Amidst the cobbled classics, CANYON//SRAM Racing starts the Ardennes classics with Amstel Gold on Sunday 10 April in the Netherlands. The team will start with 2019 winner Kasia Niewiadoma alongside Elise Chabbey, Tiffany Cromwell, Mikayla Harvey, Soraya Paladin and Pauliena Rooijakkers.

The course changes in 2021 enforced due to the pandemic have been removed and the course returns to a large 68km lap followed by 3.5 local 18km-long circuits. Four ascents of the Cauberg climb await, including the final climb that crests with less than 2km to run into the finish.

Typically, the race lends itself to those riders who can position themselves and resist the constant undulations of the 1600m of climbing over the 126km-long course.

“Smart, being patient and never giving up because groups can always come back together on this course,” says Tiffany.

“The peloton will be reduced in numbers each lap by the nature of the course, especially the local circuit with the Geulhemmerberg, Bemelerberg and Cauberg climbs on repetition. It can be a breakaway, a late solo attack or a small sprint but I think it will only ever be a handful of riders fighting it out at the end.”

“It’s a race that you can’t organise a proper chase on. That makes it an exciting opportunity for those that are willing to risk it early,” adds Tiffany.

For Kasia, it’s her second big target of the 2022 season, behind Strade Bianche last month in March.

“I love this race because it reminds me of how I started my cycling journey. I was racing on those roads as a trainee on a Dutch team and was able to prove myself to get a spot on the team. I have always had good memories about racing around the Cauberg and the climb in general really suits my strengths,” says Kasia.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Amstel Gold starts at 10:35CEST on Sunday 10 April. The race can be followed on Twitter with #UCIWWT. Live broadcast starts at 12:00CEST on NOS.nl and at 13:00CEST on Eurosport,  GCN+, NPO1, FloSports, Canvas and SBS.

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