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2015 Amstel Gold Race
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2015 Amstel Gold Race
The 2015 Amstel Gold Race was the 50th edition of the Amstel Gold Race one-day race. It took place on 19 April and was the eleventh race of the 2015 UCI World Tour. The Amstel Gold Race formed part of the Ardennes classics season, although it took place in the Limburg region of the Netherlands rather than in the Belgian Ardennes. It took place in the week before La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège, the other principal Ardennes classics. The defending champion in the 2015 edition of the race was Philippe Gilbert, who had won the race three times and had also won the 2012 world championships on a very similar course.
The race took place on a 258-kilometre (160 mi) route centred on the town of Valkenburg aan de Geul; the route included 34 short climbs, several of which were repeated. The decisive climb was the Cauberg, the fourth ascent of which came within 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) of the finishing line. The race typically suited puncheurs.
After several attacking groups were caught, the decisive action came on the final ascent of the Cauberg. A small group formed after the climb and sprinted for the race victory. The sprint was won by Michał Kwiatkowski, the reigning world champion; it was his first road race victory since he won the world championships. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team) was second, with Michael Matthews (Orica–GreenEDGE) third.
The Amstel Gold Race was part of the 2015 UCI World Tour, which meant that the 17 UCI WorldTeams were automatically invited and obliged to send a team. The race organisers also made eight wildcard invitations to UCI Professional Continental teams. The peloton was therefore made up of 25 teams. With eight riders on each team, a total of 200 riders were entered. Two of these, IAM Cycling's Dries Devenyns (sore back) and Thomas Degand (stomach upset), were forced to pull out before the start, so 198 riders started the race.
UCI WorldTeams
UCI Professional Continental teams
The 258-kilometre (160-mile) route of the 2015 Amstel Gold Race began in Maastricht and left the city towards the north. The riders passed through the towns of Bunde and Geulle on their way to the first climbs of the day. The first climb of the day was the Slingerberg; the peloton then passed through Beek and climbed the Adsteeg. These climbs came within the first 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) of racing. The route then turned south through Meerssen, where the riders climbed the third climb, the Lange Raarberg, then east in the direction of Heerlen. The course turned, however, before they reached Heerlen, first heading south across the climb of the Bergseweg, then west. At this point, the route entered a series of circuits around the town of Valkenburg aan de Geul. The riders climbed the Sibbergrubbe and the Cauberg for the first time. The first climb of the Cauberg came after 54 kilometres (34 miles).
The first of the loops around Valkenburg was the longest at 101.6 kilometres (63.1 miles). The riders first climbed the Geulhemmerberg as they left Valkenburg, then turned south-east. The next 20 kilometres (12 miles) contained no categorised climbs, though the roads were far from flat. The next climb, the Wolfsburg, came after 78.1 kilometres (48.5 miles) and was followed quickly by the first climb of the Loorberg. The route then briefly turned north, before turning south again on the outskirts of Gulpen. The next climb, the Schweibergerweg, came after 92.5 kilometres (57.5 miles) of racing, with the Camerig 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) later. The riders then entered a short circuit around the town of Vaals, where the Drielandenpunt, the Gemmenich and the Vijlenerbos came within 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) of one another. The route then returned to Gulpen along the same roads, with the Eperheide the only categorised climb. In Gulpen, the route crossed the Gulpenerberg, then turned east to cross the Plettenberg and the Eyserweg. The riders then reached Simpelveld, where they turned west again towards Valkenburg. The final part of the loop took the peloton across the climb of Huls and the Vrakelberg. As they entered Valkenburg, the riders climbed the Sibbergrubbe and the Cauberg for the second time. As the riders crossed the finish line in Valkenburg, they had 99.8 kilometres (62.0 miles) remaining.
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2015 Amstel Gold Race
The 2015 Amstel Gold Race was the 50th edition of the Amstel Gold Race one-day race. It took place on 19 April and was the eleventh race of the 2015 UCI World Tour. The Amstel Gold Race formed part of the Ardennes classics season, although it took place in the Limburg region of the Netherlands rather than in the Belgian Ardennes. It took place in the week before La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège, the other principal Ardennes classics. The defending champion in the 2015 edition of the race was Philippe Gilbert, who had won the race three times and had also won the 2012 world championships on a very similar course.
The race took place on a 258-kilometre (160 mi) route centred on the town of Valkenburg aan de Geul; the route included 34 short climbs, several of which were repeated. The decisive climb was the Cauberg, the fourth ascent of which came within 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) of the finishing line. The race typically suited puncheurs.
After several attacking groups were caught, the decisive action came on the final ascent of the Cauberg. A small group formed after the climb and sprinted for the race victory. The sprint was won by Michał Kwiatkowski, the reigning world champion; it was his first road race victory since he won the world championships. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team) was second, with Michael Matthews (Orica–GreenEDGE) third.
The Amstel Gold Race was part of the 2015 UCI World Tour, which meant that the 17 UCI WorldTeams were automatically invited and obliged to send a team. The race organisers also made eight wildcard invitations to UCI Professional Continental teams. The peloton was therefore made up of 25 teams. With eight riders on each team, a total of 200 riders were entered. Two of these, IAM Cycling's Dries Devenyns (sore back) and Thomas Degand (stomach upset), were forced to pull out before the start, so 198 riders started the race.
UCI WorldTeams
UCI Professional Continental teams
The 258-kilometre (160-mile) route of the 2015 Amstel Gold Race began in Maastricht and left the city towards the north. The riders passed through the towns of Bunde and Geulle on their way to the first climbs of the day. The first climb of the day was the Slingerberg; the peloton then passed through Beek and climbed the Adsteeg. These climbs came within the first 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) of racing. The route then turned south through Meerssen, where the riders climbed the third climb, the Lange Raarberg, then east in the direction of Heerlen. The course turned, however, before they reached Heerlen, first heading south across the climb of the Bergseweg, then west. At this point, the route entered a series of circuits around the town of Valkenburg aan de Geul. The riders climbed the Sibbergrubbe and the Cauberg for the first time. The first climb of the Cauberg came after 54 kilometres (34 miles).
The first of the loops around Valkenburg was the longest at 101.6 kilometres (63.1 miles). The riders first climbed the Geulhemmerberg as they left Valkenburg, then turned south-east. The next 20 kilometres (12 miles) contained no categorised climbs, though the roads were far from flat. The next climb, the Wolfsburg, came after 78.1 kilometres (48.5 miles) and was followed quickly by the first climb of the Loorberg. The route then briefly turned north, before turning south again on the outskirts of Gulpen. The next climb, the Schweibergerweg, came after 92.5 kilometres (57.5 miles) of racing, with the Camerig 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) later. The riders then entered a short circuit around the town of Vaals, where the Drielandenpunt, the Gemmenich and the Vijlenerbos came within 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) of one another. The route then returned to Gulpen along the same roads, with the Eperheide the only categorised climb. In Gulpen, the route crossed the Gulpenerberg, then turned east to cross the Plettenberg and the Eyserweg. The riders then reached Simpelveld, where they turned west again towards Valkenburg. The final part of the loop took the peloton across the climb of Huls and the Vrakelberg. As they entered Valkenburg, the riders climbed the Sibbergrubbe and the Cauberg for the second time. As the riders crossed the finish line in Valkenburg, they had 99.8 kilometres (62.0 miles) remaining.
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