Amstel Gold is this weekend so I have been looking at start lists for the race and figuring who I can and cannot choose for my picks. This race is staggering in its repetition of top finishers.
- A mere 28 riders have filled the 50 top ten places in the past 5 years. Compare that with 37 different riders in Roubaix and 33 in Flanders.
- As an example of the repetitive nature of the placings, Boogerd was in the top 5 in each of the past five years. The same for Rebellin. DiLuca four times. Kessler and Bettini three times.
- Freire is among a number of riders who reached the top 10 twice. The other three years he was top 20.
- While only 28 riders have finished top 10 in the past five years. An even more surprising stat is that only 11 of those 28 will be racing Amstel this weekend.
- Eight of the twenty-eight have retired while three of the twenty-eight have been caught doping
- Among the other top finishers, DiLuca's (4 top 10s) team LPR was not selected to race and Bettini (3 top 10s) is out with a broken rib.
- With many of the top guys like Boogerd, DiLuca, Bettini, Kessler out of the race for various reasons Rebellin (5 in a row) is the only guy left with more than two top 10s
- Who are the new guys that are starting to become regular top finishers? Appropriately enough, the last two winners (Stefan Schumacher and Frank Schleck) have a two top 10s in a row. Will Andy Schleck follow his brother in his first year at Amstel?
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- A mere 28 riders have filled the 50 top ten places in the past 5 years. Compare that with 37 different riders in Roubaix and 33 in Flanders.
- As an example of the repetitive nature of the placings, Boogerd was in the top 5 in each of the past five years. The same for Rebellin. DiLuca four times. Kessler and Bettini three times.
- Freire is among a number of riders who reached the top 10 twice. The other three years he was top 20.
- While only 28 riders have finished top 10 in the past five years. An even more surprising stat is that only 11 of those 28 will be racing Amstel this weekend.
- Eight of the twenty-eight have retired while three of the twenty-eight have been caught doping
- Among the other top finishers, DiLuca's (4 top 10s) team LPR was not selected to race and Bettini (3 top 10s) is out with a broken rib.
- With many of the top guys like Boogerd, DiLuca, Bettini, Kessler out of the race for various reasons Rebellin (5 in a row) is the only guy left with more than two top 10s
- Who are the new guys that are starting to become regular top finishers? Appropriately enough, the last two winners (Stefan Schumacher and Frank Schleck) have a two top 10s in a row. Will Andy Schleck follow his brother in his first year at Amstel?
Get in touch in an instant. Get Windows Live Messenger now.
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