Tadej Pogacar the big favourite for Amstel Gold Race according to Benoît Cosnefroy "but he can be beaten"

Benoît Cosnefroy comes into Amstel Gold Race as one of the few riders who is thinking of beating the big favourites realistically, and despite having to face Tadej Pogacar he is certain that he's capable of fighting for the win.

“Van der Poel was also in the leading group last year and he ultimately did not participate for the victory. So it is not just a won race for one of the big three when they are at the start. And certainly not in the Amstel Gold Race," Cosnefroy told Het Nieuwsblad.

The Frenchman attacked last year's race and together with Michal Kwiatkowski they held off the rest of the competition and went on to fight for victory. Luck was not on his side as the photo-finish revealed a defeat against the Pole, but he returns this year with high form again and high ambitions.

“The climbs on Sunday are slightly shorter than, for example, in Liège. They follow each other at lightning speed, but in between there are also flatter passages, where the wind has free rein," he continues. "That makes it difficult to arrive alone. Tadej starts as favourite, but he can be beaten, although it will certainly not be easy. The Amstel is always an open race that can go either way. You might as well go to the finish with thirty men. That is another scenario that I do not like.” He leads a motivated AG2R Citroën Team in what his perhaps his best chance at success throughout the Ardennes.

Cosnefroy finished third but looked quite good at Brabantse Pijl. AG2R took a strong win there, and the Frenchman comes to Amstel with less pressure as a result. “Yes, I certainly didn't around with super legs. There was a lot of rain in between. Dorian also said afterwards that he didn't even feel very strong."

"Well, in the run-up to next week it was a good workout and if I wasn't in shape I couldn't get third, of course. The fact that Dorian gave us the victory means that I can approach the Amstel serenely and calmly," he concluded.