As the mud settles following the fruits of the cobbled Classics at Paris-Roubaix, the peloton and biking world will flip their consideration to the Ardennes Classics that start with Amstel Gold Race on Sunday, April 14, resume at Flèche Wallonne on April 17 and conclude with Liège-Bastogne-Liège on April 21.
Amstel Gold Race is the youngest of the three races within the males’s Ardennes Classics collection, now celebrating its 58th version whereas the ladies’s race will have a good time its tenth.
This yr, all eyes shall be on World Champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) to see if he can add a second Amstel victory to his thrilling triumph in 2019, whereas Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) strains as much as defend her title after profitable the Ardennes Classics triple final yr.
Cyclingnews highlights the important thing favourites for the 2024 version of Amstel Gold Race.
Get limitless entry to all of our protection of the Spring Classics- together with reporting, breaking information and evaluation from Paris-Roubaix, Amstel Gold, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and extra. Find out extra.
Six years on from one in every of his most well-known wins, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) returns to the Amstel Gold Race for the third time. With six Monuments and a street world title now to his title, Van der Poel has come a good distance from the person who got here out of nowhere to win one of the thrilling editions of the Dutch one-day race because it began in 1966.
Since then, Van der Poel has turn out to be the outright finest Classics rider on the earth and because the odds-on pre-race favorite in 2024, he shall be anticipated so as to add a second Amstel Gold Race to his illustrious palmarès. The absence of Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), unable to begin after breaking his collarbone and scapula within the horrific Itzulia Basque Country crash, solely heightens that expectation round what he can acheive.
Fresh off reclaiming his Tour of Flanders crown and taking his second successive Paris-Roubaix, Van der Poel appears stronger than ever, profitable each fabled Monuments with large solo assaults 44km and 60km from the road, respectively.
Should Van der Poel keep his type from the cobbled Classics, the 33 climbs that line the 255km Amstel Gold Race route shall be effectively inside his attain even in opposition to the most effective puncheurs, particularly with final yr’s winner and fellow famous person Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) not taking the beginning.
The winner of the triple crown of Ardennes Classics in 2023, Demi Vollering will as soon as once more goal all three occasions, beginning at Amstel Gold Race. She’s had a slower begin to the season in comparison with final yr, although, when she had already secured two victories and two runner-ups earlier than the Ardennes Classics.
So whereas Vollering is undoubtedly in pursuit of a second consecutive victory at Amstel Gold Race, she may be considerably of a wildcard for SD Worx-Protime.
She’s had sturdy performances at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (sixth) and Strade Bianche (third), Tour of Flanders (eighth) and Brabantse Pijl (2nd), and he or she took a while in between to attend an altitude coaching camp, all a part of her longer-term plan to peak mid-season, particularly for the Tour de France Femmes.
There are not any doubts about her power and skill to win the Amstel Gold Race, particularly after replaying her late-race assault to web the victory in Berg en Terblijt final yr. However, there’s hypothesis across the cohesion at SD Worx-Protime in the course of the Spring Classics after it was reported throughout Dwars door Vlaanderen and forward of the Tour of Flanders that she is anticipated to depart from the staff on the finish of 2024.
Only time will inform whether or not SD Worx-Protime will proceed to work collectively as a unit to attain one other Ardennes Classics triple crown with Vollering.
Tom Pidcock was one of many prime performers within the Ardennes Classics final yr, only a few per cent off Pogačar’s stage. He’s taken a distinct method to the Ardennes this yr, opting out of many of the cobbled Classics other than final week’s Paris-Roubaix to make sure he is on the prime stage for the hilly one-day races and past that, his summer season targets.
Pidcock light to 3rd behind Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) in final yr’s Amstel Gold Race, however he was the final rider to get dropped on the Keutenberg when the dominant Slovenian made his eventual race-winning transfer. Pidcock got here even nearer prior to now in 2021 on his debut in Amstel Gold, the place solely a controversial photograph end separated him from victory behind Wout van Aert (then Jumbo-Visma).
Joining him on the beginning line shall be a former two-time Amstel Gold Race winner, Michał Kwiatkowski, and a powerful Ineos Grenadiers staff.
In 2023, he admitted that he “struggled with the gap” in the direction of the tip of the 255km race. But with 260km within the legs from the quickest Paris-Roubaix ever, maybe he’ll be higher positioned to seek out that prime step of the rostrum. He’ll must drop or reside with and outsprint fellow multi-discipline star Van der Poel if he’s to take action, nevertheless.
Kasia Niewiadoma, the reigning gravel World Champion, is at all times a contender for the Ardennes Classics with a particular deal with Amstel Gold Race, an occasion that undoubtedly holds fond reminiscences for the Polish all-rounder.
In an unforgettable victory within the 2019 version of Amstel Gold Race, Niewiadoma made a late-race assault over the Cauberg to go solo with two kilometres to go, and simply held off Annemiek van Vleuten of Mitchelton-Scott on the end line to take one of many greatest wins of her profession in Berg en Terblijt.
She comes into these Ardennes Classics with new-found confidence after ending second at Tour of Flanders from a three-rider breakaway that noticed Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) take the win.
The outcome appeared to have washed away her disappointment after ending fourth at Strade Bianche and units each her and Canyon-SRAM up properly forward of Amstel Gold Race.
Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost)
A breakthrough star of the 2023 season, Ben Healy leads the road for EF Education-EasyPost on the Ardennes once more one yr after he burst onto the WorldTour scene with second place on the Amstel Gold Race and fourth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
He dropped a fading Pidcock within the last 15km of the Dutch race final yr and highlighted his sturdy time-trialling skills as he made a powerful impression on Pogačar’s within the chase, which, mixed with a fantastic punch, made him an ideal candidate for the hills in South Limburg.
Form-wise, he’s been wanting good albeit with out a win but this season. Most lately, he mixed completely with Marijn van den Berg on the Pays de le Loire stage race to drag again breaks and lead out the Dutchman to 2 stage victories and the general prize.
After Van den Berg’s brutal show at Wednesday’s Brabantse Pijl, the place he was caught by his fellow escapees within the last kilometre, he turns into a fantastic choice for Healy within the group behind ought to the Irishman assault solo on the hills.
It’s been a unimaginable early-season of racing for the Italian Champion Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek), who has stood on the podiums at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianche, then sixth at Dwars door Vlaanderen earlier than then taking back-to-back wins at Tour of Flanders and Brabantse Pijl.
They say that when ‘you are good, you are good’ and so many questioned her choice to not race Paris-Roubaix Femmes final weekend, particularly after her unbeatable trip on the Tour of Flanders.
However, Longo Borghini was to not be persuaded and caught to the unique plan to forego racing on the Hell of the North and maintain a major deal with the Ardennes Classics. What higher technique to present that she made the best choice for herself than by profitable the mid-week Brabantse Pijl, within the run-up to the Amstel Gold Race?
Her finest place at Amstel Gold Race was fifth in 2017 after which eighth in 2021, so it hasn’t been her better of the three occasions. However, if her profitable type is any indication, she shall be a contender for all three of the Ardennes Classics.
Matteo Jorgenson returns to the one-day racing calendar at Amstel Gold Race after lacking Paris-Roubaix attributable to missing health, the place he’ll lead a powerful Visma-Lease a Bike aspect alongside Tiesj Benoot.
Benoot was on the rostrum at this race two years in the past, and he and Jorgenson mixed effectively at Dwars door Vlaanderen, the place their one-two assaults led to the American taking victory.
Jorgenson was additionally the closest rider to following Van der Poel when he soloed away to victory on the Koppenberg on the Tour of Flanders. The 24-year-old was only a few bike lengths off the Dutchman on the brutal berg however in the end emptied himself as he tried to reply to the world champion, admitting that “the lights went out” within the last few kilometres whereas he fell out of the highest 30.
Visma should play the numbers recreation once more, figuring out that if it comes all the way down to a good battle with Van der Poel up one last climb, he’ll burst away and take one other victory. Without Van der Poel’s benefit on the cobbles, that ought to be extra attainable, however they are going to nonetheless have to get their ways excellent.
Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) has stood on the winner’s step of the rostrum in almost each main race on the worldwide calendar and has confirmed that she continues to be on the prime of her recreation with current triumphs at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Dwars door Vlaanderen, which was her 250th street victory.
An astonishing profession that she outlined as a set of “reminiscences of various highs and lows,” she lately confronted what she thought-about a disappointing Paris-Roubaix, a race she hoped to win however ended up in fourth place out of a breakaway dash gained by Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) within the famed Roubaix velodrome.
But there’s at all times one other bike race, and Vos will undoubtedly be ready so as to add one other win to her glowing palmarés at Amstel Gold Race. In the occasion’s 10-year historical past, Vos gained the 2021 version from a small group dash into Berg en Terblijt.
It is her power and in depth tactical expertise that make her a contender, however it’s her quick dash that makes her a favorite for the victory. Watch for Vos so as to add a 251st profession street win to her record of achievements on the Dutch leg of the Ardennes Classics.
Benoît Cosnefroy was really awarded victory on the Amstel Gold Race in 2022, just for it to be taken away and awarded to Kwiatkowski after a evaluation of the photograph end revealed the Pole had pipped him by a tyre’s width.
He’s been tipped for large success on the Ardennes as one of many prime puncheurs on the peloton on his day however hasn’t fairly fulfilled that promise as of but. However, 2024 appears prefer it may very well be his yr as he enters the hilly Classics in prime type.
Cosnefroy triumphed at Wednesday’s Brabantse Pijl after bridging throughout to the group of leaders, holding his nerve because the assaults went and profitable the small group dash forward of Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier Tech) into Overijse. He’s additionally gained Paris-Camembert and the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes this season after going winless for all of 2023.
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale have additionally been flying in 2024 with their new sponsor and new tools showing to be the distinction, so confidence shall be sky-high for the Frenchman.
AG Insurance-Soudal Team have a contender in Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio for the Ardennes Classics. She has been comparatively quiet this spring marketing campaign with seventeenth at Strade Bianche and extra lately twenty first at Brabantse Pijl.
However, she indicated on social media that she opted for a prolonged break and high-altitude coaching camp as a substitute of competing on the cobbled Classics, which suggests she may be on stable type and brisker than her rivals as she contests the Ardennes Classics.
While the biking world is keen to see how she’s going to carry out, so is Moolman-Pasio, who said that, “Believe it or not, after a few years within the saddle, that is the primary time I’ve devoted myself to a correct altitude block in preparation for the Ardennes Classics. I’m desperate to see how this new method impacts my efficiency on the street.”
We will quickly discover out as Moolman-Pasio strains up at Amstel Gold Race, an occasion that she has completed 4 occasions inside the highest 10, together with the earlier three editions.
Albeit within the shadow of Pogačar’s and Evenepoel’s dominance, Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) was one other star of the Ardennes in 2023, which makes him a fantastic prospect heading into the trio of races of their absence. The younger Dane completed within the prime 10 of all there and took second at La Flèche Wallonne behind the Slovenian, and his good type continued proper by way of the summer season and into 2024, his third season with Lidl-Trek.
Now 23 years outdated, Skjelmose has extra expertise on the highest stage and has proven he is aware of easy methods to win the largest races having claimed victories on the Tour de Suisse and Danish nationwide championships final yr and an exhilarating stage of this yr’s Paris-Nice.
Great punch and a strong staff will assist the Dane make a powerful impression on the Ardennes with the likes of Bauke Mollema, Toms Skujins, Andrea Bagioli and Quinn Simmons additionally set to affix him in the beginning in Maastricht. Lidl-Trek confirmed nice ways to problem Van der Poel within the cobbled Classics and they’re going to want comparable nous to contest him within the hills, however Skjelmose will definitely be up for the problem.
SD Worx-Protime are more likely to deal with Vollering for this block of racing, since she’s going to line up because the defending champion in all three of the Ardennes Classics. However, World Champion Lotte Kopecky is contemporary off a powerful cobbled Classics marketing campaign that noticed her win Paris-Roubaix final weekend.
Although she may be feeling these gnarly cobbles in her legs, Kopecky will wish to act as a wildcard at Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and alongside Vollering, she’s going to wish to determine as a contender.
It is unclear if Vollering’s reported departure from SD Worx-Protime will have an effect on the staff’s cohesion, however nonetheless, Kopecky is in nice type and greater than able to being within the thick of the motion over the Cauberg and into the ultimate at Amstel Gold Race.
If final yr is something to go by, Kopecky completed second to her teammate Vollering because the staff performed their playing cards to perfection on the run-in to Berg en Terblijt. It was her first try on the Amstel Gold Race or any of the Ardennes Classics. So it might not be shocking to see Kopecky play a profitable hand at this yr’s Amstel Gold Race.
Get limitless entry to all of our protection of the Spring Classics- together with reporting, breaking information and evaluation from the Amstel Gold, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and extra. Find out extra.