Amstel Gold Race 2019 [FULL RACE] (woman)

April 21, 2019

Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition 2019 – Maastricht – Berg en Terblijt : 126,8 km

The Amstel Gold Race returned from a lengthy hiatus two years ago but has quickly risen to be one of the most anticipated Women’s WorldTour races of the season, alongside its Ardennes Classic sister races Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, both in Belgium. Amstel Gold Race stands out among the other two, however, because it’s held in the Netherlands, and along with the men’s race, has added to professional cycling’s growing fan-base throughout the nation. Held on April 21, Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition will begin in Maastricht and finish 126.8km later on short, hilly circuits in nearby Valkenburg. Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) is just one of the nation’s many world-class pro cyclists and is one of the favourites to win all three Ardennes Classics. However, she favours the Amstel Gold Race because of its location on home soil.

Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) won the 2019 Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition, attacking on the final climb of the Cauberg and holding off Annemiek Van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) in a dramatic pursuit.

The Pole had looked strong on previous ascents of the Cauberg and surged away from an elite group of 15 as the race hit the famous climb for the final time. Van Vleuten was late to respond but made her way up past Marianne Vos (CCC-Liv) to crest in second place, leaving a nail-biting 1.8 km run-in to the line.

The time trial world champion gained and gained time on the duo, but ran out of road. Niewiadoma could sit up and celebrate in the final 15 metres, with Van Vleuten now right on her back but the victory secure.

“To be honest, I still cannot believe what happened,” Niewiadoma said. “I’m filled with so many different emotions. I’m just shivering now, inside, like ‘oh my god what have I done?’ I’ve been wanting so much to win the Amstel Gold Race. I’ve been dreaming about it, and it just happened. A dream came true. It’s just so amazing. It’s beautiful.”

How it happened

With 19 classified climbs on 126.8 kilometres through southern Limburg, the women’s Amstel Gold Race offered a challenging course. The first ten hills were on a big loop that was followed by three laps of a finishing circuit with the Geulhemmerberg, Bemelerberg, and Cauberg.

A group of seven riders attacked four kilometres into the race and built a huge gap of more than five minutes with just under 100km to go. This came down again as the pace increased in the peloton on the Plettenberg with 76km to go, leading to the first splits. The attacks continued on the next hill, and an elite group of 14 chasers formed after the Fromberg.

An attack by Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (CCC-Liv) on the first of four ascents of the Cauberg split the chasing group that reformed on the descent and caught the four remaining escapees just before the Geulhemmerberg. Although there were several attacks, nobody got away until Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo), returning to racing after her maternity leave, made a move with 41km to go.

The Briton rode away while the rest of the group was caught by the peloton, but the race was reset on the Cauberg. Deignan got passed by a select group of Van Vleuten, Niewiadoma, Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo), Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Bigla), and Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans).

Things came back together on the descent, and 19 riders entered the Geulhemmerberg together. Amanda Spratt (Mitchelton-Scott), Katie Hall (Boels Dolmans) and Longo Borghini attacked and got away. The trio held a twenty-second gap onto the penultimate ascent of the Cauberg with 20 km to go where Niewiadoma attacked from the chase group and bridged to the front.

The lead trio was reeled in at the top of the Geulhemmerberg with 15km left to race, prompting a counterattack by Longo Borghini who went solo and held an advantage of 25 seconds with 9km to go. After a move by Van Vleuten on the Bemelerberg came to nothing, Moolman-Pasio and Spratt countered and could bridge to Longo Borghini 5 km from the finish.

As the three could not agree to work together, they were caught in the descent before the Cauberg. Alison Jackson (Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank) took her heart in both hands and attacked into the climb. She was reeled in by Van Vleuten just as Niewiadoma attacked on the right side of the road with Vos in her wheel. The Pole continued to push the pace and eventually shook off a fading Vos while Van Vleuten went on the pursuit, passing Vos at the top of the climb with 1.8km to go.

Niewiadoma’s advantage shrunk more and more on the long finishing straight and was down to only seconds at the flamme rouge, but she persisted and managed to hold off Van Vleuten. Vos led home a small group seconds later to finish third. An eighth place was enough for Marta Bastianelli (Team Virtu Cycling) to defend her lead in the UCI Women’s WorldTour ranking.

Results :
1 Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon – SRAM Racing 3:25:48
2 Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Mitchelton Scott 0:00:00
3 Marianne Vos (Ned) CCC – Liv 0:00:10
4 Annika Langvad (Den) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam
5 Soraya Paladin (Ita) Ale Cipollini 0:00:10
6 Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) Bigla 0:00:10
7 Demi Vollering (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
8 Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Team Virtu Cycling 0:00:30
9 Alison Jackson (Can) Team Tibco – Silicon Valley Bank
10 Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling
11 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Mitchelton Scott
12 Tayler Wiles (USA) Trek – Segafredo 0:00:33
13 Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 0:01:06
14 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek – Segafredo
15 Emilia Fahlin (Swe) FDJ Nouvelle – Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:01:09
16 Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) CCC – Liv 0:02:01
17 Lucinda Brand (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:02:27
18 Ruth Winder (USA) Trek – Segafredo
19 Elizabeth Deignan (GBr) Trek – Segafredo
20 Katharine Hall (USA) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam
21 Sofie De Vuyst (Bel) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:04:02
22 Margarita Victo Garcia Cañellas (Spa) Movistar Team Women
23 Julie Van De Velde (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
24 Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:05:04
25 Amy Pieters (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam
26 Lisa Klein (Ger) Canyon – SRAM Racing
27 Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team Sunweb
28 Brodie Chapman (Aus) Team Tibco – Silicon Valley Bank
29 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Sunweb
30 Anouska Koster (Ned) Team Virtu Cycling
31 Eri Yonamine (Jpn) Ale Cipollini
32 Rachel Neylan (Aus) Team Virtu Cycling
33 Marta Cavalli (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling
34 Marion Sicot (Fra) Doltcini – Van Eyck Sport Uci Women Cycling
35 Nikola Noskova (Cze) Bigla
36 Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) Trek – Segafredo
37 Elise Chabbey (Swi) Bigla
38 Sophie Wright (GBr) Bigla
39 Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon – SRAM Racing 0:05:09
40 Juliette Labous (Fra) Team Sunweb 0:05:10
41 Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) CCC – Liv
42 Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Trek – Segafredo
43 Chantal Blaak (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 0:06:06
44 Elizabeth Banks (GBr) Bigla 0:09:01
45 Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle – Aquitaine Futuroscope
46 Shannon Malseed (Aus) Team Tibco – Silicon Valley Bank
47 Victorie Guilman (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle – Aquitaine Futuroscope
48 Malgorzata Jasinska (Pol) Movistar Team Women 0:10:00
49 Aude Biannic (Fra) Movistar Team Women
DNF Jip Van Den Bos (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam
DNF Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) Ale Cipollini
DNF Diana Carolina Peñuela Martinez (Col) Ale Cipollini
DNF Nadia Quagliotto (Ita) Ale Cipollini
DNF Chloe Hosking (Aus) Ale Cipollini
DNF Mikayla Harvey (NZl) Bigla
DNF Elena Cecchini (Ita) Canyon – SRAM Racing
DNF Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon – SRAM Racing
DNF Alexis Ryan (USA) Canyon – SRAM Racing
DNF Riejanne Markus (Ned) CCC – Liv
DNF Paulien Rooijakkers (Ned) CCC – Liv
DNF Agnieszka Skalniak (Pol) CCC – Liv
DNF Tetiana Riabchenko (Ukr) Doltcini – Van Eyck Sport Uci Women Cycling
DNF Severine Eraud (Fra) Doltcini – Van Eyck Sport Uci Women Cycling
DNF Jesse Vandenbulcke (Bel) Doltcini – Van Eyck Sport Uci Women Cycling
DNF Mieke Docx (Bel) Doltcini – Van Eyck Sport Uci Women Cycling
DNF Anisha Vekemans (Bel) Doltcini – Van Eyck Sport Uci Women Cycling
DNF Shara Gillow (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle – Aquitaine Futuroscope
DNF Lauren Kitchen (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle – Aquitaine Futuroscope
DNF Charlotte Becker (Ger) FDJ Nouvelle – Aquitaine Futuroscope
DNF Lara Defour (Bel) Health Mate – Ladies Team
DNF Veronika Anna Kormos (Hun) Health Mate – Ladies Team
DNF Esther Meisels (Isr) Health Mate – Ladies Team
DNF Christina Perchtold (Aut) Health Mate – Ladies Team
DNF Zsófia Szabó (Hun) Health Mate – Ladies Team
DNF Kylie Waterreus (Ned) Health Mate – Ladies Team
DNF Danielle Christmas (GBr) Lotto Soudal Ladies
DNF Demi De Jong (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies
DNF Danique Braam (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies
DNF Puck Moonen (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies
DNF Kelly Van Den Steen (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
DNF Lucy Kennedy (Aus) Mitchelton Scott
DNF Moniek Tenniglo (Ned) Mitchelton Scott
DNF Gracie Elvin (Aus) Mitchelton Scott
DNF Grace Brown (Aus) Mitchelton Scott
DNF Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Movistar Team Women
DNF Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spa) Movistar Team Women
DNF Gloria Rodriguez Sanchez (Spa) Movistar Team Women
DNF Belle De Gast (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
DNF Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
DNF Nina Buijsman (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
DNF Liane Lippert (Ger) Team Sunweb
DNF Coryn Rivera (USA) Team Sunweb
DNF Nina Kessler (Ned) Team Tibco – Silicon Valley Bank
DNF Rozanne Slik (Ned) Team Tibco – Silicon Valley Bank
DNF Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco – Silicon Valley Bank
DNF Katrine Aalerud (Nor) Team Virtu Cycling
DNF Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Team Virtu Cycling
DNF Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Team Virtu Cycling
DNF Barbara Malcotti (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling
DNF Vittoria Guazzini (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling
DNF Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling
DNF Dalia Muccioli (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling
DNF Kathrin Hammes (Ger) WNT Rotor Pro Cycling Team
DNF Anna Badegruber (Aut) WNT Rotor Pro Cycling Team
DNF Aafke Soet (Ned) WNT Rotor Pro Cycling Team
DNF Laura Asencio (Fra) WNT Rotor Pro Cycling Team
DNF Sarah Rijkes (Aut) WNT Rotor Pro Cycling Team
DNF Lea Lin Teutenberg (Ger) WNT Rotor Pro Cycling Team