Amstel Gold Race

17-04-2009 17:16:03

The last three North classics will be centred in one week. The Amstel Gold Race, planned on Dutch ground on Sunday 19th April, will take the riders from Maastricht to Valkenburg. The second appointment, on Wednesday 22nd, will be the Flèche Wallonne, the classic that will start from Charleroi and will end in Huy with the homonym and fearful Mur. At the end, on Sunday 26th, is the day of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the oldest race that will engage the riders for 261 kilometres and among the Ardennes’ côtes.

Team Liquigas’ hopes are placed in Vincenzo Nibali, returning from an encouraging performance in the Vuelta al Paìs Vasco and eager to pick the first success of the season. «The answers received on the Spanish street comfort me – declares Nibali –. During the week I was near the best riders and my legs well answered at the forcing: I missed only the victory. Now I’m ready to face these classics to aim high, conscious that won’t be easy beat the competition. I well know the routes and I think are adapted to my characteristics, above all the Liège’s one: the tenth place of the last year will be the starting point». To increase the chance of victory, in Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallonne also Roman Kreuziger will be present, returning like Nibali from the Basque efforts. «I face these races with a growing condition – affirms the young rider -. The training camp in high mountain, at the end of March, is helping me a lot and in Basque Country I gained a good race rhythm. In Holland and Belgium I’ll search to be protagonist but, above all, to support Vincenzo for the victory». For the Liège-Bastogne-Liège will arrive Ivan Basso and Franco Pellizotti, ready to put at disposal their experience in the numerous ups and downs that characterize the Doyenne.

These are the complete line-up of the team, leaded by directeur sportif Dario Mariuzzo, for the three classics:

Amstel Gold Race: Valerio Agnoli, Roman Kreuziger, Vincenzo Nibali, Daniel Oss, Ivan Santaromita, Gorazd Stangelj, Brian Bach Vandborg and Frederik Willems

Flèche Wallonne: Valerio Agnoli, Roman Kreuziger, Aliaksandr Kuchynski, Vincenzo Nibali, Ivan Santaromita, Gorazd Stangelj, Brian Bach Vandborg and Frederik Willems

Liège-Bastogne-Liège: Valerio Agnoli, Ivan Basso, Aliaksandr Kuchynski, Vincenzo Nibali, Franco Pellizotti, Ivan Santaromita, Gorazd Stangelj and Frederik Willems