Ayuso, Aranburu and Cortina, in an Amstel with Van der Poel as favorites

the dutch Mathieu Van der Poelrecent winner of the Tour of Flanders, will start as a big favorite in the 56th edition of Amstel Gold Racea test taking place between Maastricht and Valkenburg, with a route 254.1 km, where Spanish references will be Ivan Garcia Cortina and Alex Aranburu (Movistar) at John Ayuso (UAE Emirates).

In the absence of riders like Wout Van Aert, winner in 2021 or Tadej Pogacar, the focus is on Van der Poëlin top form as he showed last week at the monument in Flanders.

Van Aert isn’t there, but Jumbo Visma will show a powerful team with it Benoot and Laporte forward, supported by Tom Dumoulin. Ineos will come out with the Olympic champion of BTT and the World of cyclocross Tom Pidcockand includes Van Baarlesecond in Flanders.

The list of candidates has been expanded to Danish kasper asgreen (Quick Step), with the UAE healed John Ayuso and that has tricks like Trentin and Hirschwithout forgetting the Lotto Soudal veteran Philippe Gilbertwho seeks everything there is Wellens and Campenaerts. Bahrain is dreaming of another victory for the Slovenian Matej Mohoricthe winner of Milan-San Remo.

A week before Paris Roubaix, delayed on the calendar due to the French elections, Movistar will present a team they lead Ivan Garcia Cortina and Alex Aranburuand complete Ñigo Elosegui, Abner González, Johan Jacobs, Max Kanter and Vinicius Rangel.

The Amstel is back on its traditional route. The start will be given in Maastricht to tackle the 33 small levels that make up the “beer race”.

The peloton will cross the finish line three times and therefore the Cauberg, the race’s most iconic climb, in a final loop that also includes the Geulhemmerberg and the Bemelerberg.

The race regained stiffness with a series of lost heights in 2021: Loorberg (59 km from the finish line), Kruisberg (44 km), Eyserbosweg (42 km), Fromberg (37 km) and, most importantly, Keutenberg ( 33 km from the finish line). ), with ramps at 20% before the circuit.

The women’s event will be held with a route 128 km between Maastricht and Valkenburg. The Dutch from Movistar Annemiek van Vleuten He will be a candidate for victory in his country in a test that has always resisted him.

In addition to Van Vleuten He has twice left honey on his lips at the recent Strade Bianche and Tour of Flanders. The Cuban Arlenis Sierra, Emma Norsgaard, Katrine Aalerud, Aude Biannic and Paula Patiño They complete the team.

The women’s Amstel will face some difficult climbs, featuring chained within just ten kilometers of the Eyserbosweg (at 76 km), Fromberg (72 km) and Keutenberg (at 68 km), with 20% Its ramps– before entering Valkenburg and making three steps through Geulhemmerberg and Bemelerberg and four through the mythical Cauberg, crowned for the last time just over a kilometer from the finish.

.- Final winners:

2021. Wout Van Aert (PSB)

2019. Mathieu Van der Poel

2018. Michael Valgreen (DIN)

2017. Philippe Gilbert (BEL)

2016. Enrico Gasparotto (ITA)

2015. Michał Kwiatkowski (POL).

.- Final winners:

. 2021. Marianne Vos (PSB)

. 2019. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (POL)

. 2018. Chantal Van den Broeck (PSB)