Annemiek van Vleuten to attack final crack at Amstel Gold Race victory with a "fire in the belly"

As Annemiek van Vleuten continues the final season of her long and storied career, Amstel Gold Race Ladies is up next. A race the Dutchwoman has never tasted victory in, van Vleuten is determined to put that right in her final attempt.

"It would help me a lot if it were to be a tough race. I'm just not going to do that myself but I need other riders for that," the 40-year-old Movistar rider explains on the In het Wiel podcast. "If everyone starts that last Cauberg with pain in their legs, my chances will increase. You can't always control that."

Van Vleuten's best result in the Dutch classic was in 2019 when the Dutchwoman finished 2nd, beaten in a two-woman sprint to the line by Katarzyna Niewiadoma. "I think it's a fun race to ride, because it's in the Netherlands," she explains before revealing why the race has never been one of her favourites to compete in over the years.

"I just don't like the course that much. They are all climbs of only two minutes, so it is very difficult for me to win and therefore I've never won it," says van Vleuten. "Yes, I'm not very fond of the bingo card. I'd rather win Liège again in a heroic way than win a match I've never won before."