VN Archives: That time Erik Dekker beat Lance Armstrong at Amstel Gold Race
This story was published in the May, 2001 edition of VeloNews magazine. Of all the spring classics, the Amstel Gold Race ranks as the proverbial redheaded stepchild. And that’s not just because of the tens of thousands of rabid Dutch fans dressed head to toe in orange, their national color. The 36-year-old Amstel Gold Race doesn’t boast the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix or the tradition that comes with the age of Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Nor does it have the excitement of sunny season-opener Milano-Sanremo or the mystique of the dark, dank Tour of Flanders. Perhaps that’s part of the reason...