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The Ardennes Classics begin with the Amstel Gold Race

Sunday sees a shift in the spring one day races with the Amstel Gold Race in the Limburg region of the Netherlands. The cobbles of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix are left behind in favour of the many bergs–short, sometimes very steep climbs of the Ardennes Classics. In the 258-km Amstel Gold Race the field gets winnowed down by these 34 bergs and a punchy rider emerges as the winner.

On Sunday the riders will be riding four circuits that get smaller as the races progresses. On each comes the Cauberg, 1.2-km long and 5.8% with a maximum of 12%. The final two runs up the Cauberg occur in the final 21-km and it’s likely that the winning move will happen on one of the two ascents. The finish line used to be right at the top of the famous climb, but for a few years it has been placed nearly 2-km up the road.

Current champion Philippe Gilbert (Belgium/BMC) is back seeking a fourth title, and other winners like Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic/Tinkoff-Saxo, David Rebellin (Italy/CCC), Fränk Schleck (Luxembourg/Trek), Stefan Schumacher (Germany/CCC), Damiano Cunego (Italy/Nippo-Vini Fantini) and Enrico Gasparotto (Italy/Wanty) are lining up in Maastrict as well.

Gilbert will find his main competition in Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar), recent winner of three Volta a Catalunya stages. Both will be wary of Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain/Katusha), who’ll be feeling confident after winning the Vuelta al Pais Vasco. Both Spaniards have been runners-up in Amstel Gold.

Jelle Vanendert (Belgium/Lotto-Soudal) tends to emerge from the shadows and do well in Limburg. Simon Gerrans (Australia/Orica-GreenEdge) has been on the podium three times. World champion Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland) is hoping to salvage Etixx-QuickStep’s spring campaign with a win.

Canada’s Christian Meier will be working for Gerrans in Limburg.

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