He was marked like no other rider, and was forced to work to limit a dangerous attack by Andy Schleck inside the final 11 kilometres, but there was no stopping a hugely impressive Philippe Gilbert in today’s Amstel Gold Race. The defending champion went with a strong Joaquim Rodriguez on the final ascent of the Cauberg, covering the Spaniard’s move when Schleck was reeled in, then hitting the jets approximately 150 metres from the line.
He immediately opened a gap and despite celebrating for the final 50 metres, reached the line well clear of the Team Katusha rider. Simon Gerrans (Sky Procycling) came in a few lengths further back, netting his best result of the season, while the rest of that lead group was scattered back over the climb.
“My son was here today and I was very motivated because of that,” the Belgian said after the finish. “I wanted to make sure that I was on the podium.
“This is the most important week of my season. My team-mates worked real hard and I didn’t have to chase or attack once before the final. Only when Andy Schleck took 16 seconds I was forced to get up front. I’m not going to talk about other teams’ strategies. I was the big favourite, so I can even understand [them not working].”
Gilbert said that he didn’t panic when Schleck opened a decent lead. “I had good help with me, everyone in my team was in perfect condition. We had a very good preparation and I told them this morning to be ready.”
Things played out perfectly in the end, with Gilbert netting a rare back-to-back set of victories in the race. It marks him out as the clear favourite for Wednesday’s Flèche Wallonne and next Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Rodriguez recognised that he was beaten by the better rider and, as such, he wasn’t too disappointed. “I’m very happy with this second place, because I have to admit Gilbert was the best rider today,” he said. “With seven kilometres left, I tried a breakaway in order to form a little group and avoid the final massive group sprint. In the last kilometre I tried to get an advantage over Gilbert, because as everybody saw in the last sprint he is much faster than me.
“Anyway, a second place in such an important race is a big prize for me because, between all of the races of the Ardennes Triple, the Amstel is the one that fits me worst. I think that, theoretically, both Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege are races that suit me better. Now the goal is to keep this condition as much as we can: I’m positive because, just in the right moment, the big work made by the team during the winter session is bearing fruit.”
Early move builds large advantage:
Taking place over narrow, twisting, undulating roads, the race saw a stream of early attacks, with none succeeding in staying ahead until Thomas Degand (Veranda's Willems Accent) Albert Timmer (Skil Shimano), Simone Ponzi (Liquigas-Cannondale) and Pierpaolo De Negri (Farnese-Vini-Neri Sottoli’s Pierpaolo De Negri) clipped away after just over 55 kilometres.
They built a lead of over 11 minutes, but the break split inside the final 80 kilometres. Luis Leon Sanchez (Rabobank) set off in pursuit, then his team-mate Carlos Barredo took over and merged with the two leaders on the Bemelerberg, approximately 61 kilometres from the line.
The trio were then joined by Jan Ghyselinck (HTC-Highroad), making it four up front once again, and holding a slender 20 second lead over the peloton. However, with two fresh riders involved, the gap ramped up again and went out to one minute and ten seconds.
Gilbert’s Omega Pharma-Lotto team was doing most of the riding, and was then reinforced by a number of other squads. This brought the gap steadily downwards. With approximately 38 kilometres to go, Garmin-Cervélo’s David Millar ramped up the pace on the Loorberg, whittling down the peloton. Jerome Pineau (Quick Step) and Jakob Fuglsang (Leopard Trek) then attacked, passing the leaders, but everything came back together soon afterwards.
Approximately 25 kilometres from the line, Frank Schleck crashed and brought down his Leopard Trek team-mate Fabian Cancellara. The duo chased but missed a crucial split caused when Alexander Kolobnev (Katusha) attacked 20 kilometres from the line. He dragged a select group clear over the top of the Fromberg. Amongst the others who were present were Gilbert, his Omega Pharma Lotto team-mates Jurgen Van Den Broeck and Jelle Vanendert, as well as Joaquim Rodriguez and Alexander Kolobnev (Katusha), Simon Gerrans (Sky Procycling), Andy Schleck and Jakob Fuglsang (Leopard Trek), Oscar Freire, Robert Gesink and Paul Maertens (Rabobank), Bjorn Leukemans and Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil DCM) plus Ben Hermans (Team RadioShack).
Vanendert pushed the pace for several kilometres, bringing them onto the Keutenberg climb, 13 kilometres from the line. Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) leapt clear very soon after the start, opening a few seconds’ lead. However Gilbert didn’t panic, and stayed glued to his team-mate’s wheel.
Schleck makes a big bid for success:
Kolobnev countered Rodriguez’s recapture, pushing ahead 12 kilometres from the line. However the move was covered; almost immediately, Andy Schleck attacked on a false flat and opened a decent lead. He went clear close to the same point where his brother Frank attacked en route to victory in 2006 and quickly opened gap over the group, which was again being led by Vanendert.
Going under the ten kilometre to go banner, he had established a lead of six seconds. That prompted Gilbert himself to take up the pace-setting behind, realising that Schleck couldn’t be allowed gain too much ground. His team-mate was grateful for the relief, but came back to the front soon afterwards and started swapping through with his team leader.
The others realised that they too had to contribute and Hoogerland helped out. Gilbert was wary of doing too much and dropped to the back of the group, hoping that his absence up front would encourage the others to do their share. With five kilometres to go he was seen arguing briefly with Robert Gesink about why Rabobank wasn’t helping; meanwhile, Vanendert was continuing to ride with Hoogerland at the head of the group.
It seemed dangerous to his chances, but Gilbert moved back up to the front with four kilometres remaining, driving the pace once more and then leading the group down the descent. He split it in two, although a regrouping would take place at the base.
Under the kite, Schleck curved through the streets, being cheered on by massive crowds. Vanendert came back to the front to try to give Gilbert some relief, and it became clear that the gap was narrow enough to get Schleck back. Rodriguez was the one to make the junction, gunning it approximately 350 metres from the top and flicking by the fading Luxembourg rider.
Gilbert played things perfectly, sitting on his wheel and biding his time. Looking back, he saw that the gap was opening over those behind and he kicked hard, coming around Rodriguez’s right and powering ahead to win easily.
Gilbert was asked after the race if he could be considered the best Classics rider in history. That’s very premature, but he does recognise that he’s achieved big things. “Let’s wait until my career is over [before judging it – ed.]. I’m definitely the most all-round rider at this moment. I’ve won the Amstel Gold Race twice, won the Tour of Lombardia and got close to the win in Milaan-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders. Liège is going to be tough.”
To win next weekend will depend on him getting things right in terms of tactics. He said that today’s race was about strength, and that the nature of the race meant that it was relatively easy to get right. “You can’t trick anyone [here] like in Flanders or Roubaix, as has happened in the past. On the Cauberg, the strongest rider wins.”
Today, he certainly proved that to be the case.