Right now, Saturday, in Valkenburg Holland, possibly the biggest cyclo-sportif occasion related to any European Traditional, the Amstel Gold Cylcosportif can be run, after covid put a cease to that mass occasion final 12 months. The Pez was fortunate sufficient to hitch the 18,000 plus throng again in 2007, and it was fairly a day.
*** Learn the ‘PEZ 2024 Amstel Gold Race Preview’ HERE. ***
The night solar shines and the café patios are the place to be in Maastricht.
My journey to the Ardennes Classics was my a lot awaited probability to lastly take within the racing and driving that makes up the second half of the Spring monuments. I’d been to Roubaix & Flanders a pair years earlier than, and was eager to notch off the Amstel Gold, Flèche-Wallone, and Liège–Bastogne-Liège in my assortment of races I’ve seen.
After some negotiation on the house entrance, my journey plans have been accredited my Mrs. Pez and I used to be on my manner. (Sure, which may have been laughable within the days earlier than I used to be a dad, however you fathers know what I’m speaking about…)
Velo Traditional Excursions had us staying within the stunning Dutch city of Maastricht – which is a superb place to expertise the driving of the world and likewise just some kms from the Amstel Gold begin and end in Valkenburg. Nevertheless it’s additionally a really hip city that’s clear, stuffed with cafes, eating places and outlets, and stuffed with trendy Dutch folks.
The Amstel Gold Race circuit loops across the hilly Limburg area and truly passes via Valkenburg and up the ending climb of the Cauberg thrice. The loops are color-coded so the navigationally challenged don’t lose one of many 1000’s of wheels (actually) in entrance of them.
We rolled out from the resort to hitch the CycloSportif journey at 9AM, and though there was an choice to go straight to the ‘official’ begin in Valkenburg, we have been pleased to hitch the journey ‘in progress’ the place we intersected it a number of kms in…
Maastricht is a wonderful place to set base camp.
I’d heard this was a ‘properly attended’ occasion, however I’d by no means seen 18,000 cyclists in motion, not to mention ridden with them… and the infinite snake of cyclists already eagerly tearing up the route was directly a sight to behold, and trigger for some properly chosen additional warning.
We became the heavy move of riders like so many salmon leaping into the spawn – the street was slender – not rather more than a motorcycle path at this level, and there have been riders in every single place… actually. It was like the largest visitors jam of bikes I’d ever seen.
We have been on for the 150km route, and about an hour in stumbled on our first street blockage visitors stand nonetheless, which turned out to be the primary feed cease as properly. I paid witness as soon as once more to the recognition of this journey as I might see a whole bunch of riders funnelling like grains of sand via an hour glass towards the tables of bars, drinks, desserts and … waffles (albeit pre-packaged).
One factor about getting a gaggle of riders this large collectively is that you simply simply can’t keep away from however getting every kind – quick guys, sluggish guys, race bikes, mountain bikes and junk bikes… I felt like I used to be in a Dr. Suess story.
One thing else in regards to the Amstel Gold Cyclo journey – it appeared the roads weren’t really closed to automobiles… and greater than as soon as I nearly ricocheted off some jerk-wad’s bumper as he tore straight on the oncoming hoard like a maniac hell-bent on splattering his windscreen with a lot squished lycraa. I questioned in the event that they’d imported some drivers from again house to offer the usually well-behaved European drivers a foul title.
However quickly sufficient we received into the move of the journey. The jitters and pleasure of the opening kms mellowed, and I started to note how beautiful the countryside right here actually is.
Rolling hills, inexperienced pastures, oil-on-canvas villages, even concrete bunkers left over from World Battle II.
The most effective a part of the journey actually is the countryside, and for us race followers it was additionally a deal with to journey the precise Amstel Gold Race course. The circuit is a mixture of pristine Dutch countryside, the plethora of ‘bergs that outline the race itself, and some sections of disagreeable and boring roadway used merely to attach the assorted bergs.
Riders can select 6 routes, starting from 60km to the total 250km escapade. That is the 150km course we selected.
And neglect a couple of quiet journey via the nation – you’re by no means with out firm on this one. The “come one, come all’ participation of the native riders means you’ll wish to be attentive always, however that there’s additionally at all times somebody new to satisfy – we even ran into some followers from Spain up for the weekend.
Driving the race defining hills was the most effective half for me – and like numerous you I like testing myself on the well-known climbs and roads like the true champions of biking have accomplished for 100 years earlier than me…
The course mixes climbs which can be a pleasure to journey with some that appear merely there to attach a dot and add one other stat to the parcours. There are 31 on the official route – we climbed about 13 of them on the 150km journey.
Taken individually, none are that powerful – they’re largely round 1 km or much less in size. A number of have some steep pitches that go shut to twenty% just like the Keutenberg.
By the point we arrived on the end on the Cauberg, there have been so many individuals already ready to go via the official time gate and gather their swag, that we have been pressured to cease and stroll the ultimate few hundred meters… Pete Easton of VCT and I opted to bypass the hour lengthy procession and head straight for a celebratory brewski at on of the pubs on the base of the Cauberg.
Maastricht – I caught website of this pedal-powered rolling beer dispenser and couldn’t assist however want that they had an open seat…
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