Results Amstel Gold Race 2026 | Victory for Remco Evenepoel over Mattias Skjelmose in Valkenburg

Remco Evenepoel has won the 2026 edition of the Amstel Gold Race. The first of the Ardennes classics proved to be a race without many tactics, in which the Olympic Champion looked to be the strongest on the climbs; and then managed to outsprint defending champion Mattias Skjelmose in the sprint to the line.

The 257-kilometer long race began in Maastricht and took the riders through the hilly and explosive roads of the Dutch Limburg. In the breakaway of the day were nine riders: Huub Artz, Filip Maciejuk, Marco Frigo, Warren Barguil, Xabier Mikel Azparren, Joseba López, Siebe Deweirdt, Valentin Retailleau and Abram Stockman.

The nine-rider group moved efficiently whilst in the peloton it was Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe who did the great bulk of the work throughout the day. As the race entered its final two hours, the German team pushed the pace hard so as to prevent others from anticipating - which also repeatedly split the peloton and created fatigue in a race where endurance is key.

Hence the peloton remained rather compact until 43 kilometers to go when on the Kruisberg Romain Grégoire launched an attack, followed by Remco Evenepoel and Kévin Vauquelin. Matteo Jorgenson, Mattias Skjelmose and Mathieu Burgaudeau also followed the move, and the rider moved away from the peloton at the same time as they caught Huub Artz. Marco Frigo had gone solo off the front in the meantime.

But in a matter of a few minutes the group was split as Vauquelin, Jorgenson and Artz crashed - whilst Burgaudeau was stuck behind. The Visma rider was the worst affected from the fall. In front remained only Evenepoel, Skjelmose and Grégoire, who would go on to catch Marco Frigo shortly after.

Throughout the many climbs there was a strong pace from Evenepoel who dropped Frigo and then also, with 22 kilometers to go, also Grégoire. The duo would go on to fight for the win whilst everyone else would be caught by a chasing group.

In the final sprint Skjelmose would be in front but upon Evenepoel's acceleration, there was no matching him. In the fight for third place Frigo tried to surprise multiple times in the final flat stretch to the line but was unsuccessful. Benoît Cosnefroy would sprint to third on the day, wrapping up the podium.