Amstel Gold Race Women 2025 LIVE - Mischa Bredewold takes victory as the Ardennes Classics kick off in the Netherlands

Thanks for sticking with us for live text commentary of this afternoon's race. Join us again next weekend for the 'old lady' of the Monuments - Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes.

Until then, have a great week!

Speaking immediately after the race, Mischa Bredewold reacted to the question ‘are you surprised?'

Bredewold said: ‘Yes, very much. Oh, I was waiting for things to fall into the right place. I can tell you, I had a rough week mentally, and, the team, they really pulled me through and I'm so grateful for them, for the girls, for this stuff. I mean, they know me so well by now. I'm so happy with this victory.

‘Top sport is not easy. You know, sometimes it’s doubting, and it's struggling, and you put so much time and effort and emotion in it, and sometimes it doesn't fall in the right place, and it almost doesn't feel fair, and it doesn't work like that, but it's hard to win a race, and you need a team. And I mean, that's what helped me today.

To the question ‘What was the key to win today?’ Bredewold replied: ‘A breakaway like we did now, and this was the plan. Actually we really focused on Lotte, but this is how we race, as a team. You know, you can always attack and we can always seize opportunity. And this was perfect, actually, and I really thought in this breakaway, like, I'm not so good, and I was struggling so much. And then we did this little descent and we had a gap and Puck and Juliet went, and for some reason, it kind of clicked. I could not follow them, but I could stay really close. And on top, Ellen was the perfect companion, I said to her at the top, "come on, we need to do it together. For sure they cannot pace harder than we can if we do it together, you know?" I'm also happy she committed fully and I also did. And yeah, she did a good attack in the end.

‘I'm glad she did. I have to say, I was maybe too scared to attack. I thought, I gamble. I do all or nothing, and I gamble on my sprint, maybe I can follow them this time, because they had to work and I didn't. And then Ellen went and I thought they would jump. They didn't. And then I thought, yeah, then it’s up to me, and then Danny behind me in the car. He was saying, now it's all or nothing, full gas together. And I know this Cauberg. I hate this Cauberg, but I thought, just keep going and don't look at the power, just go and on top, I was alone. And then I thought, yeah, now we go.’

When asked ‘what does it mean?’ Bredewold replied: ‘So much. I mean, this is Amstel, you know, it's such a big race, and it's in Holland. It's just it's a dream honestly.’

1. Mischa Bredewold (Team SD Worx-ProTime)

2. Ellen van Dijhk (Lidl-Trek)

3. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)

4. Juliette Labous (FDJ SUEZ)

5. Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ)

6. Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-ProTime)

7. Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly)

8. Anna Henderson (Lidl-Trek)

9. Quinty Ton (Liv-AlUla-Jayco)

10. Mara Roldan (Team Picnic-PostNL)

On a team with Anna van der Breggen, Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes, Mischa Bredewold may not have been many people's first pick for a race favorite today, but she's a rider with an all-round tool kit, capable of climbing, time trialling and fast at the finish. She proved that today, using her tactical nous and power to back up her skillset in a day which swung back and forth in terms of her team's fortunes.

A rider who works hard for her teammates, it's great to see her take some glory for herself. It's Bredewold's 13th professional victory, and her 6th at World Tour level, though it's her first spring classics victory - and a home victory at that. One to celebrate, for sure, and a huge confidence boost for the team heading into the next two big races in the Ardennes.

Lorena Wiebes wins the sprint from the bunch, punching the air to celebrate the team victory, with Alison Jackson coming in just after her.

Bredewold holds on to take the win - arguably the biggest of her career so far. Ellen van Dijk wins the sprint from the chase group for second place and Puck Pieterse finishes third.

Pieterse leads the chase with Labous and van Dijk in her wheel - Persico is dropped for now - but Bredewold still has a decent gap - with her time-trialing prowess, it might be enough.

This is nail-biting stuff. Behind, Labous is closing - she has Bredewold in her sights - van Dijk hangs onto her wheel and Pieterse catches them. Bredewold still has a gap as they reach the top of the climb.

Here we go! The final ascent of the Cauberg begins. 1.2 kilometres for these two strong riders to try and hold off the climbing talent that is chasing them down.

Bredewold attacks and drops van Dijk - she's got a big gap and this could well be a race-winning move.

Behind, Labous leads but that was a huge attack from Bredewold.

This is fascinating stuff. The leading duo of van Dijk and Bredewold have a slender 7 second gap currently - will it be enough? Behind, the trio of Pieterse, Persico and Labous have stabilised the gap and hold the pair of time trial specialists at under ten seconds, with one ascent of the Cauberg set to decide the outcome of this race.

Behind, the gap to the rest is 1:10 - this race will come down to these five riders.

Jackson strikes out from the chasing group and finds some space, though Lorena Wiebes is on her case.

Van Dijk goes again and this time she too finds space, and Bredewold is able to follow - the tables have turned, and it's rouleurs versus climbers - how much of a gap will these two need, to hold off the trio of climbers on the Cauberg?

As expected Ellen van Dijk cannot leave this to the final climb if she wants to try her luck. She attacks on a flatter section of road but can't find a gap just yet.

Lorena Wiebes leads the chasing group up the Bemelerberg, but as they reach the top of the climb, Marion Bunel attacks. Her teammate Femke de Vries is in fact also in the group with her. The attack is neutralised, and the gap holds at around 50 seconds.

The teammates of those in the lead group are trying to police the pace of any attacks - the next to try her luck is Mareille Meijering (Movistar) but once again, the well-positioned teammates run interference - Brodie Chapman working for Silvia Persico and Anna Henderson for Ellen van Dijk.

The 900 metre climb of the Bemelerberg is the first of the circuit - will any of the stronger climbers in the group use this to hit out or will they wait for the Cauberg?

Bredewold and van Dijk are able to use the flat section of the course to their advantage to cross to the three leaders, offering SD Worx and Lidl-Trek some hope - neither of them were able to hang on though, last time the road rose, and it seems as though unless they strike out on the flat sections they may be dropped once again once the final set of climbs begin.

The final ascent of the Cauberg comes just 2 kilometers from the finish line, so there's not much time to catch up for any riders who can't handle the pace.

The leading group is powerful and determined and will be very hard to catch from here. Mischa Bredewold and Ellen van Dijk chase on together in a pair around 20-30 seconds behind them, but the rest of the leading group is already 42 seconds behind our leading trio. From having the race within their grasp, Team SD Worx-ProTime will be ruing their luck just a few kilometres later.

A third rider has fought her way across to the leading duo, Silvia Persico. Like Pieterse, Persico has been a prominent off-road rider in the past, though she opted out of the most recent cyclocross season, despite having ridden well in 2023. This is a quality leading trio, and the win here would be huge for every single one of them.

Heading on to the descent, Puck Pieterse strikes out again, looking to find a gap - and she does - for now. Van Dijk is back with her, as is Juliette Labous, Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ), and Bredewold, but as Pieterse attacks once again, Vas is dropped.

Let's not forget that Pieterse won a stage of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift on this terrain.

Pieterse and Labous are able to find distance on the rest - we have a leading duo.

Behind in the chasing pack, Elisa Longo Borghini, Marianne Vos and a few more look at one another as they head up the climb - they won't be able to make much impact on the gap if they don't make a move soon.

At the front, Bredewold attacks for Team SD Worx - the race is this team's to lose, with three riders and various ways to win, regardless of the scenario.

EF Education-Oatly take over the chase in the peloton.