In the late 1980s, cycling teams from the United States (7-Eleven) and Great Britain (ANC-Halfords) were still a relatively new presence in European classics. This retro look delves into the 1987 Amstel Gold Race through the lens of photographer Cor Vos.
The climax of the 1987 Amstel Gold Race saw three Dutch cyclists unite to prevent Malcolm Elliott of the ANC team from claiming victory on their home turf. Joop Zoetemelk (Superconfex), Steven Rooks (PDM), and Teun Van Vliet (Panasonic) collaborated, either to exhaust Elliott or to set up one of their own for the win. Ultimately, Joop Zoetemelk crossed the line first, followed by Rooks in second, with Elliott securing third place. Van Vliet finished fourth, just behind breakaway companion Bruno Cornillet (Z-Peugeot) in fifth. Phil Anderson led the peloton over a minute and a half later. Zoetemelk launched his decisive move three kilometers from the finish in Meersen, reminiscent of his 1985 World Championship victory.
The race’s pivotal moment occurred 175 kilometers into the 242-kilometer course, when Gerard Veldscholten (PDM), Nico Verhoeven (Superconfex), and Eddy Planckaert (Panasonic) established a nearly two-minute lead. They were eventually joined by a nine-rider group that included Anderson, his Panasonic teammate Allan Peiper, and Zoetemelk. The lead group expanded to 25 riders, with Malcolm Elliott among them. Cornillet’s attack fractured this group, and Elliott found himself with Anderson, Van Vliet, Zoetemelk, and Ludo Peeters (Superconfex). Eric Van Lancker and Theo De Rooy from Panasonic, along with Adrie Van der Poel (PDM), joined them, bringing the front group to 13. With 17 kilometers remaining, Verhoeven attempted an attack but was reeled in. As the riders crested the Cauberg climb, Rooks, Van Vliet, Elliott, and Zoetemelk broke away, with only Cornillet managing to keep pace. Van Vliet then attacked, prompting Elliott to respond, which ultimately created the opportunity for Zoetemelk’s winning move. Rooks surged to secure second place, 29 seconds behind, while Elliott took third, four seconds ahead of fourth-placed Van Vliet.
Malcolm Elliott made history as the first British professional rider sponsored by a UK company to achieve a podium finish in a classic race. The ANC-Halfords team also saw Bernard Chesneau finish 12th, Adrian Timmis 40th, and Chris Lillywhite 63rd, among the 70 riders who completed the race.
In an interview recalling the race, Malcolm Elliott stated, “I don’t remember much about the race except for the last 20 or 30 kilometers. Coming onto the Cauberg climb in the closing stages, there was a bit of a lull, then Steven Rooks and Teun Van Vliet went to the front. They didn’t launch a fierce attack, but they increased the tempo and started to open a gap. Joop Zoetemelk moved to join them, I tucked in behind him, and we bridged across.”
“I must have had good legs because it didn’t feel like we were flying, but we soon had a 30-second gap. Bruno Cornillet came up, and that made five of us at the front. It didn’t feel like we were killing ourselves, no one seemed fully committed, but there were small accelerations. We all kept rotating to maintain momentum. Zoetemelk went to the front – I think Rooks was behind him – he just rode away from us. We all hesitated, looked at each other, and the gap grew; five seconds, then ten, then 20, and it was too much for one rider to bridge alone.”
“I can’t remember why, but I had it in my mind that Van Vliet was the rider to watch because I thought he had done Rooks and Zoetemelk a favor, so I didn’t imagine it would be the race-winning move. Rooks surprised me and jumped away for second, but I put ten lengths into Van Vliet to take third easily, with Cornillet back in fifth. After the race, I was quite happy with the ride, but you can’t help but think about how things might have turned out. I had hoped that Dutch rivalries might have played a role and I could have benefited, but it didn’t work out that way. Just last year, though, I heard that Rooks and Van Vliet had been arguing coming into the finish that day; one of them had done the other a favor at Het Volk and wanted it repaid, but the other wouldn’t do it because the Amstel is such a significant event in Holland.”
1987 Amstel Gold Race Results:
1. Joop Zoetemelk (Ned) Superconfex – 6:12:51
2. Steven Rooks (Ned) PDM – at 0:29
3. Malcolm Elliott (GB) ANC-Halfords – at 0:31
4. Teun Van Vliet (Ned) Panasonic – at 0:35
5. Bruno Cornillet (Fra) Z-Peugeot – at 0:40
6. Phil Anderson (Aus) Panasonic – at 1:31
7. Eddy Planckaert (Bel) Panasonic – at 1:37
8. Nico Verhoeven (Ned) Superconfex
9. Adrie Van der Poel (Ned) PDM
10. Theo De Rooy (Ned) Panasonic
26. Allan Peiper (Aus) Panasonic
40. Adrian Timmis (GB) ANC-Halfords – at 6:44
54. Francesco Moser (It) Chateau d’ax – at 9:47
58. Jonathan Boyer (USA) 7-Eleven – at 12:03
63. Chris Lillywhite (GB) ANC-Halfords
68. Raul Alcala (Mex) 7-Eleven