This time of year is magnificent for cycling fans, who can watch the classics glide past like a Benelux-themed sushi train filled with tasty morsels of deep-fried suffering drenched in history.
Of course for spectators, many of these races are best viewed with a glass of the local bier in hand. This fact is, of course, old news to the major sponsor of this week’s classic, the Amstel Gold race.
Fortunately for us, Sunday’s enjoyment was no generic Euro-lager. Instead it was a complex and heady brew, with a depth of flavour and lingering character to delight the connoisseur.
Here are my observations.
Kreuziger played the opportunist role to perfection.
It’s not as if we didn’t know Saxo-Tinkoff’s Roman Kreuziger was talented; hell, he’s usually one of the first on the list of potential Grand Tour general classification contenders (potential more than actual at this stage, it has to be said) but he wasn’t among the main favourites for this race.
With indifferent form so far this season, and a reputation as an underachieving climber, the 26 year-old Czech managed to cruise under the radar despite a handful of previous top ten finishes in Ardennes classics.
With Peter Sagan having a rare bad day, Joaquim Rodriguez crashing out early, and Phillipe Gilbert, Simon Gerrans and Alejandro Valverde content to watch each other, Kreuziger struck gold with a daring solo effort to catch and pass the tiring seven-man breakaway.
It was a smart and gutsy move, and he showed serious strength to hold off a desperately late counterattack from the King of the Cauberg, Philippe Gilbert.
Simon Gerrans is excellent at picking his battles.
He doesn’t seem to race as many days as some other riders, but when Simon Gerrans turns up to race he usually means business.
This was another very strong performance from him, and if Kreuziger hadn’t pulled off his own heroics Gerrans was a deep-section wheel’s width away from another classic victory.
Sure, Valverde got him on the line, but only because he sucked Gerrans’ wheel all the way back to Gilbert!
Gerrans benefited from a very strong performance from his Orica-GreenEDGE team. Pieter Weening carried strong form from Pais Vasco into this race, and rode exceptionally well in the last 20 kilometres to give the team options, and still finished in the top ten.
The team also worked hard to close down the day’s first major break and keep Gerrans in the hunt. Fleche Wallone and Liege-Bastogne-Liege should again be well suited to the Australian team.
How good was Amstel Gold as a spectacle?
Perhaps it was just the first sunny race of the European season, with the breath of Spring finally stirring to life after a bleak, extended winter.
The birds singing (I imagine), the flowers blooming (perhaps), the winter coats strewn disdainfully across the coat racks of Limburg (I bet).
When seasons change and the sun finally emerges, the mood lifts. This was a less attritional race than Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix, although even in the sunshine 251 kilometres of rolling hills is still a huge undertaking.
The riders certainly seemed to enjoy the opportunity to race without hypothermia, black ice, full-length tights and jackets. In fact Lars Boom was so excited by the double-digit temperatures he spent half of the race with his jersey unzipped to the navel.
The splendid Dutch countryside, constant rolling hills, picturesque country lanes and enthusiastic Dutch fans all contributed to a fantastic race atmosphere, and the animated breakaways and constantly shifting race provided plenty for the fans to enjoy.
Even better, the aerodynamic helmet fad seems to be waning.
If your eyes haven’t yet been assaulted by a particularly helmet manufacturer’s decision to draw design inspiration from 1980’s Rick Moranis/John Candy masterpiece Spaceballs, you should be watching more cycling.
Fortunately, the visual threat seems to be diminishing before it infects the weekend warrior demographic: Gilbert is one of the many who has switched back to a more ‘traditional’ vented design, much to the disappointment of bongo-loving Sky favourite Bernard Eisel.
Then again, perhaps Peter Sagan needed an aero advantage. This was an uncharacteristically lacklustre ride from the Slovak romantic, on a course that really should be a gift to a man with his abilities.
Every rider is allowed an off day occasionally, but perhaps Sagan’s extended marauding gallop through the podiums of Europe is coming to an end.
It’s surely difficult to maintain such good form beyond a few weeks, and the self-imposed pressures off the bike can’t have helped.
At the time of writing, Sagan is said to be still considering whether to race at Fleche Wallone, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Sagan has finally come off the boil and needs a few weeks to recover before he builds again for the Tour de France.
Meanwhile, the Benelux sushi train continues to rattle past, with Fleche Wallone on Wednesday and then the next monument, Liege-Bastogne-Liege on Sunday.
Gilbert was perilously close to yet another Cauberg victory last Sunday, and with Sagan, Boonen and Cancellara all sitting out, he looks the man to beat.
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