Cycling: Michael Valgren (Astana) won the Amstel Gold Race 2018. In the final kilometers, the Dane benefited from his team's superiority and the wait and see of the top favourites. In the sprint for victory, he passed Roman Kreuziger (Mitchelton-Scott) and Enrico Gasparotto (Bahrain Merida), both of whom have won the race in their careers.
Many attacks call for attention from the top drivers
The 53rd edition of the Amstel Gold Race should offer the spectators an exciting spectacle over 263 kilometers from Maastricht to Berg en Terblijt today. At first, a breakaway group of nine determined what was happening. The group was granted a lead of more than 15 minutes before the teams Movistar, Bora-hansgrohe, Astana and Quick-Step Floors organized the tracking work in the peloton. In the 900 meter climb to the Eyserbosweg, which is one of the most difficult sections with a gradient of up to 17 percent, the field of riders was severely decimated. With Enrico Gasparotto (Bahrain Merida) and Roman Kreuziger (Mitchelton-Scott), two drivers who have already won the Amstel Gold Race in the past managed to catch up with 18 kilometers to go. Further attacks by the top drivers enabled the final selection a few kilometers later. Well-known professionals fell victim to this, such as last year's winners Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) and Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain Merida).
Valgren celebrates: The last attack was one too many
Up the Bemelerberg, 6,5 kilometers from the finish, there was of course another attack. Among others, Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) went on the offensive. But the strong sprinters, such as Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe) and Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) were able to neutralize the attacks. After all, Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), among others, has now been distanced. With two kilometers to go everything looked like a sprint decision from this group, but then Michael Valgren (Astana) together with Roman Kreuziger (Mitchelton-Scott) tried it. The rest was left to Peter Sagan, but the world champion looked to Alejandro Valverde and the race was over. Enrico Gasparotto (Bahrain Merida) tried to get involved as a soloist, but he was only able to make the connection on the finish line. Michael Valgren won the two-man sprint. With that, the Dane won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad now also the Amstel Gold Race. In the battle for fourth place, Peter Sagan placed ahead of Alejandro Valverde.
Michael Valgren brinda all'Amstel Gold Race
🇬🇰👏Il danese dell'@AstanaTeam batte Kreuziger in volata sul traguardo di Valkenburg; Terzo Gasparotto#EGR18 #EurosportCICLISMO pic.twitter.com/yegaV8vRwX
- Eurosport IT (@Eurosport_IT) 15 April 2018
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