The Amstel Gold Race was probably the classic with the best field at the start of the race so far this season. There were several big names at the start, and when Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) broke away following an attack by Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) which he followed, it looked as if everything had already been decided.

But Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) didn't let him get away with the win that easy, and launched an attack from behind, catching along Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) in the process. With around 8 km to go, the 3 riders joined forces and set off on the final climb of the Cauberg, which was topped 1.8 km from the finish. Remco Evenepoel was tricked into sprinting first, and Pogačar thought he'd won the race when he passed him. However, Mattias Skjelmose was not to be denied, and finally overtook him at the line!

Amstel Gold Race 2025 summary

As usual, the Amstel Gold Race began on the flat today, over some 30 km, followed by a few short climbs, before the real hostilities began some 100 km after the start in Maastricht (see the Amstel Gold Race 2025 profile and route in detail). And it was on this flat section that the race set off at high speed this morning, and very quickly the peloton broke in two even before reaching the first climb of the day (the Maasberg) ... surprising Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) who found himself delayed for some ten kilometers before finally making the junction again thanks to the work of his team-mates.

With Hartthijs de Vries and Jelle Johannink it was meanwhile the Unibet Tietema Rockets team who really went on the offensive first, in what is the last UCI WorldTour race on their 2025 season schedule at this stage. Gradually they were joined by 6 other riders, and Michel Heβmann (Movistar Team), Rémi Cavagna (Groupama-FDJ), Robert Stannard (Bahrain Victorious), Emiel Verstrynge (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Cédric Beullens and Jarrad Drizners (Lotto) completed the day's breakaway group of 8. Their gap had increased to over 4 minutes (4'20"), but with Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, UAE Team Emirates XRG and Soudal Quick-Step in the lead, it was already beginning to melt away with still over 150 kilometers to go.

When the gap was down to 1'30", with 110 km to go, two riders went on the counter attack, Reuben Thompson (Lotto) and Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech), and a crash involved several of the race's big names: Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) and Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek). The chasing duo was joined by Dylan van Baarle (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek). With 92 kilometers to go, however, their adventure was already coming to an end, and the leading group was also no longer far from the peloton. Van Aert, Nys and Evenepoel were also back in the peloton from the rear, after their crash, and the peloton already had the lead group in sight as they started the first climb up the Cauberg. On this climb, 4 of the front group were absorbed by the peloton, and only Cavagna, Johannink, Beullens and Heβmann remained at the front. On the next climb, the Geulhemmelerberg, shortly after the first crossing of the finish line, it was Beullens' turn to be reeled in by the peloton, and the remaining leading trio struggled to stay ahead. Lidl-Trek then leads the peloton, leaving only the last chance to Heβmann (who returns to the race after his suspension for doping since June 2023, potentially linked to a contaminated medication), who is also caught with 70 km to go.

Alaphilippe launches the finale on the Gulperberg, but Pogacar follows and drops him on the next climb, the Kruisberg.

🏁 42km to go.#AGR25 pic.twitter.com/6PT4UQJ8Bo

— Amstel Gold Race (@Amstelgoldrace) April 20, 2025

From then on, the various climbs followed one another, with nothing much happening ... until Gulperberg, where Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) attacked with 48 km to go, immediately followed by Tadej Pogačar. This duo opened up a gap of around ten seconds, which remained relatively stable until the next climb, the Kruisberg, where Pogačar in turn went on the attack, leaving Alaphilippe alone in between before being absorbed again by the rest of the peloton. The World Champion still had more than 42 kilometers to go to the finish at that time, but the Slovenian rider didn't let that scare him, and quickly extended his lead to around 30 seconds on the next climb and its descent.

Evenepoel makes a second attempt to reach Pogacar. The second time, it works. He powers his way up to Skjelmose. #AGR25 pic.twitter.com/skWsCxc6NP

— Amstel Gold Race (@Amstelgoldrace) April 20, 2025

Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) was for a while the only rider on the counter attack behind Pogačar, until Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) attacked with just under 27 km to go, then again with around 25 km to go, shortly before the second passage over the Cauberg. At the foot of the Cauberg, the World Champion had a gap of 24 seconds on the Olympic Champion, in the company of Skjelmose, of which only 13 seconds remained at the finish line! They then managed to close the gap a little more (to 11 seconds), and while Pogačar initially again seemed to be the strongest, making up ground, the chasing duo gradually caught up again with the Slovenian rider, thanks in particular to Evenepoel's efforts, and with 8 km to go, they found themselves back in the lead trio!

The final ascent of the Cauberg was a trio affair, with Evenepoel in the lead and only Skjelmose taking turns. The climb didn't make the difference, and the finish of this Amstel Gold Race 2025 was a three-way sprint. On the back straight, Evenepoel was the first to launch the sprint with 250 m to go, but it was all too much for the Belgian rider, who was beaten not only by Pogačar, but also by Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), who went on to win the 59th edition of the Amstel Gold Race with only a bandwidth!

door Thomas Vergouwen
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