42nd Amstel Gold - Quickstep/Innergetic Team Preview
The "Classics Super Team" team rides in support of World Champion Paolo Bettini
in his quest to add the Amstel Gold to his collection of one day and Classics
palmares.
Bart Hazen
Quick Step/Innergetic undoubtedly the strongest one day ProTour team, will
arrive at the start in Maastricht with a very strong team to contest the Amstel Gold Race
on Sunday April 22.
Team leader
Paolo Bettini (Italy)
Photo c. Bart Hazen
Quick Step will start with World Champion Paolo Bettini
(Italy), Addy Engels (The Netherlands), Bram Tankink (The Netherlands), Jurgen
van de Walle (Belgium), Cedric Vasseur (France), Matteo Tosatto (Italy), Carlos
Barredo (Spain) and Giovanni Visconti (Italy).
Matteo Tosatto (Italy)
Photo c. Bart Hazen
Cedric Vasseur (France)
Photo c. Bart Hazen
Addy Engels (The Netherlands)
Photo c. Bart Hazen
World Champion Paolo Bettini is the leader of the team. Bettini is a specialist
for the one-day classics and won the following former World Cup races so far in
his career: Liege-Bastogne-Liege (2000 & 2002), Championships of Zürich (2001,
2005), Classica San Sebastian (2003), Milano-SanRemo (2003), HEW Cyclassics
(2003), and the Giro di Lombardia (2005, 2006). He even won twice the final
ranking of the World Cup which makes him one of the best, perhaps the best,
one-day racer in the past decade.
The only classics which Paolo hasn’t won so far, but which he would love to win
are the Tour of Flanders and the Amstel Gold. Maybe he can win
tomorrow? In 2006 Bettini finished 8th on top of the Cauberg at 53 seconds off
winner Fränk Schleck.
Jurgen van de Walle (Belgium)
Photo c. Bart Hazen
The other riders have to work for the team and if Paolo should have a bad day
they can go for own glory as well. Bram Tankink is in good shape, and rode
strongly in
Pais Vasco before getting ill.
Bram Tankink (The Netherlands)
Photo c. Bart Hazen
Quickstep/Innergetic Amstel Squad.
Paolo Bettini (Italy)
Addy Engels (The Netherlands)
Bram Tankink (The Netherlands)
Jurgen van de Walle (Belgium)
Cedric Vasseur (France)
Matteo Tosatto (Italy)
Carlos Barredo (Spain)
Giovanni Visconti (Italy)
Carlos Barredo (Spain)
Photo c. Bart Hazen
Giovanni Visconti (Italy)
Photo c. Bart Hazen
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