Michal Kwiatkowski wins Amstel Gold Race in thrilling photo-finish sprint

The INEOS Grenadiers rider came as one of the cards for the team, and succeeded in taking his second Amstel Gold Race victory. He battled with Benoît Cosnefroy in a two-up sprint after forging the winning gap, and only a photo-finish could decide the race winner.

The breakaway set off early in the day with Nathan van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma), Ide Schelling (BORA - hansgrohe), Emils Liepins (Trek-Segafredo), Owain Doull (EF Education - EasyPost), Johan Jacobs (Movistar Team) and Aaron van Poucke (Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise). Campenaerts later attacked and joined the group, but waited for the peloton and later the remains of the front group with 45 kilometers to go.

INEOS stretched things out in the quick sequence of climbs that anteceded the Cauberg, and a small group emerged from that containing several of the pre-race favourites. After the Cauberg the attacks began in the group with Pidcock, later Kwiatkowski attacking and getting a gap, joined by Benoît Cosnefroy who attacked in the Geulhemmerberg. The duo built a gap, that wouldn't come down as there was no concerted chasing in the back group, marked by a flurry of attacks that would frequently bring the gap down some seconds.

Van der Poel put in some digs in the final kilometers in an urgent attempt to close the gap, but to no success. Cosnefroy was in front and launched his sprint first, the finale was incredibly tight but he was unable to keep the lead as Michal Kwiatkowski won by a mere centimeters. Like last year, it was a race decided in a photo-finish, with the winner only being officially announced minutes after.

Tiesj Benoot escaped the chasing group in the final kilometer to take third place on the podium, with a sprint behind deciding the rest of the Top10.