Updated April 18, 2026 05:55PM
Four of the biggest names in the sport will be absent from Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race and either one or both of the remaining two Ardennes Classics due to misfortune.
Michael Matthews—who has finished third in the race before, as well as taking a staggering six other top ten finishes—is still recovering from a disastrous training crash several weeks ago which left him with multiple fractures.
Ben Healy has been ruled out with a facture, while Juan Ayuso is a DNS due to illness.
As for former winner Tom Pidcock, he too will be absent, although he has some good news.
“Recovery has gone super well! So I’m going to race Tour of the Alps next week in preparation for Liège,” the Briton said in a post on social media. “The Ardennes was the biggest goal of this part of the season so I’m happy to be able to still race one of them in whatever shape that may be.”
MTB star goes off road
Pidcock crashed heavily on stage 5 of the Volta a Catalunya, going off the road on a descent and down into a ravine. He was able to limp home to finish the stage but suffered a knee injury which saw him as a DNS the next day.
“The Tour of the Alps will serve as a key benchmark in assessing Pidcock’s condition ahead of his next scheduled objective, Liège–Bastogne–Liège on Sunday, April 26,” his Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling team stated in a press release.
“His race program remains flexible, with day-by-day evaluation planned based on his sensations and, in particular, the response of his injured knee under race conditions.”
He will be backed by Matteo Badilatti, Walter Calzoni, Mark Donovan, Chris Harper and Damien Howson in the five-day contest.
“The Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team will approach the race with a balanced and experienced line-up, supporting Pidcock while also targeting stage opportunities across the varied terrain,” the team continued.
“With its mix of short, intense stages and mountainous profiles, the Tour of the Alps provides an ideal platform for Pidcock to regain race rhythm while allowing the team to remain competitive across multiple scenarios.”
Multiple fractures rule Michael Matthews out
Matthews had a disastrous crash in early March and suffered a number of injuries to his arms. He gave a photo and video update on social media on Saturday, explaining what he has gone through and where he now is at.
“On the fifth of March I had a really bad training accident where I had a really bad open fracture on my left arm, cut tendons on my thumb, a broken wrist, a broken thumb,” the four-time Tour stage winner said. “So it was two different surgeries.
“The first surgery, we had to do it straight away in Italy for the left arm. And after a few days in Italy, we flew to Belgium to do the surgery for the tendon on my right thumb. Also, a sinus fracture in the face, as you can see probably, the stitches still healing in the face.
“So yeah, it’s been a process. It’s been long. It’s been six weeks now since the accident. I have almost full movement back in my fingers, which I’m very, very happy about. It’s been long. I think it was three weeks with no exercise at all, so that was quite difficult for me.”
‘Really happy to be back on the bike’
That’s all been a big ordeal but, fortunately, things are now picking up for the 35-year-old Australian.
“After that, I could start with some fast-paced walking and a little bit of gym to keep the muscles in my legs,” he said, describing his way back.
“And after I think it was four weeks, I could jump back on the home trainer on Zwift and got some good sessions on there. Short, but just to keep the body moving. I think I’m third day back on the road now, still with casts on the bike, but just really happy to be back on the bike.”
Matthews thanked his Jayco-AlUla team for its support and also for all the messages he received from people wishing him well. The complexity of his injuries was brought home when he stated that he couldn’t reply as he couldn’t use the fingers on either hand for a long time. He said he intended to reply to everyone who had sent good wishes.
Missing Amstel and the Ardennes Classics is tough for him, and so too what he has gone through.
“It’s been a difficult period,” he said. “I was just finished a really good training camp with my team at altitude, getting ready for this big Classic block – the part of the season I really enjoy the most.
“So I’m sad I can’t be there, but my team is performing really well, so I’m really happy about that. I can’t wait to be back on the road and see you guys soon.”
Ayuso still not himself
Like Pidcock and Matthews, Ayuso had intended targeting the Ardennes Classics. The 23-year-old Spaniard won the Volta ao Algarve in February, his first race with Lidl-Trek, and was leading Paris-Nice in March but abandoned on stage four following a crash.
He was below par in the recent Itzulia Basque Country and withdrew on stage four, with his team saying afterwards that he had been ill. It gave an update on his condition this week.
“Unfortunately Juan Ayuso will miss the upcoming Ardennes Classics,” it stated on social media.
“Medical tests after Itzulia Basque Country showed a recent viral infection and the Spaniard is not yet ready to return to competition.
“Feel better soon Juan, We will miss you.”
Also missing from the Ardennes is Irish rider Ben Healy. He took eighth overall in Tirreno-Adriatico earlier this year, and was also 12th in Strade Bianche. However he was just 30th in Itzulia Basque Country after crashing prior to the opening time trial, and while he was able to finish the race, he wasn’t his usual self.
He hadn’t realized how significant his injury was, but further testing explained what was happening.
“This week, Ben’s pain increased, so we decided to take him for an MRI,” explained EF Pro Cycling head doctor Jon Greenwell. “Those scans came back with a non-displaced sacral fracture that will not require surgery.
“Since he is unable to ride comfortably, we decided that it is best for him to have some time off to prevent any long term complications or other injuries that might occur whilst trying to work around this injury.
‘That’s bike racing. It is what it is’
Healy has a strong record in the Ardennes events, netting second in the 2021 Amstel Gold, plus third and fourth in Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2025 and 2023 respectively.
He was also fifth in last year’s Flèche Wallonne. Healy then went on to win a stage and wear yellow at the Tour de France, placing ninth overall.
He built strong form again in the autumn and placed third in the road world championships.
“It’s gutting,” the 25 year old said of his absence. “I’ve just got to roll with the punches. I’m trying not to think about it too much, but it’s going to suck to watch the Ardennes and not be a part of it. That’s bike racing. It just is what it is.
“At Itzulia, I thought I was getting better throughout the race, and I thought not too much damage was done. It wasn’t really until I got home that it really started to give me some grief. Since getting home, I haven’t been able to ride. Obviously, we needed to find out what was causing the pain.”
That discomfort prompted him to get the MRI scans and they in turn revealed the nature of the problem. Thankfully he needs rest rather than surgery.
“The bone that I fractured is a pretty insignificant bone, so as soon as I don’t have pain, then I should be able to ride as I wish,” Matthews explained. “It’s the pain that we’re worried about and the risk that I could give myself a secondary injury.
“As soon as there’s no pain, then hopefully we’ll be on track for the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the Tour. We just need to see how recovery goes first.”
Dr. Greenwell believes Healy should be able to return to training in approximately two weeks and to then begin his buildup towards the Tour de France.
Like the other three big names who will be missing Amstel, all roads appear to lead to the Tour. They’ll hope for better luck between now and then, of course, and that they can rebuild steadily as each week passes.