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Amstel Gold Race Report 2024: Tom Pidcock made up for his Amstel Gold Race loss in 2021 to Wout van Aert by the smallest of margins. The INEOS Grenadiers rider crossed to the winning break and then won the sprint from Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) and Tiesj Benoot (Visma | Lease a Bike). Top favourite, World champion, Mathieu van der Poel was trapped in the bunch to finish 22nd.
Amstel’24 final
The 58th Amstel Gold Race was won by Tom Pidcock. After an exciting finale of attacks and counter-attacks, the British rider beat the other escapees: Marc Hirschi and Tiesj Benoot. Mathieu van der Poel finished in the chase group and will now be looking forward to Liège-Bastogne-Liège next Sunday.
The win for Tom Pidcock and by just more than a tyre’s width
The Parcours:
The route is more or less the same as last year, although there is one change. From this year, the Amstel Gold will not start from the Vrijthof, but from the Maastricht Market. The race has been starting from the capital of Limburg since 1998, but since 2019 the riders were presented on the Vrijthof. From this year, the presentation will return to the Market.
2024 Amstel Gold Race map
After the start, the riders head north to Sittard and will have the first obstacle of the day, the Maasberg, a short cobbled climb. The Adsteeg, Bergseweg and Korenweg come later. There is no Cauberg in the early part of the race, as there was before 2023. The famous climb in Valkenburg will be climbed twice instead of three times. The first passage is after 172 kilometres. Between kilometres 95 and 130 there are some longer climbs, including the Camerig, which is one of the longest climbs in South Limburg and the Netherlands, and the one to the Drielandenpunt in Vaals. Then the tough Gulperberg from Gulpen, the climb where Mathieu van der Poel attacked in 2019, on the way to his victory. After the first passage at the finish in Berg en Terblijt, just after the first climb of the Cauberg there are 80 kilometres to go.
2024 Amstel Gold Race profile
The real finale starts with just over 40 kilometres to go with the Gulperberg, now from Gulpen. From the descent on the other side from Gulpen, the riders then go via the Geuzeweg and Cappucijnenweg on narrow, twisting roads to the foot of the Kruisberg. Immediately afterwards there is the Eyserbosweg, after which the Fromberg and the very steep Keutenberg come very quickly. After the Cauberg has been climbed for the second and final time, the final lap starts 16 kilometres before the finish. The Geulhemmerberg and Bemelerberg, which had to be climbed earlier, could be the deciders. The top of the Bemelerberg is 7 kilometres from the finish. Once at the summit, the riders turn left towards Terblijt. Via the Rijnsbergweg to the Sibberweg, where the riders will pass under red flag of the last kilometre. The finish line is on the Rijksweg.
Climbs
1. Maasberg (0.3km at 5.1%) – 241km
2. Adsteeg (0.7km at 4.7%) – 222km
3. Bergseweg (2.5km at 3.3%) – 205km
4. Korenweg (0.9km at 5.7%) – 203km
5. Nijswillerweg (1.3km at 2.7%) – 198km
6. National road N278 (3km at 2.9%) – 189km
7. Wolfsberg (0.km at 3.4%) – 168km
8. Loorberg (1.4km at 5.3%) – 165km
9. Schweibergerweg (2.3km at 4.6%) – 154km
10. Camerig (3.7km at 4.2%) – 147km
11. Drielandenpunt (3km at 3.8%) – 135km
12. Gemmenich (0.9km at 6%) – 130km
13. Vijlenerbos (1.4km at 5.5%) – 127km
14. Eperheide (2.4km at 4.7%) – 118km
15. Gulperberg from Party (0.5km at 9.8%) – 109km
16. Plettenberg (1km at 3.5%) – 105km
17. Eyserweg (2km at 4.6%) – 103 km
18. St. Remigiusstraat (1.4km at 5.2%) – 99km
19. Vrakelberg (0.5km at 7.6%) – 94km
20. Sibbergrubbe (1.8km at 4%) – 86km
21. Cauberg (0.8km at 6.6%) – 81km
22. Geulhemmerberg (0.7km at 6.6%) – 76km
23. Keerderberg (1.8km at 3.6%) – 70km
24. Bemelerberg (1km at 4.4%) – 66km
25. Loorberg (1.4km at 5.3%) – 51km
26. Gulperberg from Gulpen (0.9km at 5.5%) – 43km
27. Kruisberg (0.7km at 7.3%) – 38km
28. Eyserbosweg (1.1km at 7.6%) – 37km
29. Fromberg (1.7km at 3.8%) – 33km
30. Keutenberg (1.6km at 5.2%) – 29km
31. Cauberg (0.8km at 6.6%) – 18km
32. Geulhemmerberg (0.7km at 6.6%) – 13km
33. Bemelerberg (1km at 4.4%) – 7km.
Mathieu van Der Poel Mathieu talking to race organiser Leo van Vliet at the start
Top favourite, Mathieu van der Poel spoke before the start of Amstel Gold Race: “I’m 100%! The battery is certainly full. I haven’t competed in many races, but the races I have competed in are impressive. There are many new guys who have made this their goal. The previous races normally suit me a little better, but it is a lot of twisting and turning and really a kind of roller coaster. So we’ll see.”
One of the possibles: Irish champion, Ben Healy Ben (EF Education-EasyPost)
The Amstel Gold Race, the Netherland’s biggest bike race, has had some big winners in the past: Tadej Pogačar, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel. The World champion was the only one of those three present and was the top favourite for victory. But it wouldn’t be easy as he was up against Tom Pidcock, Ben Healy, Benoît Cosnefroy, Mattias Skjelmose and Matteo Jorgenson.
Could Tom Pidcock go one place higher than 2021?
There were a lot of riders who wanted to be in the early break, but the first attackers were unsuccessful. Eventually four riders managed to take a lead: Tosh Van der Sande (Visma | Lease a Bike), Enzo Leijnse (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Alexander Hajek (BORA-Hansgrohe) and Zeb Kyffin (Tour de Tietema-Unibet).
The first climb of the day
These four leaders worked well together, but on the way to the third climb of the day, the Bergseweg, the news of a serious accident involving a police officer in the women’s race came through and the organisers had to change the course of the men’s race. The Bergseweg had to be removed from the route. The race now went to the Korenweg via a detour. Van der Sande, Leijnse, Hajek and Kyffin managed to increase their lead to nearly 5 minutes.
INEOS Grenadiers were staying to the front
Five minutes was the maximum lead of the four, who were caught just after the Geulhemmerberg, 70 kilometres from the finish. There had already been a lot of action in the peloton. On the first passage of the Cauberg the pace had lifted, but the race stayed together. On the Keerderberg and Bemelerberg, Louis Vervaeke (Soudal Quick-Step) tried to split the race. Vervaeke tried several times and eventually on his third attempt, he escaped with Mikkel Honoré (EF Education-EasyPost) and Paul Lapeira (Decathlon AG2R). These three were given some space, but they only had 30 seconds on the run-up to the Gulperberg. On the short, tough climb, the World champion, Van der Poel, wanted to test his legs, but he didn’t persevere with his effort.
There had to be a windmill
After Van der Poel’s semi-attack, the pace slowed again in the peloton and the three leaders took a few more seconds. Vervaeke, Honoré and Lapeira had the Kruisberg, Eyserbosweg and Fromberg still to come and the peloton were not far behind. It was a dangerous moment for the favourites and so Alpecin-Deceuninck took the lead in the peloton.
Tosh Van Der Sande, Enzo Leijnse, Alexander Hajek and Zeb Kyffin in the break
On the Kruisberg there was no attacks and then on the Eyserbosweg, Richard Carapaz put in an attack. The Olympic champion’s move was closed down, but there were others to take his place. Marc Hirschi attacked and was joined by Roger Adrià, Valentin Madouas and Bauke Mollema.
The peloton passing the finish line
The differences were still small after the Fromberg and in the run-up to the Keutenberg. Honoré and Lapeira, Vervaeke had been dropped, were still ahead of the pack with 30 kilometres to go. Before the Keutenberg, everything looked to come together again, but Benoot and Pidcock jumped to the group of chasers with Mollema, Mauri Vansevenant, Madouas and Hirschi. Van der Poel was in the peloton and didn’t, or couldn’t make a move.
Vervaeke, Honore and Lapeira got the real final started
The World champion was in a tricky situation as the other favourites; Pidcock and Benoot had a 30 second lead at the start of the Keutenberg. Benoot pushed hard on the climb, but everything came together on the windy climb. On the plateau above the Keutenberg, Van der Poel was isolated without any teammates at 30 seconds. The top favourite would need help from other teams, but this was unlikely.
Had Healy and Van der Poel missed the move of the day?
The 12 off the front were in a good situation and so started to work well together. Benoot, Pidcock, Hirschi, Honoré, Vansevenant, Adrià, Mollema, Lapeira, Vauquelin, Madouas, Quentin, Pacher and Pello Bilbao took more time on the chasers. With 20 kilometres to go, the lead was already almost 1 minute. In the peloton; Jayco-AlUla and Alpecin-Deceuninck tried to chase.
Tiesj Benoot Tiesj wanted to be in that front group
The difference in the run-up to the last climb of the Cauberg was still closable. Skjelmose decided to attack on the climb, but the Danish champion was unable to make the crossing. An expected counter from Van der Poel didn’t happen, although the World champion was staying near the front, this caused the chase to slow. This suited the break, but Honoré had now been dropped.
Bauke Mollema and Marc Hirschi too
Due to the Dane losing his pace in the break, EF Education-EasyPost had no one at the front and they had to chase in the Van der Poel group. The co-operation in the break had disappeared. Benoot, Pidcock, Hirschi and Vansevenant had the strongest legs and broke away from the others after the Geulhemmerberg. This looked like the winning four.
Was it too late for the World champion?
The four leaders were riding away from the first chasers, while the Van der Poel group, still led by EF Education-EasyPost, was still at 30 seconds. On the Bemelerberg, the final climb of the day, Lapeira put in a do-or-die attack. The Frenchman looked like he might catch the four leaders, but Pidcock put the pressure on.
Pidcock, Hirshi and Benoot fought it out in the sprint
On the Bemelerberg, the INEOS rider accelerated. Benoot and Hirschi were in trouble, but fought their way back. Vansevenant also managed to return as the four approached the last kilometre. Benoot couldn’t hold back and was the first to jump, but this came to nothing. Pidcock was the fastest finisher in the lead group and held Hirschi and Benoot off to the line.
It was close, but not as close as 2021
2024 Amstel Gold Race winner, Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers): “Finally winning here means a lot to me. I actually want to say: it feels good to win here a second time, but I won’t do that It feels very good. This year has been so hard with great sacrifices and a lot of time away from home. Finally putting my hands in the air is very nice. This race certainly means a lot to me. I am often good here and today the team was riding for me. They fully supported me. Kwiatkowski himself was also top, but he also rode full speed ahead of me. Half-half confidence, I would say. I had difficulty sprinting after Roubaix because of my hands. I had a lot of shoulder pain because I couldn’t hold the handlebars properly. So I didn’t have a lot of confidence, but it turned out well. I think everyone looked at each other before the Keutenberg, and then I followed the decisive selection. During the race phase it is not always about the legs, but also about placing the right attack at the right time. Now the pressure is off, so it will be fun racing and doing our best. I actually want to say that we can enjoy ourselves, but it may not feel that way during the race.”
Beer for everyone!
Amstel Gold Race Result:
1. Thomas Pidcock (GB) INEOS Grenadiers in 5:58:17
2. Marc Hirschi (Sui) UAE Team Emirates
3. Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Visma | Lease a Bike
4. Mauri Vansevenant (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
5. Paul Lapeira (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
6. Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
7. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Lidl-Trek
8. Quentin Pacher (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
9. Pello Bilbao (Spa) Bahrain-Victorious
10. Michael Matthews (Aus) Jayco AlUla at 0:11.
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