This year the spring classics have really been fantastic to watch and I expect no less this Sunday with The Amstel Gold Race which was named after the Heineken brand of beer Amstel. The race takes place in the Netherlands and was established in 1966, considering many of the races are over 100 years old that makes Amstel a rather “new” classic. The course is features 31 climbs including in the final 30km, the Gulperberg, Kruisberg, Eyserbosweg, Fromberg, Keutenberg and the finish on the Cauberg at Valkenburg.
Personally I am more familiar with some of the great climbs that are featured in the tour de France, these “mountain” stages often times are 5, 10 kilometer long and oftentimes very steep. So I have been wondering just how tough are some of these climbs in the “classic” one day races? After searching for 30 miles online for “Cauberg” I came up with this tid bit from velonews:
“a hill that climbs through 200 vertical feet in 750 meters, with a mean grade of 8 percent and a steepest pitch of 14 percent 350 meters from the line.”
Ok… that puts things in perspective! 14% pitch just meters from the line, and with so many other climbs before the finish it is easy to see that Amstel is a hilly course. However, it seams most of the cycling publications and riders them selfs always mention Liege-Bastogne-Liege as the toughest “hilly” classic.
Get that Tivo programmed for OLN these next two Sunday’s …. I can already here Paul and Phil … “oh yes, he seams to be in a spot of bother” …!
~ Tour Guy
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