Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Cycling Pro: Superb performance for Team Katusha at the "Amstel Gold Race"

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Parent Category: Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Category: News Cycling Pro Road & Mtb 2011

Published on Sunday, 17 April 2011 19:57

Written by Luca Salvatelli

Two riders in the top-5: a superb performance for Team Katusha in the 46th edition of the "Amstel Gold Race". Joaquim Rodriguez reached the finishing line at the 2nd place, defeated in the last sprint by Philippe Gilbert, while Alexander Kolobnev closed 5th, as a confirmation of a really exciting race. For the Team Katusha's Spanish rider, the winner of the last UCI World Individual Ranking, an exemplary performance: helped in the crucial phases by the whole team, which made a faultless race, Purito Rodriguez attacks in the last kilometre with a strong action, which only Gilbert was able to contrast. Despite the generous rush, Rodriguez had to surrender to the higher speed of the Belgian rider, which takes his second Amstel Gold Race in a row.

"I'm very happy of this 2nd place - said Rodriguez - also because I have to admit Gilbert was the best rider today. When 7 kilometres left, I tried the breakaway in order to form a little group and avoid the final massive group sprint. In the last kilometre I tried to take an advantage on Gilbert, because as everybody saw in the last sprint he is much faster than me. Anyways, a second place in such an important race is a big prize for me because, between all of the race of the Ardennes Triplette, the Amstel is the one that fits me worse. I think that, theorically, both Fleche Wallone and Liege-Bastogne-Liege are competitions that fits 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 giving its fruit".

"It's a big result for Katusha - says Kolobnev - which goes beyond the Purito's second place and my fifth position. The most important thing for us is that we were able to do all the things we thought this morning we should have done. We proved to be a strong team and, as Gilbert stressed today, in this competition nobody can scare us. In the end we weren't able to win but, honestly, we did the best we could. Gilbert was extraordinary today because, even if in the last 5' did an incredible effort, standing ahead of the group, in the end he was able to contrast the Rodriguez's attack in the last kilometre. Anyways, this race proved we can do something good during this season. I'm very positive about what we can do on Fleche Wallone".

"We all worked for Rodriguez - says Di Luca - and, even if we weren't able to win, this result compensate us of all the effort we did from the first to the last kilometre. I think the team, and especially Rodriguez, today did the best they could. For me, being back to this competition, in front of all of this people, was really special. I felt things I didn't feel since month, and for me this is already a little success. I think if everybody of us will keep on racing with this determination, we will have great results".