Amstel Gold Race 2025

April 20, 2025 The 59th Amstel Gold Race leaves from the Stadhuis in the Market Square in Maastricht for Monument distance of 259KM over 34 bergs and 3,200M of climbing for what is one of the heaviest kilojoule days riders have all year. The route is almost impossible to describe given the constant turning back and across itself. The main feature though is the Cauberg which is back after nine years as the final climb coming 3KM from the finish. The start list is stacked for the first of three races that make up the Ardennes Classics with stage racers mixing in with some of the cobbled classics riders to make an interesting blend of contenders. The weather was perfect and at KM0, the flag dropped and racing got underway. Eight riders made up the break including Michel Hessmann of Movistar, Rémi Cavagna of Groupama-FDJ, Robert Stannard of Bahrain-Victorious, Emiel Verstrynge of Alpecin-Deceuninck, Jarrad Drizners and Cedric Beullens of Lotto, and Jelle Johannink and Hartthijs De Vries of Unibet-Tietema Rockets. They had a maximum advantage of 4 minutes 30 seconds but as the break plunged down into Valkenburg with 85KM to go to start the Cauberg, the gap was just 10 seconds as UAE-XRG were leading the charge. Only Beullens, Johannink, Hessmann, and Cavagna remained at the front by the top but the race was all back together just inside 69KM on the Bemelerberg. The riders started the stretch of road away from the Bemelerberg heading towards to the Loorberg of around 15KM which is the largest distance between climbs for the rest of the race. UAE-XRG were ever-present at the front along with EF-Education EasyPost, Ineos, Jayco AlUla, and Tudor Pro Cycling. Harry Sweeny led EF-Education EasyPost on to the Loorberg with 55KM to go. Damage was done at the back but at least 70 riders were still intact by the top with the Gulperberg on deck. Lidl-Trek took control on the approach to the Gulperberg and it felt like something was bubbling. The leaders of each team were massing at the front and it was Julian Alaphilippe of Tudor Pro Cycling that put the peloton under pressure. Only Tadej Pogačar of UAE-XRG was able to follow with Thibau Nys of Lidl-Trek and Ben Healy of EF-Education EasyPost chasing at 7 seconds over the top. Nys and Healy were caught by a large group who were still just 10 seconds behind Alaphilippe and Pogačar. The race dynamics changed on the Kruisberg when Alaphilippe was dropped and Pogačar was left off the front alone with 42.5KM to go with a relatively large group still together to chase. Ilan Van Wilder of Soudal Quickstep led Remco Evenepoel and a 14 man chase over the Eyserbosweg and the Fromberg but the gap ticked up second by second. Evenepoel was left to do the work on his own up the steep Keutenberg and got the gap within 25 seconds but Mattias Skjelmose of Lidl-Trek attacked over the top and disrupted any potential organized chase. Evenepoel made a few attempts and finally broke away from the rest of the chasers, catching Skjelmose with 24.5KM to go but 31 seconds behind Pogačar. Pogačar descended down to Valkenburg for the penultimate time to hoards of cheering fans and the start of the Cauberg. Evenepoel rode the climb with a bit between his teeth and took the bell for one 20KM lap down just 13 seconds. The rest of the chase hung on at 35 seconds but it was hard to see how they were going to get back into the race. Up and over the Geulhemmerberg, Pogačar held his lead at around 20 seconds but it started to come down again on the Bemelerberg to just 9 seconds. Evenepoel and Skjelmose fought tooth and nail and finally made the catch with 8KM to go to make three riders at the front, heading to the Cauberg together. Pogačar skipped a few turns and when he did come to the front, he was crystal cranking and flicking the arm almost immediately. Evenepoel led the trio through the sharp left turn on to the Cauberg with 2.6KM to go. It was a bit tactical with Pogačar and Skjelmose following. Skjelmose took a turn but Pogačar would not come through. They got to the top and tightened their shoes under 1KM to go. Evenepoel led through 800M then 400M and there was still no movement from Pogačar or Skjelmose. Evenepoel sensed it was time just inside 300M and started his sprint. Pogačar got up alongside him and it looked to be between the two but Skjelmose drew even with about 25M to go. From the front angle camera, the three were a match on the line. After a closer look, it was Skjelmose that took the win ahead of Pogačar and then Evenepoel in third. There have not been many instances when Pogačar has been caught after he attacks and he might regret going with just Alaphilippe with so much difficult terrain still to ride. Healy and his teammate Neilson Powless tried to break out of the main chase group along with Louis Barré of Intermarché-Wanty but they could not hold off the rest of the group to the line. It was Wout van Aert of Visma-Lease a Bike that led the chase of eight riders in 34 seconds later for fourth with Michael Matthews of Jayco AlUla in fifth.