Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition 2021 - Live coverage

Good morning! It's an early start for the 6th edition of the women's Amstel Gold Race. The 119km race kicks off at 8:30 CEST and will cover 7 laps of a 17km circuit.

Sign on is underway

The Amstel Gold Race fell foul of Coronavirus restrictions and was unable to go ahead last year. It's back in its normal slot for 2021 as the first race of the Ardennes Classics but the course is drastically changed, and on a closed circuit. Get up to speed on what to expect with our preview here.

10 Minutes until the start! 

With three minutes to go all the riders are lined up and ready, you can view who will be racing today via the startlist here. 

They're off, for the 4.7km neutral section

The flag has dropped and the racing has officially started. 7 laps of the hilly 17km course awaits the riders. 

Problems already for a CAMS-Basso rider. The team recently announced Basso as a new sponsor.

Anna van Der Breggen is at the back of the bunch chatting to Annemiek van Vleuten, maybe Annemiek was wishing her a happy birthday? 

Quinty Ton of GT Krush Tunap Pro Cycling has a gap with Marijke De Smedt of Multum Accountants Ladies and Kathrin Hammes Ceratizit-WNT chasing.

110km to go

Hammes has bridged up to Ton but De Smedt can't quite make it. The gap is 32 seconds from Hammes and Ton to the peloton.

The peloton are not chasing and Hammes and Ton now have a gap of nearly one minute.

103km to go

They are now climbing the Cauberg for the first time, this is the decisive climb of the day. The gap from Hammes and Ton to the peloton is 1'10" but Lucy Kennedy of BikeExchange is chasing. 

The peloton are crossing the finish line to complete the first of the seven laps of the day.

101km to go

The gap to the leaders is now around 1'14"

Lucy Kennedy is upping the pace again as they climb the Geulhemmerberg.

Mikayla Harvey of Canyon//SRAM attacks!

97km to go

A small group has split from the peloton including Niamh Fisher-Black, Mikayla Harvey, Elise Chabbey. Most of the teams appear to be represented. The group have around a 30 second gap. 

Chantal van den Broek-Blaak is on the front and speaking into her radio - is this the group they want to stick? 

94km to go

The chasing group have caught the two, the group consists of: Ton, Hammes, Jackson, Harvey, Brand, Sharpe, Beekhuis, Chabbey, Fisher-Black, Kennedy, Chapman, Kirchman, Beekhuis, Hanson, Aalerud, Lach, and Fahlin. The gap is 1'22".

91km to go

SD Worx are policing the front!

The group now contains 23 riders.

Second time up the Cauberg for the front group, they now have 1'53"

86km to go

Attack from Demi Vollering over the top of the Cauberg from the bunch as Anna van der Breggen pushes the pace at the front - will she be able to bridge to teammate Fisher-Black in the front group? Tibco-SVB are chasing. 

Vollering is caught as Winder and Cromwell counter but they are closed down by Ashleigh Moolman Pasio of SD Worx. 

Annemiek van Vleuten has been caught out at the back of the peloton and is having to chase to get back on

Van der Breggen, Korevaar and Reusser tried to break away from the bunch together but were brought back. The gap to the front group is now less than one minute.

80km to go

The peloton are on the Geulhemmerberg, Cecille Uttrup Ludwig and Annemiek van Vleuten who were caught out are chasing hard to get back in contact, this is likely to cost them later.

The main bunch is now greatly reduced after the Geulhemmerberg, the leaders' gap is now down to 25 seconds. 

78km to go

Anna van der Breggen goes again with Grace Brown (BikeExchange) on her wheel.

Van der Breggen and Brown have bridged, this changes the composition of the group completely

Both have come straight through to the front of the group and are pushing hard 

Quinty Ton, one of the original instigators of the move, has clipped of the front of the lead group the Bemmelberg 

Ruth Winder (Trek-Segafredo) attacks 

74km to go

Attack from Alison Jackson (Liv Racing)

The peloton/front group?? are descending before they will turn left onto the Cauberg. The pace is high! 

Lucy Kennedy puts in a dig on the Cauberg but it's Niamh Fisher-Black of SD Worx who shuts her down 

All together but strung out over the top of the Cauberg. All of the favourites are there. 

Start of lap four

67km to go

What before was a breakaway group has now become the peloton with all of the favourites present. To see who they are take a look at our 'six riders to watch' here. 

The second bunch is 1'30" back.

Detention for SD Worx

The front group look to have let up the pace somewhat, meanwhile the chasing group behind are strung out - it looks like they will catch.

60km to go

Tayler Wiles of Trek-Segafredo attacks!

Wiles is caught, it's Hammes (Ceratizit-WNT) and Harvey (Canyon//SRAM) on the front.

Ruth Winder of Trek-Segafredo goes again, Trek are really tying to light up this race!

Dogs are scientifically proven to increase watts 

Elise Chabbey (Canyon//SRAM) goes! 

Wiles (Trek-Segafredo), Chabbey(Canyon//SRAM), Bastianelli(Ale BTC Ljubljana) and Kennedy(BikeExchange) get a small gap 

SD Worx are working hard to close the gap 

The front group are on the Cauberg for the fourth time 

52km to go

The group of four have been caught 

The gap to the second group is now up to 1'16" and they've significantly reduced the pace, it looks like their day might be done.

The big teams have most of their riders in the front group including Trek, SD Worx and BikeExchange. It's Mikayla Karvey on the front going up the Gemmelerberg 

50km to go

Harvey's pace has caused some damage as riders are getting shelled out of the back including Coryn Rivera. She's hoping to have a good Ardennes bid to ensure Olympic selection for the USA. 

🚨cc UCI 

Attack fromAmialusik of Canyon//SRAM on the Bemelerberg 

42km to go

Audrey Cordon Ragot of Trek-Segafredo attacks, Trek are really using their numbers in this race in an effort to set up team mate Elisa Longo Borghini who is leading the Women's World Tour classification

Niamh Fisher-Black of SD Worx closes the gap and Tiffany Cromwell immediately counters

All together 

40km to go

Dogs = watts, you can't dispute the science. 

They're on the Cauberg and it's Annemiek van Vleuten attacking this time! Kasia Niewiadoma is on her wheel with Elisa Longo Borghini 

Van Vleuten is going again but it's Demi Vollering straight on her wheel

34km to go

Lucinda Brand (Trek-Segafredo) gets a small gap 

Van Vleuten's attack on the Cauberg really split the group up.

Grace Brown (Team BikeExchange) has bridged up to Brand. This could be dangerous as Brown has proven capable of time trialling away

31km to go

Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (SD Worx) Bridges to Brown and Brand.

#dogwatts

The three are brought back and it's Ruth Winder on the front again 

Mavi Garcia attacks!

27.7km to go

Kasia Niewiadoma closes the gap.

Tiffany Cromwell and Leah Thomas have bridged up to the front group giving Mavi Garcia and Kasia Niewiadoma (who were alone before) teammates in this group

Brand goes again with Moolman Pasio, Aalerud, Garcia, and Brown on her wheel

Grace Brown attacks, Rooijakkers (Liv Racing) reacts

The two have a gap 

23km to go

Composition of the front group

The two have a 30 second gap but Tiffany Cromwell of Canyon//SRAM is chasing 

20km to go

They're on the Cauberg and it's Mavi Garcia puts in an effort with Ashleigh Moolman Pasio following

Annemiek van Vleuten is on the front trying to pull the two back, Ruth Winder takes up the chase

If the group behind doesn't start working soon then Brown and Rooijakers might have this

On the finishing straight going into the final lap the chasing group just about have the leaders in their sight 

🔔 one lap to go! 🔔

16.5km to go

Erica Magnaldi (Certazit-WNT) attacks and gets a small gap

Grace Brown drops Paulina Rooijakkers on the descent 

Erica Magnaldi bridges up and passes Paulina Rooijakkers 

14.4km to go

Cecille Uttrup Ludwig attacks with Marianne Vos on her wheel, they quickly catch Rooijakkers and Magnaldi 

Brown is still solo in front, her gap is hovvering around the 20 second mark

13km to go

Brown's gap is growing, it's now up to 27" the group are not really working behind

Anna Shackley of SD Worx is putting in a big turn with teammate Niamh Fisher-Black, Brown's gap is now 21"

9.4km to go

Brown starts the final ascent of the Bemelerberg 

Lucinda Brand puts in an effort with Kristen Faulkner of Tibco-SVB on her wheel

Defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma did say that anything could happen today...

6.9km to go

Brown's gap is now down to 8 seconds!

The group now have Brown in sight, it looks like she will be caught

5.3km to go

Final ascent of the Cauberg coming up, Van Vleuten goes! 

2.4km to go

Kasia Niewiadoma goes over the top of Van Vleuten with Marianne Vos on her wheel Elisa Longo Borghini  close behind 

Elisa Longo Borghini is looking strong as she bridges up to Kasia Niewiadoma 

2km to go

Elisa Longo Borghini attacks Niewiadoma at the front! 

Niewiadoma gets back on Longo Borghini, the two are battling it out at the front with Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, Mavi Garcia and Demi Vollering behind 

It's quite a gap to the group behind but if the two start playing cat and mouse they might catch them before the line 

They've caught Niewiadoma and Longo Borghini

Marianne Vos wins! 

Demi Vollering in second and Annemiek van Vleuten in third 

"The race was breathtaking totally, I have to say I was out of breath for the whole last lap." says winner Marianne Vos. "Grace Brown has a good opportunity, and then of course the two in the front on the final time up the Cauberg but when there was a final sprint of course you have that little bit of energy left for the last few 100m." 

Asked about celebrating early she said "Demi came really close, I had a little bit of an advantage but it was quite close." 

"I expected a hard race but it was even harder than expected." 

Top 10

1. Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma)

2. Demi Vollering (SD Worx)

3. Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar)

4. Amanda Spratt (Team BikeExchange)

5. Soraya Palladin (Liv Racing) 

6. Mavi Garcia (Ale BTC City Ljubljana) 

7. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope) 

8. Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo)

9. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (SD Worx)

10. Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM) 

View the race report here. More to follow!

4th place Amanda Spratt 🗣️

"I think the whole race was just an amazing team effort, we came in with a plan and I have to say Lucy Kennedy in particular was really awesome, she's on fire and was just making it so hard and she was always in the moves early which took the pressure off for us. The girls did such a good job of looking after me the whole day. Really good in the final there to have Grace away and I thought for a while there she might pull it off. But yeah I could just sit back and watch other people panic basically and just came up to that last time off the Cauberg and it never feels nice the last time up the Cauberg and I was happy to be in that front group. Fourth is a good result and I'm mostly proud of the teamwork today." 

"I know that I can have a good sprint in that situation and I was trying to position myself on Vos's wheel, I probably made a mistake there in the final, I lost it a little bit but I'm a bit disappointed but it's a great way to start the week." 

Podium presentation

Post-race comments from Elisa Longo Borghini 

Quinty Ton of GT Krush Tunap Pro Cycling is awarded the most aggressive rider classification. 

Full race report now live! 

Thanks for following along, see you on Wednesday for La Flèche Wallonne.