Pogacar returns for the Amstel Gold Race

After the cobblestones campaign, it's time to give way to the trio of Ardennes classics in which the hardness of the pavé is replaced by an accumulated elevation gain, similar to that of a mountain stage, gained through countless climbs and steep slopes in tremendously mousy courses. We start with Amstel Gold Race where Tadej Pogacar will try to continue his successful season by adding one of the prestigious classics he has not yet won.

The Ardennes Classics begin with the Amstel Gold Race

After the fantastic last two weeks that we have enjoyed on the cobblestones, with spectacular races from the E3 Saxo Classic, through an incredible Tour of Flanders and the exciting Paris Roubaix, it's time for the so-called Ardennes classics, a trio of races consisting of the Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne and the climax in the fourth monument of the year: the Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

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We start in the Netherlands with the beer classic which, aside from the monuments, is probably one of the most renowned classics, in a second level in which we could include races such as Ghent Wevelgem, Paris Tours or Flèche Wallonne.

Favorites to win Amstel Gold Race 2023

The Amstel Gold Race is a race full of intense climbs and rough terrain in which the predictions usually do not fail: the strongest riders are the ones who will fight for the victory in the final kilometers, which are always exciting.

If we have to name the most powerful rider so far this season, it is none other than Tadej Pogacar who has shown a tremendous dominance of the races he has contested, only surpassed in Milan-San Remo and E3 Saxo Classic by two monsters of the stature of Van der Poel and Van Aert. A classic that is much more suited to Tadej Pogacar's rider profile, with longer and more sustained climbs and without having to deal with the cobblestones, which undoubtedly places him as the number 1 favorite for the victory.

Against him, INEOS Grenadiers will defend the victory achieved last year by Michal Kwiatkowski, although its leader in this edition will not be the Pole but a Tom Pidcock who will try to be fully competitive again after his discreet passage through Flemish lands. He will be supported by a strong team with the aforementioned Kwiatkoski as an alternative and solvent workers as Omar Fraile.

Among the contenders to be in the fight for victory we can include a Neilson Powless who has been tremendously regular in the classics disputed although a step behind those who have ended up contesting the races. He just needs to find that day when his legs will be with him. The EF Education-EasyPost team will count on Richard Carapaz who, still far from his best form, has been very active during the Itzulia, although he could not finish the race due to an allergy.

We will also have to take into account names like Sergio Higuita, another of those who put the sauce to the race during the Itzulia; an always solvent Bauke Mollema on the part of Trek-Segafredo, to whom these races fit like a glove; or Groupama-FDJ with David Gaudu and Valentin Madouas as solid pillars. Nor should we rule out the always reliable Pello Bilbao.

Amstel Gold Race 2023 Route

The south of the Dutch province of Limburg, a region bordering Germany and the Belgian region of Wallonia, an area marked by intricate valleys and hills, is the stage where the Amstel Gold Race takes place year after year.

A route that starts from the city of Maastricht to begin winding around Valkenburg, seeking to link all the hills that mark the region in an endless succession of climbs from the first kilometers to the 253 km of the Amstel Gold Race.

A race of pure attrition that, however, is not usually decided until the final stages, from the first pass through the finish line where the most decisive part is faced with the ascent to the terrible Keutenberg 30 kilometers from the conclusion, followed by the once decisive climb that led to the arrival at the famous Cauberg, from where the final selection that will compete for the victory in the small final loop would have to come out.

How to watch the Amstel Gold Race 2023

As we are used to, Eurosport does not fail and will broadcast the beer classic on its channel Eurosport 1 and on its digital platform from 14:45.