Tadej Pogacar the big favourite for Amstel Gold Race according to Benoît Cosnefroy "but he can be beaten"
CyclingSaturday, 15 April 2023 at 18:17
Benoît Cosnefroy comes into Amstel Gold Race as one of the few riders who is thinking of beating the big favourites realistically, and despite having to face Tadej Pogacar he is certain that he's capable of fighting for the win.
“Van der Poel was also in the leading group last year and he ultimately did not participate for the victory. So it is not just a won race for one of the big three when they are at the start. And certainly not in the Amstel Gold Race," Cosnefroy told Het Nieuwsblad.
The Frenchman attacked last year's race and together with Michal Kwiatkowski they held off the rest of the competition and went on to fight for victory. Luck was not on his side as the photo-finish revealed a defeat against the Pole, but he returns this year with high form again and high ambitions.
“The climbs on Sunday are slightly shorter than, for example, in Liège. They follow each other at lightning speed, but in between there are also flatter passages, where the wind has free rein," he continues. "That makes it difficult to arrive alone. Tadej starts as favourite, but he can be beaten, although it will certainly not be easy. The Amstel is always an open race that can go either way. You might as well go to the finish with thirty men. That is another scenario that I do not like.” He leads a motivated AG2R Citroën Team in what his perhaps his best chance at success throughout the Ardennes.
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Cosnefroy finished third but looked quite good at Brabantse Pijl. AG2R took a strong win there, and the Frenchman comes to Amstel with less pressure as a result. “Yes, I certainly didn't around with super legs. There was a lot of rain in between. Dorian also said afterwards that he didn't even feel very strong."
"Well, in the run-up to next week it was a good workout and if I wasn't in shape I couldn't get third, of course. The fact that Dorian gave us the victory means that I can approach the Amstel serenely and calmly," he concluded.
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- i still believe that a thoroughly healthy jonas is at least a match for pogačar. i think some of tadej’s new aura of crushing invincibility comes from a year when everything lined up for him just right. to be clear, i’m NOT saying he’s not the most gifted rider on the planet! he IS! but… liége is made for him; there was NOBODY at the giro to challenge; jonas, for all his spirit, was broken and a shell of his true self at the tour. the Worlds course was a perfect fit for this year for pog, where slimmed down but still MUCH bigger van der poel still kept the gap under a minute in a course that REALLY didn’t suit HIM. my point is that i actually don’t think tadej suddenly launched himself to a level of ability far, far above where he’d been before. he’s a great rider that had an historically great year, but i don’t believe he’s become something NEW, and UNBEATABLE. if he’s fully healthy, i really expect jonas to be as much of a handful for pog as pog is for him.OCexile08-11-2024
- seriously, ESPECIALLY when paired with each other. when they put bob with phil, it’s like bob KNOWS he needs to tighten everything up because phil (god bless him) is losing his marbles. bob is actually pretty GOOD when he’s on phil duty. and when they took vande velde OUT of the booth with bob an put him on the back of a motorcycle, he was suddenly smart and edgy again. put those two guys TOGETHER though, and bob suddenly becomes the dumbest, sloppiest, most ill-informed pogacar and van aert fanboy on the planet, unleashing a constant stream of dim-witted, chuckling hyperbole, and christian is his enabling toady. yuk. after GCN folded i had to listen to wayyyy to much of their “dumb and dumber” show. they must be separated forever.OCexile08-11-2024
- Good news. Cycling world at least doesn't have rampant racism. But, I think it is partly because it is hard to dislike Biniam. He seems like a jolly good person even though he's a sprinter. Some sprinters are very aggressive/cocky.
KerisVroom08-11-2024 - Good news. Cycling world at least doesn't have rampant racism. But, I think it is partly because it is hard to dislike Biniam. He seems like a jolly good person even though he's a sprinter. Some sprinters are very aggressive/cocky.KerisVroom08-11-2024
- It will be a great race until the stage where it's not. Jonas can only hope for injury or illness to Pogacar. And Remco? There's no training, food, or technology that going to grant him 9 extra minutes in this race.Sweep08-11-2024
- It looks like someone is having a hard time understanding the concept of cause and effect. Perhaps Eli can enlighten us as to what the lowest and worst thing is that can happen IN a race, by a competitor.
santiagobenites08-11-2024 - What!! 5 million for a martinez and a Remco and Vingegaard as well. Something is seriously wrong. Should be 5 mil in 3 years probably.abstractengineer08-11-2024
- Remco could definitely lose a couple kilograms. That would help him a lot if he can keep his sustained power which is likely at his age. Above all else though, he needs support. He would have definitely been second if he had Jonas' supportVeganpotter08-11-2024
- van der poel is, what, 29? probably gonna be looking pretty good for this list by the time he walks away in 5 or 6 years.OCexile08-11-2024
- Jonas will be strong next year, he came into the Tour so lightweight after his injuries in that crash. I feel like he'll be focused and ready to go. That said Tadej is going to be tough to beat but it can happen. Should be a great Tour.awp08-11-2024