Amstel Gold Race 2026: Favourites
fotobureau Cor VosThe rolling hills of Zuid-Limburg in the Netherlands are a recipe for thrilling racing. Evenepoel is determined to make amends after last year's third place, while Skjelmose would love to repeat his triumph. Cosnefroy, Grégoire, Vauquelin, Laporte and Jorgenson are also aiming to excel. Who are the favourites to win the Amstel Gold Race?
First published on 17 April - last updated 18 April: weather conditions added
After seven editions without the Cauberg in the finale, the famous climb returned last year as the final ascent of the day. For a long time, the organisers had avoided that scenario because the race used to stay tightly controlled right up to the final climb. But with the current generation of riders, there is no longer any need to fear that. Whatever the situation, they tend to animate races early.
Last year the race exploded as early as the Gulperberg, with 50 kilometres to go, when Julian Alaphilippe attacked and Tadej Pogacar followed his move. The Slovenian quickly went clear on his own and rode solo for dozens of kilometres before being joined by Remco Evenepoel and Mattias Skjelmose on the final lap. In the sprint, the Dane then took the better of the other two.
Pogacar may be absent this time, but a rider like Evenepoel also has a knack for opening races up early. With the Belgian, we immediately have the outright top favourite. That is partly because former winner Tom Pidcock withdrew at the last minute in favour of the Tour of the Alps, while Ben Healy — another rider who feels right at home in the Limburg hills — is absent due to injury.
Evenepoel began his season in formidable style, already celebrating victories in February at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana and the Trofeo Andratx–Pollença, but he has not scored since. The Amstel Gold Race looks an ideal place to start polishing his palmarès again.
Nail-biting finales
With or without the Cauberg, the Amstel Gold Race has produced nail-biting finales in recent years, often ending in a millimetre sprint from a small group. Five years ago, Wout van Aert bested Tom Pidcock in a photo finish (Max Schachmann was also sprinting but did not make the photo), and four years ago Michal Kwiatkowski did the same to Benoît Cosnefroy. We will leave the lack of suspense of Pogacar’s 2023 one-man show aside (solo from the Keutenberg), because the year after that Pidcock avenged his 2021 defeat (although he is still convinced that he was the rightful winne) by outsprinting Marc Hirschi, Tiesj Benoot and Mauri Vansevenant. And last year brought the finale in which Evenepoel and Skjelmose caught Pogacar from a winning position, after which the least likely of the trio took the spoils.
Weather forecast:
Start – 10°C, sunny, north-north-westerly wind force 2
Finish – 14°C, partly cloudy with a chance of rain, north-westerly wind force 3
Favourites 2026 Amstel Gold Race
**** Remco Evenepoel
*** Matteo Jorgenson, Mattias Skjelmose, Benoît Cosnefroy
** Romain Grégoire, Tim van Dijke, Pello Bilbao, Kévin Vauquelin
* Tibor Del Grosso, Christophe Laporte, Maximilian Schachmann, Mauro Schmid
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