Bettini builds confidence

"I proved that this race can suit me; and it would have been another beautiful pearl in my collection," the Italian told Tuttobicisport after finishing 53 seconds behind eventual winner Frank Schleck despite riding in the lead group for the final stretch of the Amstel Gold Race.

"But you can't always win... Moreover, at a certain moment in the race I didn't feel that my legs were responding very well, and in the finale, nobody wanted to chase."

Winning the Liège-Bastogne-Liège for a third time remains a major objective for Bettini, who described his performance in Amstel Gold as a confidence booster heading into Wednesday's Flèche Wallonne.

"But it reassures me that I'm in good condition with a view to the next races; the ones I really like: Flèche Wallonne and in particular, Liège-Bastogne-Liège," Bettini said.