Enrico Gasparotto (Wanty - Groupe Gobert) rolled back the years to win Amstel Gold Race on Sunday. The Italian attacked on the final ascent of the Cauberg and was quickly joined by Michael Valgren (Tinkoff Team). The pair traded turns on the front before Gasparotto's experience and faster finish shone through with the 2012 winner of the race taking the victory in a two-man sprint. Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani – CSF) led the peloton home in third place with pre-race favourite Michael Matthews (Orica GreenEdge) finishing in fifth.
Gasparotto, 34, came into the race as one of the underdogs but he and Valgren were the only riders either capable or willing to attack on the final ascent of the race. The Italian first had to catch Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal), who had attacked with less than 10 kilometres to go and built up a lead close to 20 seconds before the foot of the final climb.
When Gasparotto attacked only Valgren could answer with the Tinkoff rider bridging up just as the road began to plateau. Lotto Soudal launched a desperate late chase but Valgren effectively sealed the race's fate by taking a long, crucial pull on the front with 800 meters to go. That effectively ended the hopes of those behind but allowed Gasparotto almost an armchair ride to the line. With the win in sight the Italian came around the Dane's wheel.
The win was an emotional one for Gasparotto and his Wanty teammates for several reasons after Antoine Demoitie lost his life in a crash during Gent-Wevelgem.
"When I won in 2012, I did most of the Cauberg with the 39 instead of 53, and I decided to do the same today. I almost crashed at the corner at the bottom and then I moved up to the front. Nobody was attacking so I went with the 39 and then I switched to the 53 when I came to the old finish," Gasparotto said at the finish.
"I was lucky that Valgren came with me, I wouldn't have won if I'd been alone because there was a super strong headwind over the top. I was maybe lucky that it wasn't Roman Kreuziger too, because we would have played a bit before the sprint. Instead Valgren was happy to pull to make sure he came second at least, and I was able to wait and wait for the sprint."
How it unfolded
Amstel Gold Race's reputation as one of the most fraught events on the calendar precedes it, and the peloton hadn't even left the neutralised zone in Maastricht before the day's first crash, with Fabio Felline (Trek-Segafredo) forced to abandon with a facial injury after he came down before passing the city limits.
Once the flag dropped, there was a typically brisk start to proceedings, and the high speed lasted for much of the opening hour, as it took some time for the day's early break to form, with both Astana and BMC quick to close down some of the initial moves. The searing pace was enough, meanwhile, to convince an ill Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal) to bring the curtain down on his ill-starred Classics campaign.
After 35 kilometres, on the approach to the day's fourth climb, the Bergsweg, a breakaway attempt finally gained some traction, with Laurens de Vreese (Astana), Tom Devriendt (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Laurent Didier (Trek), Alex Howes (Cannondale), Matteo Montaguti (AG2R-La Mondiale), Matteo Bono (Lampre-Merida), Kevin Reza (FDJ), Larry Warbasse (IAM Cycling), Josef Cerny (CCC-Sprandi), Fabien Grellier (Direct Energie) and Giacomo Berlato (Nippo-Vini Fantini) forging clear.
The 11-man move had already built up a lead in excess of five minutes by the time they crossed the finish line for the first time with 192 kilometres remaining, after the first of four ascents of the Cauberg. As the climbs and kilometres ticked down thereafter, the break's lead was slowly pegged back by a peloton, where Team Sky – with defending champion Michal Kwiatkowski in mind – were particularly active, and the gap was down to 3:30 by the time the 11 leaders came over the Cauberg for the second time with 86 kilometres remaining.
A crash for Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) gave a timely reminder of the dangers the tight Dutch roads offered but up front the race began to take shape with a four-man move comprising of Tosh Van der Sande (Lotto Soudal), Niccolò Bonifazio (Trek Segafredo), Gianni Meersman (Etixx QuickStep) and Björn Thurau (Wanty) skipped clear.
The Trek rider was merely a passenger but the intent from the remaining three was enough to distance the peloton and swallow up a number of the early break once cracks began to show in the leading group.
Team Sky was still a presence on the front of the peloton, with the race entering the final 40 kilometres. The break still had a two-minute lead but the peloton were becoming restless and Michael Albasini (Orica) launched clear.
The Swiss rider's antics merely inflamed the situation with Sky chasing him down before the foot of the Fromberg. LottoNL and BMC Racing duelled on the front and the increased pace saw the Van der Sande group caught at the summit.
Any rider with convictions of winning the race needed to be near the front so it was a major surprise to see Philippe Gilbert (BMC) distanced with still 25km and two more ascents of the Cauberg to go.
Up ahead the remnants of the break – they were down to just five – crested the penultimate race to the top of the Cauberg with 15 seconds as Bob Jungels (Etixx QuickStep) and Enrico Battaglin (Lotto NL) spearheaded yet another counter attack. One would assume that Team Sky would take control but within a blink of an eye their leader and the defending champion, Kwiatkowski, had been dropped. Instead Orica, still with Mat Hayman and Albasini, drove the peloton on.
The break was eventually caught with 14km to go but it wasn't until Roman Kreuziger attacked did the race spark into life again. Like Gasparotto, the Tinkoff rider was once a champion in this race and his move with 8km to race had a certain plausibility to it. However Wellens made Kreuziger look like he was standing still as he powered clear.
The Belgian had timed his move well and as hesitation crept in the quickly established a 20 second lead. He needed at least that in order to give himself a chance as he took the left hand turn onto the Cauberg for the final time but one last pull from Albasini ended his chances on the lower slopes.
Gasparotto, meanwhile, was lurking near the front of the peloton. His attack only created a few meters but it was enough and when Valgren made contact the pair had all they needed to make it to the line.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | 6:18:02 | |
2 | Michael Valgren (Den) Tinkoff Team | ||
3 | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF | 0:00:04 | |
4 | Bryan Coquard (Fra) Direct Energie | ||
5 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge | ||
6 | Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step | ||
7 | Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre - Merida | ||
8 | Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team | ||
9 | Loic Vliegen (Bel) BMC Racing Team | ||
10 | Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal | ||
11 | Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge | ||
12 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff Team | ||
13 | Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | ||
14 | Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | ||
15 | Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Giant-Alpecin | ||
16 | Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | ||
17 | Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Lampre - Merida | ||
18 | Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team | ||
19 | Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ | ||
20 | Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Movistar Team | ||
21 | Floris De Tier (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | ||
22 | Diego Rosa (Ita) Astana Pro Team | ||
23 | Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | ||
24 | Jon Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Movistar Team | ||
25 | Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal | ||
26 | Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal | ||
27 | Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) BMC Racing Team | ||
28 | Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Team Sky | ||
29 | Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Team Sky | ||
30 | Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | ||
31 | Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step | 0:00:08 | |
32 | Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling | 0:00:34 | |
33 | Serge Pauwels (Bel) Dimension Data | ||
34 | Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team | ||
35 | Oliver Naesen (Bel) IAM Cycling | 0:00:41 | |
36 | Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Bardiani CSF | ||
37 | Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling | ||
38 | Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Giant-Alpecin | ||
39 | Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-GreenEdge | ||
40 | Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre - Merida | ||
41 | Wouter Poels (Ned) Team Sky | ||
42 | Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin | ||
43 | Bob Jungels (Lux) Etixx - Quick-Step | ||
44 | Lawrence Warbasse (USA) IAM Cycling | ||
45 | Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Astana Pro Team | ||
46 | Pieter Weening (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | ||
47 | Simon Clarke (Aus) Cannondale Pro Cycling | ||
48 | Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team | 0:01:01 | |
49 | Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | ||
50 | Cyril Gautier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | ||
51 | Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team | ||
52 | Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Team Sky | ||
53 | Pieter Serry (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | 0:01:36 | |
54 | Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | ||
55 | Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | 0:02:05 | |
56 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data | 0:02:07 | |
57 | Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica-GreenEdge | 0:02:12 | |
58 | Matteo Trentin (Ita) Etixx - Quick-Step | 0:03:20 | |
59 | Bertjan Lindeman (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | 0:03:37 | |
60 | Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Cannondale Pro Cycling | 0:04:18 | |
61 | Jaco Venter (RSA) Dimension Data | 0:04:33 | |
62 | Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Dimension Data | ||
63 | Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Bardiani CSF | ||
64 | Mario Jorge Faria Da Costa (Por) Lampre - Merida | ||
65 | Aleksei Tcatevich (Rus) Team Katusha | ||
66 | Huub Duyn (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | ||
67 | Toms Skujins (Lat) Cannondale Pro Cycling | ||
68 | Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre - Merida | ||
69 | Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Tinkoff Team | ||
70 | Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Team Katusha | ||
71 | Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie | ||
72 | Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team | ||
73 | Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | ||
74 | Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Movistar Team | ||
75 | Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre - Merida | ||
76 | Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) IAM Cycling | ||
77 | Paul Martens (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | ||
78 | Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky | ||
79 | Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ | ||
80 | Davide Rebellin (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | ||
81 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team | ||
82 | Sergei Chernetski (Rus) Team Katusha | ||
83 | David Tanner (Aus) IAM Cycling | ||
84 | Mathew Hayman (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge | ||
85 | Tiago Machado (Por) Team Katusha | ||
86 | Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team | ||
87 | Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale | ||
88 | Gianni Meersman (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | ||
89 | Michel Kreder (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | ||
90 | Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Team Katusha | ||
91 | Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | ||
92 | Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal | ||
93 | Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Orica-GreenEdge | ||
94 | Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ | ||
95 | Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | 0:05:39 | |
96 | Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:05:56 | |
97 | Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Team Katusha | 0:06:19 | |
98 | Bjorn Thurau (Ger) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | 0:07:35 | |
99 | Matej Mohoric (Slo) Lampre - Merida | 0:08:03 | |
100 | Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | ||
101 | Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Team Katusha | 0:08:49 | |
102 | Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | ||
103 | Benjamin King (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling | ||
104 | Kristijan Koren (Slo) Cannondale Pro Cycling | ||
105 | Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | ||
106 | Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | ||
107 | Antwan Tolhoek (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | ||
108 | Berden De Vries (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | ||
109 | Valerio Conti (Ita) Lampre - Merida | ||
110 | Antoine Duchesne (Can) Direct Energie | ||
111 | Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team | ||
112 | Jesper Hansen (Den) Tinkoff Team | ||
113 | Daniele Colli (Ita) Nippo - Vini Fantini | ||
114 | Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team | ||
115 | Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Nippo - Vini Fantini | ||
116 | Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff Team | ||
117 | Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team | 0:09:11 | |
118 | Chad Haga (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin | 0:11:24 | |
119 | Marinus Cornelis Minnaard (Ned) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | 0:15:49 | |
120 | Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:17:16 | |
DNF | Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky | ||
DNF | Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky | ||
DNF | Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky | ||
DNF | Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx - Quick-Step | ||
DNF | Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | ||
DNF | Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Movistar Team | ||
DNF | Rory Sutherland (Aus) Movistar Team | ||
DNF | Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge | ||
DNF | Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-GreenEdge | ||
DNF | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin | ||
DNF | Fredrik Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Alpecin | ||
DNF | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Soudal | ||
DNF | Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal | ||
DNF | Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal | ||
DNF | Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | ||
DNF | Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | ||
DNF | Jay Mccarthy (Aus) Tinkoff Team | ||
DNF | Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff Team | ||
DNF | Yury Trofimov (Rus) Tinkoff Team | ||
DNF | Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Trek-Segafredo | ||
DNF | Laurent Didier (Lux) Trek-Segafredo | ||
DNF | Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | ||
DNF | Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Trek-Segafredo | ||
DNF | Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | ||
DNF | Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo | ||
DNF | Frank Schleck (Lux) Trek-Segafredo | ||
DNF | Lars Boom (Ned) Astana Pro Team | ||
DNF | Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team | ||
DNF | Dario Cataldo (Ita) Astana Pro Team | ||
DNF | Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Team Katusha | ||
DNF | Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | ||
DNF | Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | ||
DNF | Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | ||
DNF | Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | ||
DNF | Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) FDJ | ||
DNF | Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) FDJ | ||
DNF | Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ | ||
DNF | Kévin Reza (Fra) FDJ | ||
DNF | William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ | ||
DNF | Jerome Coppel (Fra) IAM Cycling | ||
DNF | Stef Clement (Ned) IAM Cycling | ||
DNF | Sondre Holst Enger (Nor) IAM Cycling | ||
DNF | Stefan Denifl (Aut) IAM Cycling | ||
DNF | Nathan Brown (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling | ||
DNF | Omar Fraile Matarranz (Spa) Dimension Data | ||
DNF | Nathan Haas (Aus) Dimension Data | ||
DNF | Natnael Berhane (Eri) Dimension Data | ||
DNF | Youcef Reguigui (Alg) Dimension Data | ||
DNF | Sander Helven (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | ||
DNF | Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | ||
DNF | Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | ||
DNF | Jens Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | ||
DNF | Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | ||
DNF | Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | ||
DNF | Mark Mcnally (GBr) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | ||
DNF | Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | ||
DNF | Kenny De Haes (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | ||
DNF | Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | ||
DNF | Marco Marcato (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | ||
DNF | Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Direct Energie | ||
DNF | Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie | ||
DNF | Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie | ||
DNF | Tony Hurel (Fra) Direct Energie | ||
DNF | Ryan Anderson (Can) Direct Energie | ||
DNF | Josef Cerny (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | ||
DNF | Adrian Kurek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | ||
DNF | Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | ||
DNF | Leszek Plucinski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | ||
DNF | Simone Ponzi (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | ||
DNF | Damiano Cunego (Ita) Nippo - Vini Fantini | ||
DNF | Grega Bole (Slo) Nippo - Vini Fantini | ||
DNF | Giacomo Berlato (Ita) Nippo - Vini Fantini | ||
DNF | Yuma Koishi (Jpn) Nippo - Vini Fantini | ||
DNF | Kazushige Kuboki (Jpn) Nippo - Vini Fantini | ||
DNF | Riccardo Stacchiotti (Ita) Nippo - Vini Fantini | ||
DNF | Nicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani CSF | ||
DNF | Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSF | ||
DNF | Nicola Ruffoni (Ita) Bardiani CSF | ||
DNF | Luca Sterbini (Ita) Bardiani CSF | ||
DNF | Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF |