Bettini and Pozzato team leaders QuickStep 14-04-2006
Paolo Bettini is the absolute team leader of the QuickStep
formation in the Amstel Gold Race. The Italian king of classic rides has
never won the Dutch race, whereas he has made it his priority for the last
few years. Filippo Pozatto will play a protective role in the team of
Patrick Lefevere next to Bettini. The winner of Milan-Sanremo is convinced
that he's up-to the classic ride of this weekend. Bram Tankink and Ad Engels
account for the Dutch input in this team.
Other QuickStep riders are:
Serge Baguet, Paolo Bettini, Kevin De Weert, Ad Engels, Jose
Antonio Garrido, Filippo Pozzato, Bram Tankink and Cédric Vasseur.
Five Dutchmen in team Skil-Shimano 13-04-2006
The Skil-Shimano team will start with five Dutchmen in the
Amstel Gold Race next Sunday. Aart Vierhouten, Rik Reinerink, Piet
Rooijakkers, Maarten Tjallingii and Sebastian Langeveld vouch for the Dutch
input. The team will be completed by the German riders René Weissinger and
Paul Martens and the Japanese champion Hidenori Nodera. Team manager in this
race is Rudie Kemna.
Rabobank trains track Amstel Gold Race 13-04-2006
Rabobank trained over 200 km of the track of the Amstel Gold
Race yesterday. In the Netherlands' only classic ride the big favourite is
the orange formation. It became clear that there is an enormous pressure on
the shoulders of the Dutch group, when a large amount of press followed
their training. When Micheal Boogerd had a flat tire on the plateau of the
King of Spain, three photographers and a camera team went at him. 'Normally
they only do that when you're in a favourable position and then have a flat
tire in the finale", Boogerd joked.
Furthermore, at Schweiberg the team escaped from an incident. A
driver was starteled by a photographer and swerved all the way to the left.
He almost crashed into the riders when doing so. "It was a circus", althus
team manager Frans Maassen. "It underscores how great the expectations are
for the Amstel Gold Race. The pressure is always on our team with this
Limburg classic. Now that we haven't won any big classic ride yet, there
will only be one place that counts for us. "
The Rabobank line-up for the Amstel Gold Race will be:
Boogerd, Erik Dekker, Thomas Dekker, Weening, De Groot,
Posthuma, Freire and Flecha.
Rebellin starts with a fractured rib 12-04-2006
Davide Rebellin will start with a fractured rib in the Amstel
Gold Race Sunday. The Italian who won the Amstel Gold Race and
Liège-Bastogne-Liège two years ago, sustained this fracture when falling in
the 4th stage of the Round of the Bask Country. "The pain is bearable", thus
the 34-year-old leader of Gerolsteiner. "I'm going to train on Thursday and
thereafter will have a check-up. If there are no complications, I'll simply
start on Sunday."
Freire in splendid form 07-04-2006
Oscar Freire has made a good choice in the build-up to the
Amstel Gold Race. Three times world champion Freire let go of the Tour of
Flanders because he again suffered from bottom pains. Therefore he didn't
want to risk it on the cobble stones. Being the stage winner in the fourth
round of the Tour de Bask, the Spanish Rabobank rider proved to be on the
good track for the Amstel Gold Race.
Old-winners choose different programme 23-03-2006
Danilo Di Luca and Alexandre Vinokourov will not be riding the
Amstel Gold Race this year. The winners of respectively 2005 and 2003 will
focus on the major tours this year. Di Luca totally focuses on the Giro d'Italia
and for Vinokourov all that matters is the Tour de France. He will also give
up on Liège-Bastogne-Liège this year, the race he won last year.
Different preparation Boogerd 23-03-2006
Michael Boogerd had to change his preparation programme for the
Amstel Gold Race due to a fracture of a metatarsal bone. He planned to ride
the Harelbeke, the Brabantse Pijl and the Tour of Flanders, but he had to
scrap this series. Instead he will be riding the Tour of the Basque Country
as his last preparation for the Amstel Gold Race.
Wildcards Amstel Gold Race 06-03-2006
The five wildcards for the Amstel Gold Race are known now. This
year the wildcards are awarded to three Belgian teams, a Dutch team and an
Italian team. The teams are: Unibet.com, Landbouwkrediet - Colnago and
Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen from Belgium, Skill-Shimano from The
Netherlands and Barloworld from Italy. Soon you will find a complete
overview of the teams and its riders on this site.
Route Amstel Gold Race 2006 - Part 2 02-03-2006
Another interesting adjustment has been made in the route of the
Amstel Gold Race of this year. Next to changing the direction of entering
the Gulpener Mountain, also the 'Maastricht Round' has been altered. Instead
of riding through the inner city of Maastricht 75 km before the finish, a
shortened loop will combine old and new Maastricht. The route will follow
the F. Romanusweg to the grand Wilhelminasingel, then going to the
modernistic Avenue Ceramique. This is a beautiful passage for the bystanders
of Maastricht and surroundings as well as a safer passing of Maastricht for
the riders and the following caravan. Road blocks in the centre of
Maastricht were the cause of changing the route. De complete route 2006 will
soon be on this site.
Amstel Gold Race 15th in Event Top 100 11-01-2006
The event market in the Netherlands has grown a lot over the
last twenty years. This growth has lead to an enormous and diverse offering
in events. To obtain an accurate and quick overview of the Dutch event
market, ReSpons Evenementen Monitor researches this market yearly. Topping
the Event Top 100 list are the Internationale Vierdaagse Afstandsmarsen
Nijmegen, Zomercarnaval Rotterdam and the Fortis Marathon also in Rotterdam.
The Amstel Gold Race is listed 15th.
Route Amstel Gold Race 2006 22-12-2005
The route of the Amstel Gold Race 2006 will almost be the same
as the route of 2005. The most striking adjustment is that the Gulpener
mountain will be climbed from the other side. The organisation has already
submitted the required permits to the various towns and to the Province. The
definitive route will be announced as soon as possible, depending on their
reactions.
Tom Boonen wins Amstel Curaçao Race 2005 17-11-2005
Tom Boonen wins his first race on Curaçao being a world
champion. Even now, during the 4th Amstel Curaçao Race, Tom Boonen appears
to be too strong for his competitors Paolo Salvoldelli and Pieter Weening.