Amstel Gold Race Men: 5 favourites, 5 outsiders

Michael Matthews, Mathieu van der Poel and Matej Mohoric
Michael Matthews, Mathieu van der Poel and Matej Mohoric are among the five riders to watch at Amstel Gold Race (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

The Amstel Gold Race marks the start of the Ardennes Classics, with the rolling 251-kilometre route over the Limburg hills in the southern region of the Netherlands offering a perfect transition from the cobbled spring Classics to the hillier races of late April.

Amstel Gold Race is arguably neither one nor the other; it has short climbs but no cobbles, twisting country roads but nothing long or super steep like in the deepest Belgian Ardennes. It is different, difficult and unique.

The racing on Sunday will be different, too, and so will be some of the big contenders, with Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma) joining Tom Pidcock and Dylan Van Baarle (Ineos Grenadiers), Kasper Asgreen (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl), Michael Matthews (BikeExchange-Jayco) and Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) as they try to take on Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix).

The Dutchman has roared back into form in recent weeks and won the Tour of Flanders. He surely wants to add a second Amstel Gold Race to his palmarès after winning in 2019 with that now legendary late charge and sprint that saw him surge past all his rivals.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.