As it happened: Redemption after last year's disappointment at Amstel Gold Race men 2026
Remco Evenepoel beat last year's winner, Mattias Skjelmose with Benoit Cosnefroy taking third.
Amstel Gold Race 2026 – Contenders
Amstel Gold Race 2026 – How to watch
Results
There's about half an hour until the race start and the rider presentation is well underway. Groupama-FDJ United come into this race with a really good option in Romain Grégoire who comes into today off the back of a fourth place finish in Brabantse Pijl, not to mention several solid results in the cobbled classics.
Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live report of the men's Amstel Gold Race 2026.
The opener for the Ardennes Classics is always a tough race to call. It is often the most unpredictable of the three where even a stand out favourite like Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) can come unstuck. Last year's race, won by Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) in a three up sprint with Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) was proof of that.
Skjelmose returns to defend his crown in Valkenburg but, yet again, he is not the favourite. Evenepoel is where everyone is looking for the big name favourite this year. However, he does have challengers from Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), and many more besides.
Unfortunately, one rider who has been in great form before getting ill at Itzulia Basque Country, was Ben Tulett (Visma-Lease a Bike). He doesn't take to the start today as he is still struggling with fitness after illness. Samuele Battistella (EF Education-EasyPost) will also not start due to illness.
🇳🇱 #AGR26Unfortunately, Ben Tulett is not fit and will not start in the Amstel Gold Race. We wish him a speedy recovery! 🍀April 19, 2026
Several big name riders who were originally down to ride but aren't due to a variety of issues have meant that the startlist isn't quite as stacked as originally expected. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) are both ill, Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) is coming back from injury and has opted for the Tour of the Alps as prep for Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) has a broken sacrum after crashing at Itzulia Basque Country.
Evenepoel comes into this after a disappointing third place in last year's edition. Will he change his approach to this year's race?
10 minutes until the start.
The riders head out on the 1.8km neutral zone in Maastricht.
No attacks are getting any gap as of yet.
The first 10 minutes of racing sees the riders average 42kph.
The first climb of the day is the Maasberg, which comes after 10km of racing and is just 300 metres long. Maybe a launchpad for the break to finally go?
Multiple attacks are being launched in the peloton.
Nine riders go clear and swiftly get a gap of 30" on the peloton. I'll confirm who they as soon as I can.
Break:
Huub Artrz (LOI)
Warren Barguil (TPP)
Joseba López (CJR)
Siebe Deweirdt (TFB)
Filip Maciejuk (MOV)
Marco Frigo (NSN)
Xabier Mikel Azparren (PQT)
Valentin Retailleau (TEN)
Abram Stockman (URR)
They have a gap of 1'20" on the peloton.
20 minutes in and the average pace has shot up to over 48kph with the break trying to get a good gap on the bunch.
The first climb of the day is out of the way...
The gap for the break goes to 2'10" over the peloton.
Abandon:
The gap has gone out further with the breakaway holding 3'45" over the peloton as the bunch seem very happy with the composition of the group out front.
The breakaway are riding together well and have 4'15" on the peloton who seem to have calmed right down and are just sorting themselves into order before teams such as Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Visma-Lease a Bike, Ineos Grenadiers, Lidl-Trek, UAE Team Emirates-XRG and the rest decide who will control the day.
About 4km from the Bergseweg climb. This begins the constant up and downs for the rest of the day with the Korenweg, Nijswillerweg, Rijksweg, Wolfsberg, Loorberg, Schweibergerweg, Camerig, Vaalserberg/Drielandenpunt, Gemmenich, Epenerbaan/Vijlenerbos, Eperheide, Gulperberg, Plettenberg, Eyserweg, Schanternelsweg, Vrakelberg, and Sibbergrubbe all to come before the laps around the finish in Valkenburg. Only the Gulperberg is used again one more time out of this list.
After an hour of racing the average speed is at 47kph.
López and Barguil in the break today ride for the only teams in this race that are without a win this season. Caja Rural-Seguros RGA have come very close with Fernando Gaviria, but Picnic-PostNL have struggled with only a couple of podiums with the likes of sprinter Pavel Bittner.
While the men's race is rather calm, why not take a look at the live updates we're doing for the women's race as well...
The peloton has started to take control of the racing with the gap coming down to 4'00".
As expected, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have taken control for Evenepoel with around 200km to go...
The gap has stabilised around four minutes.
Evenepoel is being guided by his team on the front of the peloton with Jorgenson's Visma-Lease a Bike and Skjelmose's Lidl-Trek close behind.
After two hours of racing the average speed is 43kph.
The riders are on the seventh climb of the day, the Loorberg.
He may not be racing today, but Pidcock is making a miraculous return to racing after his horror crash at the Volta a Catalunya at the Tour of the Alps as he builds towards Liège-Bastogne-Liège...
Now on climb number eight of 33, the Schweibergerweg.
The riders are really heading into the thick of it now with hardly any moment of rest bite from here to the finish. The race is up and down on narrow and twisty countryside roads and traffic island filled towns.
Still not very much going on in this race, and still over 130km to go.
Meanwhile, there's 10km to go in an exciting edition of the women's race. You can also follow that one live on the site.
Reminder that this is Warren Barguil's first race after some pretty serious injuries from a crash in February, so it's good to see him up in the break.
Are riders and races more relaxed when Tadej Pogačar isn't here? You could imagine that if he was, UAE would already be hammering it at this point...
Dutch national champion, Danny van Poppel, showing off his nation's colours on home roads as he works for his Belgian leader, Evenepoel in the glorious mid April sunshine...
It is sunny for the men at the moment but, as the women finish in Valkenburg, the rain falls. Classic April weather.
The race is roughly at the half way marker today.
Amstel Gold Race is always a great way to kick of the trio of Ardennes Classics with La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège following. It feels like the difficulty level grows as they go on. And, with the Ronde van Limburg and Brabantse Pijl now bridging the gap between the cobbles and hills, the Classics feel like a big group rather than two separate classifications of Classics. This is helped, of course, by the likes of Pogačar and Evenepoel doing both.
Three hours in and the average speed dips under 43kph. The peloton losing grip on the break, perhaps deliberately, as the gap grows again to 4'40". The largest the gap has been all day.
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe may be trying to get other teams to bite the bullet and work with them on the front of the bunch as it has all been up to the German team thus far.
A reminder of the break:
Huub Artrz (LOI)
Warren Barguil (TPP)
Joseba López (CJR)
Siebe Deweirdt (TFB)
Filip Maciejuk (MOV)
Marco Frigo (NSN)
Xabier Mikel Azparren (PQT)
Valentin Retailleau (TEN)
Abram Stockman (URR)
Now onto climb number 13, the Eperheide. Around 4% in gradient and just over 2km long.
As the rain joins the party for the men's race, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe's tactic has worked and they are joined by Visma-Lease a Bike and, interestingly, Decathlon-CMA CGM on the front to set the tempo.
The most likely rider that Decathlon-CMA CGM are riding for today is Paul Lapeira. The former French champion hasn't raced since Milan-San Remo, where he took 17th place. What can he produce today?
Climb 14 now, the Gulperberg. Under a kilometre long but kicks over 12% in gradient.
Climbs 15, 16, 17, and 18 all come thick and fast now. The Plettenberg, Eyserweg, Schanternelsweg, and Vrakelberg before a brief hiatus from climbing then another cluster beginning with the Sibbergrubbe that will take us to the first passage of the Cauberg and the finish line.
The injection of pace in the peloton by the new teams joining the front has seen the break's advantage completely disintegrate with just 1'50" splitting them now.
Abandon:
Mechanical
He has a bizarre moment with a loose back wheel.
Abandon
He crashed with Lapeira but the Frenchman is still riding.
The peloton are now just 1'37" off the back of the peloton that are currently led by Frigo.
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have retaken complete control in the peloton with Nico Denz leading the way.
One of the very characteristic views of these races...
Mechanical
The riders back into the spring sunshine again.
The peloton splits into four groups as Denz continues his high pace with Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) getting caught out.
NSN come alongside Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe as they head to the Sibbergrubbe.
Maciejuk is dropped from the break.
Frigo is leading the break as Stockman, Lopez and Deweirdt all dropped from the front.
Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) dropped on the first ascent of the Cauberg on his second race back since coming back from his crash.
As expected, the attackers are brought back.
Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) dropped and will likely abandon.
Abandon
Barguil dropped from the break as well. It is his first race since the start of February.
Leaders:
As Retailleau is now also dropped.
Multiple teams come to the front of the peloton as several teams look to position their main leaders.
Abandon
Tudor now down to four riders.
Just Frigo, Artz and Azparren are out front now with everyone else caught.
First of two ascents of Bemelerberg now as Visma-Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates-XRG join Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe on the front again.
Abandon
The two Kazakhstani riders not having the day they would've hoped for.
Reinderink is now 45" behind the leading trio with the peloton at 1'08".
Mosca back riding. He's having the grit his teeth to do it, though.
Abandons
They join what is becoming a long list.
Azparren distanced from the break. He can do no more out there and sits up.
Reinderink catches, passes and drops Azparren in his quest to join Artz and Frigo out front. He is 42" down.
Reinderink losing time to Frigo and Artz now. 47" down on them. The peloton about a minute behind him.
Frigo looks to be absolutely flying in the break as he leads on the Loorberg. The peloton seem to be struggling to close the gap, it is actually growing!
Decathlon-CMA CGM and Groupama-FDJ United lead onto the Loorberg but Uno-X Mobility take over.
Gianni Vermeersch comes back to the front to retake control in the peloton for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. They are now very close to catching Reinderink with the gap dropping to 1'10" to Artz and Frigo.
Mechanical
He takes Bob Jungels' bike.
Reinderink caught.
Onto the Gulperberg for the second and final time.
And Frigo finally drops Artz and goes solo.
However, Haimer Etxeberria comes to the front for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe as they start what looks like a leadout.
Etxeberria swings off and Jan Tratnik takes over with Evenepoel and Skjelmose following well.
Tratnik continues a tempo on the front as the other favourites scramble to get close to Evenepoel but no move yet from the Olympic champion.
Frigo riding so so well today. He has 16" on Artz and 58" on the peloton.
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe disappears from the front with Groupama-FDJ United, Ineos Grenadiers and Uno-X Mobility come up to lead the way with the bigger teams down to just their main leader or just a couple of riders.
Evenepoel, Grégoire and Skjelmose push on and are 17" on Frigo with Bilbao leading the peloton about 15" behind this group.
Frigo caught by Evenepoel, Skjelmose and Grégoire. They have 24" on the chase group led by Mauro Schmid (Jayco-AlUla) and Senna Remijn (Alpecin-Premier Tech).
They are about to go onto the steepest climb of the race with a max kick of 22%. Evenepoel, Grégoire, Skjelmose and Frigo have 23" on the chasers.
Onto the Keutenberg they go and immediately Evenepoel ups the tempo with Frigo at the back.
Frigo is starting to lose touch as the chasing group, led by Benoit Cosnefroy (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), who is dropping several riders.
30km to go
Evenepoel (RBH)
Skjelmose (LTK)
Grégoire (GFC)
Chasers 25":
Cosnefroy (UAD)
Philipsen (LTK)
Baudin (EFE)
Costiou (GFC)
Frigo (NSN)
Vansevenant (SOQ)
Chase 2, 35":
Schmid (JAY)
Remijn (APT)
Verstrynge (APT)
The rain begins to fall yet again.
Remijn, Verstrynge and Schmid are close to rejoining the first chase group at 25" behind the leading trio.
Grégoire now finally losing touch but he isn't giving up just yet.
In the chase, Remijn and Verstrynge are dropped again at 34" back on the leaders.
Grégoire now properly distanced by Evenepoel as Skjelmose only now comes to take a turn as the road levels out.
Onto the Geulhemmerberg with Grégoire just 10" behind the leaders and the chasing group at 49".
The gap to Grégoire has grown on the Geulhemmerberg to 20" as he begins to drift back to the chasing group who are at 50".
5km to go until the final ascent of the Bemlerberg as Evenepoel and Skjelmose work together and have 24" on Grégoire with 51" back to the chasers with Baudin trying to attack, but Withen Philipsen closes it down.
Verstrynge has done really well to get back into this chase group once again.
10km to go
On the Bemlerberg go Evenepoel and Skjelmose with 45" on Grégoire and 57" to the chase group as the fight for the final place on the podium is very much on.
It is over a minute back to the chasers now for Evenepoel and Skjelmose as Grégoire is caught by the Cosnefroy led group.
Verstrynge tries a move in the chase but nothing doing as they look like they will battle for third on the Cauberg.
4km to go and this is coming down to the final ascent of the Cauberg for Evenepoel and Skjelmose too.
Ewen Costiou (Groupama-FDJ United) was the latest rider to try and go but, again, he can't get clear of that group.
Evenepoel is keeping the pace high. You can see his muscles tense but then he backs off and forces Skjelmose through again.
2km to go and now Evenepoel has Skjelmose where he wants him. That said, the Olympic champion comes through yet again.
500 metres to go and Evenepoel sits on Skjelmose's wheel.
250 metres to go.
Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) wins Amstel Gold Race 2026!
Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) was well beaten there.
Behind, Frigo tries to go again but he has been caught under the flamme rouge.
Benoit Cosnefroy (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) wins the sprint to take third on the day.
The overhead shot of the sprint just showed how brutal Evenepoel's acceleration was as he left Skjelmose behind with ease.
Evenepoel after the race:
"I think I mentioned already that I really love this race. [It has] lots of short, hard climbs, and actually the race more or less opened in the same place this year again. So I was really confident. I felt much better than I did last year in the final. I think it was also shown in the sprint that my sprint was much better, that I had something left.
"I'm just very proud to finish off all of the teamwork. I mean, Danny van Poppel and Tim van Dijke, they had to control the whole race alone. Then my other teammates as well. They dropped me off in perfect position always, and also with the rain, it was not really easy to stay calm. But yeah, like I said, this is one of my favorite races in the season, and to win it in my second participation, it feels amazing."
A lot of respect between these two with a very good honest race on the Dutch roads.
That brings out coverage of the men's Amstel Gold Race 2026 to a close. Thank you for joining us for the day and we'll see you again very soon.
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