 2025 Amstel Gold Race | |
 | |
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | Mid to late April |
| Region | Limburg, Netherlands |
| English name | Amstel Gold Race |
| Nickname(s) | The Amstel,The Gold Race,Nederlands Mooiste (Dutch Most Beautifulen.),AGR,”The Beer Classic” |
| Discipline | Road |
| Competition | UCI World Tour |
| Type | One-dayClassic, Hills Classic,Ardennes Classic |
| Organiser | Amstel Gold Race Foundation (Heineken NV),Flanders Classics (since 2025), The PEPr Company |
| Race director | Leo van Vliet |
| Web site | amstelgoldrace |
| History | |
| First edition | 1966 (1966) |
| Editions | 59 (as of 2025) |
| First winner |  Jean Stablinski (FRA) |
| Most wins |  Jan Raas (NED)(5 wins) |
| Most recent |  Mattias Skjelmose (DEN) |
TheAmstel Gold Race is a one-dayclassicroad cycling race held annually since1966 in the province ofLimburg, Netherlands. It traditionally marks the turning point of thespring classics, with the climbers and stage racers replacing thecobbled classics riders as the favourites.[1]
Since 1989 the event has been included in season-long competitions at the highest level ofUCI, as part of theUCI Road World Cup (1989–2004), theUCI ProTour (2005–2010),UCI World Ranking (2009–2010) and since 2011 of theUCI World Tour. It is the only one-day World Tour race staged in the Netherlands and is considered the most important Dutch road cycling event.[1] DutchmanJan Raas holds the winning record with five victories.
Dutch beer brewerAmstel has served as the race's title sponsor since its creation in 1966. The name does not directly refer to the riverAmstel, which runs through and near the city ofAmsterdam. It took place without interruption until theCOVID-19 pandemic.
Since 2017, aWomen's Amstel Gold Race has been held, after a 14-year hiatus. The event is organised on the same day and on largely the same roads as the men's race and is part of theUCI Women's World Tour.[2][3]
The Amstel Gold Race was created by Dutch sports promoters Ton Vissers and Herman Krott, who ran a company called Inter Sport.[N 1][N 2] Their dream was to create a Dutch classic cycle race able to compete with themonument races of Flanders and Italy.[4] The first edition was announced to take place on 30 April 1966, the Netherlands'National Holiday. The plan was to start inAmsterdam, before branching out to the east of the country and finishing inMaastricht, in the southeast of the country, totalling 280 km.[N 3]
However, many problems emerged.[4] Krott and Vissers had neglected the many rivers along the route and miscalculated the zigzags needed to cross them, making the intended distance far longer than 280 km. New plans were made to start inUtrecht, thenRotterdam; and to stage an alternative finish in the small village ofMeerssen in Limburg. Moreover, less than three weeks before the start, organizers realized they had not obtained permission to cross theMoerdijk Bridge, the only exit route out of Rotterdam. The route had to be redrawn again and the start was moved further south, toBreda. On top of all that, the Dutch militanthippycounterculture movementProvo had declared a state of anarchy in the Netherlands in 1966.[N 4] Authorities feared that a race organized on the royal family's celebration day would cause possible uprisings.
Four days before the anticipated date, Vissers and Krott called off their race and were staging a press conference, when the Dutch roads ministry inThe Hague called to say that the race could be organized after all — provided it would never again be scheduled onQueen's Day.[4]
On Saturday 30 April 1966, the first Amstel Gold Race was raced from Breda to Meerssen, without serious incidents.[4] Three riders from the Ford-France team sprinted for victory. DutchmanJan Hugens suffered a mechanical failure in the final meters and was beaten by FrenchmanJean Stablinski who won theinaugural edition.[4] At 302 km, it was the longest edition ever. There were 120 starters, of which only 30 finished. Despite its original intent, the Amstel Gold Race has never started in Amsterdam; nor in Rotterdam or Utrecht, three of The Netherlands' largest cities.[N 5]
In1967 the start location moved toHelmond, in front of sponsorAmstel's factory there, and the distance was scaled back to 213 km.Arie den Hartog won the second edition, becoming the first Dutch winner. In1968 the race took place on 21 September because of a calendar conflict; the only time the Amstel Gold Race was ever run in the autumn. DutchmanHarrie Steevens won the race over a distance of 254 km.
In1969 the race returned to April.Guido Reybrouck won the fourth edition, the first in a series of Belgian wins. The race was affected by severe snow andhailstorms, forcing many riders to abandon due tohypothermia.[4]
A young race, the Amstel Gold Race struggled to find its place on the international calendar between the much oldercobbled classics and theArdennes classics and had problems attracting the best riders. For 2 years, cycling greatEddy Merckx did not participate anymore because organizers could not pay his starting fee. In1973 race director Herman Krott agreed to pay a considerable sum to Merckx's team, provided that he would win the race. Merckx started and won the Amstel Gold Race more than three minutes ahead of the second-place finisher.[4] Two years later, he was the first rider to win a second time.
In the late 1970s DutchmanJan Raas won the Amstel Gold Race a record five times, of which four were consecutive. Raas was able to rely on his strong sprint finish, but also took two solo victories. Dutch media started coining the phraseAmstel Gold Raas. In1983 AustralianPhil Anderson became the first non-European winner.[5]
In 1991 the finish of the Amstel Gold Race moved toMaastricht,Limburg's capital city, and in 1998 the start also moved there. The character of the race was more and more defined by the hilly area in the south of the province. Only two Dutch riders,Michael Boogerd andErik Dekker, had won the race in the last two decades beforeMathieu van der Poel's famous win in2019. Both Boogerd and Dekker beat AmericanLance Armstrong in a two-man sprint in Maastricht, in1999 and2001 respectively.[6][7][8] The 2001 race only had 37 finishers of a 190-strong pack, the lowest number in modern times.[9] Boogerd shares the record of seven podium finishes with Jan Raas, having achieved one victory, four-second places, two third places and several other top-ten finishes.
From2003 to 2016, the finish was shortly after the top of theCauberg climb inValkenburg. Kazakh riderAlexander Vinokourov won the first uphill-finish edition with an attack before the Cauberg.[10] In2013 the finish was moved 1.8 km away from the top of the Cauberg, near the centre ofValkenburg, resulting in a mainly flat, straight finish.[11] In 2017 the race organisers moved the finish so that the final climb of the Cauberg came 19 km from the finish, hoping for a "more open" race.[12] The most successful rider in recent years has beenclassics specialistPhilippe Gilbert. The Belgian won the race four times between2010 and2017, basing his victories on late bursts of speed and power on the Cauberg.[13] Therefore, earned the nickname of ‘Mister Cauberg’ and ‘Amstel Gilbert Race’ came up. In2015 Polish riderMichał Kwiatkowski became the first reigning world champion to win the race sinceBernard Hinault in1981.[14][15][16] Kwiatkowski won again seven years later, when he outsprintedBenoît Cosnefroy in the finish of the2022 edition.[17]
Mathieu van der Poel famously won in 2019, where he first at the Gulperberg broke away but was caught back before Kruisberg and fell back. Julian Alaphillippe and Jacob Fuglsang went together away at Eyserbosweg and thought later they would sprint for the win. But Van der Poel came back with a little group in his wheel and managed to catch the two leaders and would sprint for the win.
Although the Netherlands are known for their flat, wind-affected roads, the Amstel Gold Race takes place in the hilly southern region ofLimburg. The route twists through the rolling Limburg countryside, often turning abruptly to climb as many hills(bergen) as possible.[1] The most notable climb is theCauberg, which is covered up to three times, and has sometimes been in the last few kilometres of the race.[18]The Keutenberg andthe Eyserbosweg are two other renowned climbs of the race.
| Start and finish locations | ||
| Years | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Breda | Meerssen |
| 1967 | Helmond | Meerssen |
| 1968 | Helmond | Elsloo |
| 1969–1970 | Helmond | Meerssen |
| 1971–1990 | Heerlen | Meerssen |
| 1991–1997 | Heerlen | Maastricht |
| 1998–2002 | Maastricht | Maastricht |
| 2003–2012 | Maastricht | Valkenburg |
| 2013- | Maastricht | Berg en Terblijt |
Although the race is younger than many othercycling classics, the course changed considerably over the years. The race's inaugural edition started inBreda inNorth Brabant, but quickly moved closer to the hilly region. From1971 to1997 the start was inHeerlen. The race started since1998 on the central market square in Maastricht'sInner City and returns there in2024 after the starts atVrijthof square between2019 and2023.
Since2005 the race is run entirely within the boundaries of Dutch Limburg, except right after theVaalserberg climb, there is a short passage throughGemmenich in Belgium. Past editions in the 90s had covered significant parts ofLiège in Belgium, addressing theMount Saint Peter, meant to include a larger selection of climbs.
From1991 until2002 the race ended in Maastricht as well. The finish was on the Maasboulevard, keeping the flat run-in to the finish. In2000 sprint specialistErik Zabel won the race, leading out the sprint of a 20-strong group.
From2003 to2012 the finish was at the top of theCauberg climb, in theValkenburg municipality, close to Maastricht. The finale was redesigned in2013 and the finish was moved west, near the hamlets ofVilt andBerg en Terblijt, 1.8 kilometres from the top of the Cauberg. The altered finish mirrors the location that was used for the2012 UCI Road World Championships in Valkenburg.[19] Since 2017, the fourth and final climb of the Cauberg has been removed, so that the Geulhemmerberg and Bemelerberg (7.4 km from the finish) are the last climbs; the change was intended to open up the race.[citation needed]
Although the race location in Limburg is not part of theArdennes, neither geographically nor geologically, it is often considered the opening race of theArdennes Week.[20] In2004, the Amstel Gold Race swapped places withLiège–Bastogne–Liège on the international calendar.[21] Ever since, the race is organised on the Sunday after thecobbled classicParis–Roubaix and before the Ardennes classicFlèche Wallonne the next Wednesday.
Until2002, the Amstel Gold Race had a more flat run-in to the finish and was sometimes won by riders excelling in the cobbled classics, notably the Tour of Flanders. In recent decades, organizers chose to shift the focus of the race some more to the hills and it changed the character of the race. The peloton is usually made up of the same riders starting in the Ardennes races. Classics riders with sufficientclimbing abilities as well asGrand Tour specialists.
TheDutch hills, in the very south of Limburg, are the Netherlands' only hilly region. Thechalk–loessrelief was formed by the foothills of the neighbouringArdennes andEifel low mountain ranges. The hills define the character of the race: they are generally shorter and not as high as in the Ardennes, but come in much higher frequency than inLiège–Bastogne–Liège. The highest point of the region and the race isVaalserberg at 322.7 m abovesea level; the top of theCauberg is at 133.7 m altitude.
The present course features more than 30 short climbs which come in faster succession as the race progresses, meaning riders have little time to recover in between the hills. 25 climbs are covered in the last 165 kilometres of the race, with eight coming in the final 45 kilometres. The steepest are theCauberg,Keutenberg andEyserbosweg. Some ascents are as steep as 22% (Keutenberg), others are more gently sloped. In contrast to the cobbledbergs in theTour of Flanders, the hills in Limburg are all asphalted.[22]
Attempting to explain the difficulty of the course Peter Easton recounts a mathematician's calculations:
... applying logic to overcome a sense of incomprehension is the key to understanding this race. And there is truth in numbers. Six of the climbs come in the first 92 kilometers—one every 15.2 kilometres. The remaining 25 come over the final 165 kilometres. That's one every 6.6 kilometres. Breaking it down further, the final hour of racing has eight climbs in 42 kilometres. Now we're down to one every 5.25 km. At 40 km/h, that's one every 7 ½ minutes. Not overly funny, and definitely all business.[23]
The hills in the2015 Amstel Gold Race:[24]
| Number | Name | Kilometer | Location | Length (in m) | Average climb (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slingerberg | 9 | Geulle | 1200 | 5,4 |
| 2 | Adsteeg | 14 | Beek | 500 | 5,4 |
| 3 | Lange Raarberg | 22 | Meerssen | 1300 | 4,5 |
| 4 | Bergseweg | 38 | Voerendaal | 2700 | 3,3 |
| 5 | Sibbergrubbe | 50 | Valkenburg | 2100 | 4,1 |
| 6 | Cauberg | 54 | Valkenburg | 1200 | 5,8 |
| 7 | Geulhemmerweg | 59 | Valkenburg | 1000 | 6,2 |
| 8 | Wolfsberg | 78 | Noorbeek | 800 | 4,4 |
| 9 | Loorberg | 81 | Slenaken | 1500 | 5,5 |
| 10 | Schweibergerweg | 93 | Gulpen | 2900 | 3,9 |
| 11 | Camerig | 99 | Vijlen | 4300 | 3,8 |
| 12 | Drielandenpunt | 110 | Vaals | 3700 | 3,7 |
| 13 | Gemmenich | 114 | Blieberg | 900 | 6,4 |
| 14 | Vijlenerbos | 118 | Vaals | 1800 | 5,1 |
| 15 | Eperheide | 127 | Epen | 2300 | 4,1 |
| 16 | Gulperberg | 135 | Gulpen | 700 | 8,1 |
| 17 | Plettenbergweg | 142 | Eys | 1000 | 4,2 |
| Number | Name | Kilometer | Location | Length (in m) | Average climb (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Eyserweg | 144 | Eys | 2200 | 4,3 |
| 19 | Huls | 148 | Simpelveld | 1000 | 7,7 |
| 20 | Vrakelberg | 154 | Voerendaal | 700 | 7,9 |
| 21 | Sibbergrubbe | 161 | Valkenburg | 2100 | 4,1 |
| 22 | Cauberg | 166 | Valkenburg | 1200 | 5,8 |
| 23 | Geulhemmerweg | 170 | Valkenburg | 1000 | 6,2 |
| 24 | Bemelerberg | 183 | Bemelen | 900 | 5,0 |
| 25 | Loorberg | 198 | Slenaken | 1500 | 5,5 |
| 26 | Gulperberg | 208 | Gulpen | 700 | 8,1 |
| 27 | Kruisberg | 217 | Wahlwiller | 800 | 7,5 |
| 28 | Eyserbosweg | 219 | Eys | 1100 | 8,1 |
| 29 | Fromberg | 222 | Fromberg | 1600 | 4,0 |
| 30 | Keutenberg | 227 | Keutenberg | 700 | 9,4 |
| 31 | Cauberg | 237 | Valkenburg | 1200 | 5,8 |
| 32 | Geulhemmerweg | 242 | Valkenburg | 1000 | 6,2 |
| 33 | Bemelerberg | 250 | Bemelen | 900 | 5,0 |
| 34 | Cauberg | 255 | Valkenburg | 1200 | 5,8 |
The race is the Netherlands' largest professional race but is frequently criticized for the danger of its course.[25] The route runs on narrow roads, through often densely populated suburbs and villages. Due to its high population density and the high cost of land, many Dutch houses do not have garages and cars are left parked in the street. Much of the course is urban, with manytraffic-calming devices such asspeed bumps, pinches,bollards, ramps,chicanes,refuge islands androundabouts, prompting Scotland'sRobert Millar to call it theTour of the Roundabouts.[26] Crashes are common in the race.[27][28][29]
.JPG)
Riders in italics are still active.
| Wins | Rider | Editions |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Jan Raas (NED) | 1977,1978,1979,1980,1982 |
| 4 |  Philippe Gilbert (BEL) | 2010,2011,2014,2017 |
| 2 | Eddy Merckx (BEL) | 1973,1975 |
| Gerrie Knetemann (NED) | 1974,1985 | |
 Rolf Järmann (SUI) | 1993,1998 | |
 Enrico Gasparotto (ITA) | 2012,2016 | |
 Michał Kwiatkowski (POL) | 2015,2022 |
| Wins | Country |
|---|---|
| 18 | Netherlands |
| 14 | Belgium |
| 7 | Italy |
| 3 | Denmark Germany Switzerland |
| 2 | France Poland |
| 1 |  Australia Czech Republic Great Britain Kazakhstan Luxembourg Russia Slovenia |
_(cropped).jpg)
From 2001 to 2003, three editions of the Amstel Gold Race for elite women were held. In 2003, it was part of theUCI Women's Road World Cup.[30] The race started in Maastricht 30 minutes after the men's. It was run over 114 km, taking in nine climbs and similarly finishing on top of the Cauberg.[31] The race was discontinued after the third edition, because organization on the same day and on largely the same roads as the men's race was considered too difficult on the irregular circuits.[N 6]
After a 14-year hiatus, the women's race returned in 2017, organized on the same day as the men's race at approximately half the distance.[3] Likewise, the race starts inMaastricht and finishes inVilt/Berg en Terblijt,Valkenburg. It features 17 categorized climbs, including four ascents of theCauberg.[32][33] Olympic road race championAnna van der Breggen won the race with an attack at 8 km from the finish.[34]
Since 2001 there is aCyclosportive Amstel Gold Race, organized annually on the day before the professional event. Cycling fanatics and recreational bike riders can ride trajectories of 60, 100, 125, 150, 200 or 240 km. Every distance finishes on the location of the professional race, immediately after the climb of the Cauberg.[35] The number of participants is restricted to 15,000, in order to secure riders' safety. In 2009 the official website crashed, because of a run on the tickets. In 2010 all 12,000 tickets were sold in just 38 minutes.
