Evenepoel takes revenge and Paula Blasi makes history in the 2026 Amstel Gold Race

The Amstel Gold Race 2026 confirmed almost to the millimeter what was anticipated beforehand. A race of wear, progressive selection, and late resolution on the Cauberg. There, the edition was defined by the control of Remco Evenepoel, the resilience of Mattias Skjelmose, and a revenge that the Belgian had been waiting for a year. This time, it did not slip away from him. After coming close in 2025, Evenepoel finished his offensive with authority and finally lifted his first victory in the Dutch classic. In the women's race, the Spanish Paula Blasi made history for our country by taking the victory.

Evenepoel takes revenge and conquers the Amstel Gold Race 2026 after beating Skjelmose

The day began with a large breakaway of nine riders that managed to exceed a four-minute lead. Among them were names like Marco Frigo, Warren Barguil, Xabier Mikel Azparren, and Huub Artz, in a move that animated the first half of the race but never truly put the big favorites in jeopardy.

Behind, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe quickly took on the responsibility of the chase. Evenepoel's team hardened the race long before the decisive section, first with a constant control of the peloton and then really increasing the pace when the race entered the area of the chained climbs that were supposed to select the Amstel.

The first signal came during the first pass of the Cauberg. The increase in pace started to break the peloton and made it clear that the race was not going to be resolved in a large group. From there, each climb eliminated riders and narrowed the field of candidates.

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The key moment came in the chain formed by Gulperberg, Kruisberg, Eyserbosweg, Fromberg, and Keutenberg, exactly the sector that had been marked as decisive beforehand. Frigo was still holding on in front, but behind, the race had already entered the phase of total selection.

Romain Grégoire was one of the first favorites to move the race, and his attack opened up the finale. Evenepoel responded personally, and the riders who really had the strength to fight for victory stayed on his wheel. Alongside the Belgian were Skjelmose and Grégoire, while Matteo Jorgenson was forced to abandon after a hard fall caused by a curve when he was well positioned.

On the Keutenberg, Evenepoel tightened again. There, the breakaway completely disappeared, and the race was reduced to the strongest men of the day. The Belgian continued to do most of the work and filtered rivals until leaving the front with a trio including Skjelmose and Grégoire.

The second ascent of the Cauberg caused real damage. Evenepoel accelerated, and Grégoire ended up giving a few meters. Skjelmose, on the other hand, held on. The reigning champion did not let go of the wheel and turned the race into a direct duel between the two men who had already faced each other in the previous edition.

With Grégoire already dropped and consolidated in the fight for third place, Evenepoel and Skjelmose understood each other enough to open a definitive gap. Behind, the Frenchman maintained a margin over an increasingly numerous chasing group, but the victory was already ahead.

Neither on the Geulhemmerberg, nor on the Bemelerberg, nor even on the last ascent to the Cauberg did Evenepoel manage to shake off the Dane. He tried several times, regulated when necessary, and managed his effort with the feeling that the outcome was going to be decided in a sprint.

And there it was undeniable. Evenepoel launched powerfully in the final straight, clearly surpassed Skjelmose, and closed his revenge in Valkenburg with a victory of enormous authority. Behind, Grégoire held the third position after a very solid finish.

Top 10 Amstel Gold Race 2026 (men's)

1. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – 5:59:40
2. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) – +1
3. Benoît Cosnefroy (Decathlon) – +1:59
4. Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) – +1:59
5. Emiel Verstrynge (Alpecin-Premier tech) – +1:59
6. Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) – +1:59
7. Mauri Vansevenant (Quick-Step) – +1:59
8. Albert Philipsen (Lidl-Trek) – +1:59
9. Ewen Costiou (Groupama-FDJ) – +1:59
10. Marco Frigo (NSN) – +1:59

Paula Blasi makes history in the women's Amstel Gold Race

Paula Blasi became the first Spanish woman capable of winning the Amstel Gold Race after delivering an outstanding solo performance between Maastricht and Valkenburg.

The Catalan, European champion and under-23 world bronze medalist, built her victory with a long-range attack and a perfect reading of the race. She first moved at 26 kilometers from the finish accompanied by Nienke Vinke and shortly after launched the definitive offensive, already solo, at 22 kilometers from the end.

Blasi opened a gap without hesitation while the group of favorites watched each other. Earlier, the race had already started to break apart with moves from riders like Anna van der Breggen, Demi Vollering, and Kasia Niewiadoma, but none of those accelerations proved decisive. The marking between the top candidates ended up favoring the Spanish rider's bet.

With 15 kilometers to go, she already had a significant lead, and on the last pass of the Cauberg, she continued to increase her advantage. Not even a miscalculation in her line or the onset of rain altered her march towards victory. Blasi crossed the finish line in 4h02:14 with a 27-second margin over Niewiadoma and Vollering.

After crossing the finish line, the rider herself summarized what she had just achieved: “I don’t know what to think. I didn’t even plan to race today. I have to process what just happened because I can’t believe it. They told me to attack, I attacked, and I’m living a dream.”

Top 10 Amstel Gold Race 2026 (women's)

1. Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ) – 4:02:15
2. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (CANYON//SRAM) – +27
3. Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ) – +27
4. Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco) – +43
5. Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) – +43
6. Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) – +43
7. Sarah Van Dam (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +43
8. Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek) – +43
9. Anna van der Breggen (Team SD Worx-Protime) – +43
10. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) – +43