After the cobblestone classics, it's now time for the hilly classics. The first one out of the big three is the Amstel Gold Race. The win was for the Briton Tom Pidcock (Team Ineos Grenadiers) In this post, I will give you my takeaways of this one day race together with a bit of explanation.
1. Mathieu Van der Poel (Team Alpecin Deceuninck) didn't play a big role in this race
The last two sundays Mathieu Van der Poel was absolutely dominant, winning both the Tour of Flanders and Paris - Roubaix after a long solo attack. In this race, the Dutchman was present in the front of the peloton, but didn't play a meaningful role in the final of this race. The fact that this race is a bit different and that he rides against better climbers could've made the difference.
2. Tom Pidcock (Team Ineos Grenadiers) finally wins this race
Tom Pidcock has won this year's edition of the Amstel Gold Race. The Briton was the strongest of a group of four riders and finally managed to win this race. In 2021, he was second in a close sprint with Wout Van Aert. In 2023, the olympic champion mountainbiking managed to finish third.
3. Paul Lapeira (Team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) continues to impress
Paul Lapeira was already on a good run before the start of this race, winning two smaller French one day races and a stage in the Tour of the Basque Country. In this race, he attacked with more than forty kilometers and managed to stay in the front. Though he missed the train with the first four, Lapeira managed to win the sprint for the fifth place, continuing his strong run.
4. The riders of Team Soudal Quick Step were visible at the front
In this race, the riders of Team Soudal Quick Step were visible. With more than forty kilometers remaining, Louis Vervaeke attacked and was in the front for some time. Afterwards, it was Mauri Vansevenant, who was strong. The Belgian actively played a role in the final of this race and managed to be fourth in the end. This race will give the riders of this team some confidence for the upcoming races.