Some Amstel Historical past The Amstel Gold Race was first run in 1966, making it one of many youngest Classics. The Dutch race was a dream of Herman Krott who ran the Amstel Bier workforce, a workforce which nurtured riders like Fedor den Hertog, Joop Zoetemelk, Gerrie Knetemann, Gert-Jan Theunisse and Leo van Vliet, however he was engaged on a Dutch Traditional. He needed a race that might be on a par with the Tour of Flanders and Milano-Sanremo. His supposed route was from Amsterdam to Maastricht, however that turned out to be unfeasible. Breda was the beginning city and the end was in Meerssen and held on Queen’s Day (Koninginnedag) 1966.
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The primary Amstel winner – Jean Stablinski, right here with Jacques Anquetil
The winner of the primary version was Jean Stablinski. A Polish, naturalised Frenchman, was additionally a World champion, a Classics and Vuelta a España winner. It was Stablinski final large win, for Krott he was a giant fish to begin the record of winner. The Amstel Gold Race just isn’t one of many Monuments, however the record of winners comprises all the massive names: Eddy Merckx (twice), Gerrie Knetemann (twice), Freddy Maertens, Jan Raas (5 occasions), Steven Rooks, Joop Zoetemelk, Jelle Nijdam, Eric Van Lancker, Adrie van der Poel, Frans Maassen, Johan Museeuw, Bjarne Riis, Michael Boogerd, Erik Zabel, Erik Dekker, Michele Bartoli, Alexandre Vinokourov, Davide Rebellin, Fränk Schleck, Philippe Gilbert (4 occasions), Enrico Gasparotto, Mathieu van der Poel, Michał Kwiatkowski, Wout van Aert and Tadej Pogačar.
Three of the highest Dutch riders of the 70s and 80s: The late Gerrie Knetemann, Jan Raas and Hennie Kuiper within the 1977 Amstel Gold Race. This was the primary Amstel win for Raas when he rode for Frisol, his different 4 wins had been for Raleigh. Knetemann received twice, first in 1974 after which once more 11 years later in 1985. Kuiper by no means received his house race.
The house nation has essentially the most winners with eighteen victories, adopted by Belgium on 13 and 7 for Italy. The final house win dates from 2019, when Mathieu van der Poel was the final Dutchman to win in 2019. In 2021 Wout van Aert beat Tom Pidcock by a millimetre. In 2022 Michał Kwiatkowski out-sprinted Benoît Cosnefroy, after the Pole had attacked with 21 kilometres to go after which final yr Tadej Pogačar stamped all around the race for a solo win (see under).
Race founder Herman Krott
Race founder Krott handed away in 2010. In 1996, Krott handed over the job of race director to Leo van Vliet, who shall be on the head of his twenty eighth Amstel race on Sunday. It should even be Leo van Vliet’s final time on the helm of the Amstel Gold Race. In 2025 the Amstel Gold Race can have a brand new organiser and Flanders Classics will take over, though Van Vliet will nonetheless stay race director. Krott’s legacy is remembered by the Herman Krott Trophy, for essentially the most combative rider within the Amstel race.
Philippe Gilbert received Amstel 4 occasions
Tadej Pogačar was the highest favorite earlier than the beginning of the 2023 Amstel Gold Race and lived as much as his No.1 billing. The Slovenian put in his closing assault on the Keutenberg, 30 kilometres from the end. He dropped Tom Pidcock and Ben Healy to solo to victory. Healy was second and Pidcock simply held on for third.
In 2024, Tom Pidcock made up for his Amstel Gold Race loss in 2021 to Wout van Aert by the smallest of margins. The INEOS Grenadiers rider crossed to the successful break after which received the dash from Marc Hirschi (UAE Workforce Emirates) and Tiesj Benoot (Visma | Lease a Bike). Prime favorite, World champion, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was trapped within the bunch to complete twenty second.
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