Amstel Gold Race 2019: Mathieu van der Poel wins dramatic race

The Amstel Gold Race is played out on a route with 4,000 vertical metres. Mathieu van der Poel strikes with 43 kilometres remaining, but Julian Alaphilippe and Jakob Fuglsang go on the counter-attack. In the last 300 metres Mathieu van der Poel returns out of thin air and sprints to the win. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results Amstel Gold Race 2019

1. Mathieu van der Poel (nld)
2. Simon Clarke (aus)
3. Jakob Fuglsang (den)
4. Julian Alaphilippe (fra)
5. Maximilian Schachmann (ger)
6. Bjorg Lambrecht (bel)
7. Alessandro De Marchi (ita)
8. Valentin Madouas (fra)
9. Romain Bardet (fra)
10. Matteo Trentin (ita)

Race report
It takes some 20 kilometres for the breakaway to take shape. Michael Schär, Nick van der Lijke and Paolo Simion open up a gap, while Grega Bole, Julien Bernard, Marcel Meisen, Thomas Sprengers, Aaron Verwilst and Tom Van Asbroeck make it across. Jérôme Baugnies and Marco Minnaard rejoin them after a long chase in the first climb of the Cauberg.

The eleven race to a maximum lead of more than 8 minutes, but it has fallen to 1 minute when Mathieu van der Poel strikes with 43 kilometres remaining. Gorka Izagirre joins him, but they are brought back after 5 kilometres. Alexey Lutsenko punctures and the leaders are reeled in moments later. Julian Alaphilippe and Jakob Fuglsang go on the counter-attack.

The duo tackles the Keutenberg 20 seconds ahead of Michael Woods, Michal Kwiatkowski and Matteo Trentin, while the peloton is 45 seconds down on the two leaders. Woods can’t follow the pace on the steep incline.

Maximilian Schachmann tries to bridge across to the chasers after the Cauberg climb. Bauke Mollema and Simon Clarke go after the German. Mathieu van der Poel leads the chase behind them

Michal Kwiatkowski rejoins the two leaders just before the flamme rouge, while the Van der Poel group converges with the leaders inside the last 300 metres. The Dutchman doesn’t falter and he opens the sprint to win the race ahead of Simon Clarke and Jakob Fuglsang.

Other interesting reads: route and start list of the 2019 Amstel Gold Race.