Amstel Gold Race 2026 men’s race LIVE – Remco Evenepoel outsprints Mattias Skjelmose to win first Amstel Gold at second attempt

Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quickstep) took victory in Amstel Gold at only his second attempt. In a similar scenario to the 2025 finish, the Belgian reached the finishline in Valkenberg in the company of Lidl-Trek's Mattias Skjelmose - only without Tadej Pogacar to contend with. This time round Evenepoel would not be outpunched, forcing the Danish rider to lead out before coming round and sailing clear to victory.

Evenepoel was big favourite in the hilly Dutch classic, seen as the curtain-raiser to Ardennes week. His Red Bull team-mates took on the task of controlling the race from the outset. The nine riders that formed the breakaway - Huub Artz (Lotto Intermarche), Filip Maciejuk (Movistar), Marco Frigo (NSN Cycling), Warren Barguil (Picnic PostNL), Xabier Mikel Azparren (Pinarello Q3.65), Joseba Lopez (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Siebe Deweirdt (Flanders-Baloise), Valentin Retailleau (TotalEnergies), Abram Stockman (Unibet Rose Rockets) - were allowed to build a maximum advantage of 4'30. Halfway through the 257km race this had been cut by almost three minutes, as Evenepoel's team-mate Nico Denz made the racing hard.

The first ascent of the famous Cauberg saw the break reduced by two-thirds, with Frigo pushing on and Artz and Azparren the only riders able to hold on. As a trio they maintained a lead of 90 seconds until Azparren too was dropped with 65km left. Frigo became the last man standing a further 15km down the road. With most expecting a move from Remco, on the Kruisberg, at 42km left, it was Roman Gregoire (Groupama - FDJ United) who attacked the bunch. Evenepoel was forced to follow, with Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), Kevin Vauquelin and defending champion Mattias Skjelmose the only other riders able to keep up. Vauquelin and Jorgenson did not last long, as the former slid out on a slippery left bend and took out the American who fell down hard.

Evenepoel, Gregoire and Skjelmose pressed on as three, while Frigo held out for as long as he could. He lasted until the Keuntenberg, but its steep gradients meant he could not survive Evenepoel’s relentless power. The penultimate time up the Cauberg, the Belgian’s watts proved too much for Gregoire too. 

Now a duo, Skjelmose and Evenepoel collaborated well enough to ensure victory would belong to one of them, putting a minute into a chase group led by Benoit Cosnefroy (UAE Team Emirates XRG) and the indefatigable Marco Frigo. 

Although Evenepoel might have been expected to try to drop Skjelmose before the finale, having been outsprinted by him a year earlier, he had enough confidence to leave it to the sprint. After coaxing the Dane through to the front at the Flamme Rouge, the Olympic champion waited until 300m to go, and kicked with a power that Skjelmose simply couldn’t match. 

Cosnefroy won the sprint for third, coming out the eight rider group that finished almost two minutes down. 

Frigo launched first from the back of the gang of eight but he was always an outside bet. He darted to the other side of the road but it wasn't too hard for Costiou to get to his wheel. Cosnefroy has a fast finish and he used it.

It's a decisive victory for the Belgian. He looked calm and composed as they came inside 300m and when he jumped from behind Skjelmose really had no response.

Skjelmose comes through, tightens his left shoe.

Nope, he's still there, I'm afraid.

Skjelmose isn't coming through, but he's out of the saddle.

Skjelmose following Remco's wheel. One final left bend.

A two-up sprint, as we've seen on a number of big occasions this season, is rather more straightforward to a three. Remco will try to force Skjelmose to lead it out, you'd imagine, but it'll ultimately come down to who has the legs and can keep them spinning at speed for the longest.

What an effort. The top two places are gone but the podium remains up for grabs. Philipsen is having none of it, however.

And it didn't truthfully looked like he tried to, which means it either comes down to the Cauberg, or the sprint. I wonder which of these two is the more nervous?

Gregoire still has a chance of a podium if he can get help from his team-mate, Costiou.

No Pogacar, but we have been here before.

He knows after last year's finish it can't come down to a sprint.

As they take the bell at the finish, the pain inflicted by Evenepoel on the Cauberg has made a massive difference to the shape of the race. I'm not sure there was an actual bell, but there should have been. Gregoire has realised he's better off with the group behind.

Gregoire has to go deep and wrestle with his bike to the top of this incessant drag. Even if he can come back he's shown sufficient weakness to tell us he won't be contesting the finish.

As they begin the penultimate ascent of the Cauberg, that should be enough, you'd think.