Amstel Gold Race, Sunday the 17th of April 2011

Amstel Gold Race 2011

Today Bananas About Bikes has another report from a recent race. This time our report comes from Kimberley. Kimberley went to this year's Amstel Gold Race. Kimberley is a 20 year old Dutch Girl. She loves cycling and her favourite riders are Andy Schleck, Jakob Fuglsang and Niki Terpstra.

For the third year in a row I went to the Amstel Gold Race.. After a long trip by train, sitting next to men who were drinking beer at 10 o’clock in the morning, I finally arrived in Valkenburg together with Marleen.

Then the hardest part of the day came: finding the right place at the Cauberg.
Can you see the finish line? Check
No Gilbert fans / Belgium fans around ? Check
No Gilbert fans around who are smoking joints? Check
No Schleck fans with flags which prevent your view around? Check
Pff, we found the right place.

Pretty quick the riders arrived for the first time. After last year’s disaster of Daags na de Tour (criterium) when the riders came by for like 40 times and I didn’t manage to take a single picture of Jakob, this time I was determined to take a picture of him. First time, no luck, well no luck, I did take a picture of Jens, Andy and Frank.

After the first round, it takes about three hours before the riders arrive again.
So what do you do in the meanwhile?
Well sitting, waiting and wishing for a victory for Team Leopard, or a Dutchie.

You can hear the noise of the crowd and you know it is time for the second round. There is still a small group in front, which you know won’t make it in the end. Poor guys.
Still no luck with taking a picture of Jakob, don’t know what’s wrong with me. Best picture so far is a picture of Andy, Frank, Fabian and Jens together. Now all what’s left was waiting for the finish.


You can now see the race on a big screen. And what do you see first? Exactly Frank sitting on the ground, again he falls in the Amstel, not too bad this time, thank God.
Next up OMG! OMG! Andy attacks. I’ve got a select group of riders which I really like, will I see someone of this group winning the Amstel? That would be amazing, so far I have only see Ivanov and Gilbert winning AGR.

In the meantime some stupid boys came standing behind us, saying things like: Hopefully Andy falls of his bike etc. Not particularly Schleck fans, probably jealous anyway.

The riders finally arrive at the Cauberg for the final. Lots of confusion, silly me I was still thinking that Andy was in front or at least able to win at the Cauberg. Big disappointment when the first rider I saw was Gilbert, but what a cute little baby boy he has!

He is not my favourite rider (although his victory was quite impressive), but still at that moment I was the happiest girl in the world, why? I finally have my picture of Jakob!
Not the best picture I ever made (Kolobnev is in the way), but that doesn’t matter.

See you next year Amstel!

Fabian Cancellara and Maxime Monfort near the finish.