April 24/99 11:51 am - Boogerd Wins Amstel Gold

Posted by Editor on 04/24/99
 

Boogerd Takes Amstel Gold, Armstrong Second

Michael Boogerd (Rabobank) has won the Amstel Gold race, in a two-way sprint with American Lance Armstrong (US Postal). The race began rather sedately, with the first serious attack of the day, by Koos Moerenhout, Alexandre Vinokourov and Ludo Dierckxsens not going away until nearly the 80 kilometre mark of the 255 kilometre race. A crash in the peleton (at the 115 kilometre mark), and the resulting confusion, let the breakaways reach a maximum gap of 7:25. Boogerd led the chase, along with Jo Planckaert and Gabriele Missaglia, they were soon joined by 11 other riders: Michele Bartoli, Zbigniew Spruch, Maarten den Bakker, Davide Rebellin, Frank Vandenbroucke, Marcus Zberg, Leon van Bon, Laurent Jalabert, Lance Armstrong, Paolo Bettini and Gian-Matteo Fagnini. These chasers caught the lead trio 210 kilometres into the race, and Boogerd, Armstrong, Missaglia and Zberg attacked off the front shortly afterwards, quickly gaining a minute. With 17 kilometres left to go, on the Halembaye climb, Boogerd and Armstrong dropped the other two, but were soon recaught. It looked to be a four-up finish, but then in a bizarre incident, Zberg and Missaglia crashed because of a photographer! This lft the two remaining frontrunners to sprint it out, with Boogerd taking the victory.

Preliminary Results

1 Michael Boogerd
2 Lance Armstrong
3 Gabriele Missaglia
4 Maarten den Bakker
5 Laurent Roux