Flanders and Roubaix are done and dusted–so that means the WorldTour heads to the Netherlands for the 60th edition of the Amstel Gold Race. The race through the hilly Limburg region feels wide open, apart from a certain Remco Evenepoel.
The Belgian comes in flying, his spring already stacked with results, and his punchy power in in hilly one-day races is well established. There’s no Tadej Pogačar or Mathieu van der Poel on the start line, so the race may tilt toward a more aggressive, less controlled finale, something that suits the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe rider.
Pidock again?
Still, this is no one-man show. Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling’s Tom Pidcock returns to terrain that fits him like a track mitt. Sharp climbs, constant changes in rhythm and a technical run-in all play to his strengths. He’s won here before, and may very well win again.
Defending champ Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) took a fantastic win in 2025. Not only did he win, but he outsprinted Evenepoel and Pogi. Remember that? Everyone figured it would be the Belgian or world champ, but the Dane smoked them both. And so far, Skjelmose has been impressive in 2026.
The brutal leg-breaker of a course
The route remains largely unchanged. The climbs stack up early, but it’s the final 45 km that matter most. You’ve got the Gulperberg, Kruisberg, Eyserbosweg and the Keutenberg to tenderize the gams before the race resets for one last loop. From there, the Bemelerberg and the return of the Cauberg as the final kicker, just 2.5 kilometres from the line, means it’s gonna be a heckuva finale.
Pier-André Côté (NSN Cycling Team) is the lone Canuck racing in the men’s race, but there are four in the women’s. Check back later for a women’s preview. Canadian Cycling Magazine will have a report on each race, and you can also watch it live on FloBikes.com on Sunday beginning at 6:30 a.m. EDT.
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