pressure-at-amstel-gold-race Gilbert on form as Amstel opens Ardennes Classics elgian one-day specialist Philippe Gilbert will line up for the Amstel Gold Race knowing that his big objective of the spring lies one week further down the line at Liege-Bastogne-Liege. But that won’t stop his rivals taking him as a serious contender for victory Sunday, when Amstel opens a trio of long, hilly one-day races known as the Ardennes Classics. Gilbert, who rides for Omega-Pharma, had a super 2010 season, winning Amstel in the spring and making up for missing out on a podium at the world road race championships in Australia with autumn victories in the Tour de Piedmont and Tour of Lombardy. Link: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/Gilbert+form+Amstel+opens+Ardennes+Classics/4618293/story.html Schleck brothers target Amstel victory Cycling siblings Andy and Frank Schleck have warned rivals of their victory intentions heading into the first of the three Ardennes Classics on Sunday at the Amstel Gold Race. Andy Schleck is a two-time Tour de France runner-up who won the third and most prestigious race in the series, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, in 2009. It was at Amstel, a 260km race held in the hilly Limburg region of the Netherlands, that older brother Frank claimed his breakthrough win in 2006. Link: http://supersport.com/cycling/international/news/110415/Schleck_brothers_target_Amstel_victory Strong Leopard team for Amstel Gold Race Sunday's Amstel Gold Race in the Netherlands will continue the string of Spring Classics, now taking the cycling world to the Ardennes region. Luxembourg team Leopard Trek is expected to make a strong showing once again, with its top man Fabian Cancellara this time joining the two Schleck brothers, fresh from recent performances in Spain. Link: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/strong-leopard-team-for-amstel-gold-race Cunego and Lampre-ISD ready for the Ardennes Classics The main athlete for the Ardennes races will be Damiano Cunego, but the overall quality of the team that will be directed by DS Orlando Maini in Amstel Gold Race (April 17), Fleche Wallonne (April 20) and Liege-Bastogne-Liege (April 24) will be guaranteed by Rubens Bertagnolli, Francesco Gavazzi, Loosli, Mori, Pietropolli, Spezialetti and Ulysses. Link: http://www.bikeworldnews.com/2011/04/14/cunego-lampreisd-ready-ardennes-classics/ Robert Gesink returns to the Keutenberg, the climb that took his father Less than half a year ago, Robert Gesink's father crashed on the descent of the Amstel Gold Race's famed Keutenberg climb. The father of Holland's biggest Tour de France hope succumbed to his injuries not long after. This week and this Sunday's Amstel Gold Race has been a difficult return to the region for Gesink. Link: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/8136/Robert-Gesink-returns-to-the-Keutenberg-the-climb-that-took-his-father.aspx Fränk Schleck looking for a birthday present at the Amstel Gold Race Fränk Schleck was 30 on Friday and hopes to celebrate his birthday with a second victory at the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday. The Leopard Trek team is still looking for its first major victory but Schleck heads a powerful squad for the Amstel Gold Race that includes his brother Andy Schleck, Fabian Cancellara, Fabian Wegmann, Jakob Fuglsang, Jens Voigt and Maxime Monfort. Link: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/frank-schleck-looking-for-a-birthday-present-at-the-amstel-gold-race Visconti declared fit for Amstel Gold Race Italian national champion Giovanni Visconti (Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli) has recovered from the flu virus that stopped him riding Wednesday's Brabantse Pijl and has confirmed he will ride Sunday' Amstel Gold Race. The Sicilian classics rider is considered one of the outsiders for the race, having both the climbing ability and finishing speed to take on favourite Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto). Link: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/visconti-declared-fit-for-amstel-gold-race Hesjedal on-form for Amstel Gold Race In 2010, Hesjedal opened his account with a bang via his best-ever result in a one-day Classic: a second place finish in the Amstel Gold Race, two seconds down on race winner Philippe Gilbert. He followed that result with a ninth place finish at Fléche Wallonne and a 12th place performance at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Link: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hesjedal-on-form-for-amstel-gold-race Amstel Gold Preview With the professional cycling season fully under way, its time for the Amstel Gold 2011 edition–the first of what are known as the Ardennes Classics. This race is the only Dutch race on the UCI’s World Tour calendar. As such, it celebrates its 46 anniversary and takes place this Sunday April 17, 2011, with the peloton leaving Maastricht at 10:21 am; all set in the beautiful countryside of the Netherlands. Link: http://www.usprocyclingnews.com/2011/04/amstel-gold-race-preview/
