20th April – Amstel Gold Race: Maastricht – Berg en Terbijt
The Amstel Gold Race, one of the most prestigious one-day races in the Netherlands, got underway today over the challenging hills of Limburg. Known for its twisting roads, short but steep climbs, and constant changes in rhythm, the race once again delivered an intense day of racing. As expected, the early part of the race saw a breakaway form, consisting of 8 riders. The peloton kept them within striking distance, with the gap hovering between 4 and 5 minutes for much of the day. Shortly after the race entered its final 100 kilometres, the breakaway was caught by a heavily reduced peloton. Representing Team Picnic PostNL, both Warren Barguil and Frank van den Broek remained alert and well-positioned in the main group.
It was only a matter of time before Tadej Pogacar made his move, and he did so on the Gulperberg, with just under 50 kilometres to go. Launching an attack with Julian Alaphilippe, the World Champion soon found himself alone at the front. Behind him, the chasing groups began to fracture over the next series of climbs, and Frank van den Broek settled into the second chase group, sitting over a minute behind the leader with 30 kilometres to go. In the end, Skjelmose and Evenepoel managed to bridge across to Pogacar, before Skjelmose won the sprint. Frank van den Broek finished in one of the groups behind, crossing the line in 26th place as the first rider from Team Picnic PostNL and the best Dutch finisher of the day. Warren Barguil followed shortly after, finishing 30th.
After the race, Van den Broek said: “I felt pretty good out there today. I just missed that extra push to stay with the group of Van Aert on the Kruisberg and Eyserbosweg, but overall it went better than last year. I eventually finished in a group with Alaphilippe and Madouas—some really strong riders—so that’s something to be proud of. It was a hard, honest race, but I’m left with a satisfied feeling. This type of course suits me: repeated efforts, constant climbing. It’s something my body can handle well. I hope to take another step forward next year. If I can keep progressing, maybe a strong result is possible in the near future. Now it’s time to recover and start looking ahead to my next goals.”