Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) continued his remarkable run this spring, adding a fourth Amstel Gold Race title to his palmares on Sunday in a particularly exciting edition of the Ardennes Classics opener, which seemed to benefit from the much-discussed removal of the Cauberg as the final climb of the day.
Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) finished second in a two-up sprint as the two former world champions and Amstel winners forged clear from a leading group of seven over the final climb of the Bemelerberg. Gilbert had been in the decisive selection of the race when things lit up on the Kruisberg with 40km remaining, while Kwiatkowski impressively jumped to the head of affairs 10km later.
Michael Albasini (Orica-Scott) rounded out the podium, where Gilbert downed an Amstel in record time, taking his form from the cobbled classics that brought him the Tour of Flanders title, and bringing it south to the Ardennes.
