With last weekend’s dramatic Paris-Roubaix bringing an end to the cobbled classics season, Amstel Gold signals the beginning of the next phase of Spring - the Ardennes Classics.
The race’s location in the Netherlands might not actually be in the Ardennes, but it forms part of a well-established trilogy with La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. And though the sublime form of Demi Vollering in 2023 and Anna van der Breggen 2017 saw them win all three, each race has its own distinct challenges and characteristics that distinguish it from the others to give it a unique identity and have different riders excel at them.
In the case of Amstel Gold, it’s punchy riders who can handle the constant short climbs, none of which might be especially hard in isolation, but together make this an energy-sapping race.
It’s a beautifully balanced parcours, that can produce everything from solo winners (as was the case last year, when Mischa Bredewold triumphed) or group sprint finishes (as in 2024, for an edition won by Marriane Vos). And, consequently, many riders are in the conversation of potential winners. Here’s who we think stand the best chance.
Contenders
Demi Vollering
Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) has been arguably the rider of 2026 so far, racking up five wins already including the big one at the Tour of Flanders. And ominously for everyone else, the Ardennes are the classics in which she excels at the best – as her record at Amstel Gold attests to, having won here in 2023 after placing second the preceding two editions. It can be a tricky race for her, however. The longer climbs of Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the uphill finish of Mur de Huy that closes Flèche Wallonne present more straightforward tactics, whereas Amstel Gold can be messier and more unpredictable. She’ll have to time her moves correctly, and make one stick, as she’s unlikely to win from a small sprint scenario.
Demi Vollering's formidable form shone at Ronde van Vlaanderen, where she launched a blistering attack on the final climb to ride to solo victory. (Image credit: Getty)
Marianne Vos
Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) was visibly very emotional upon so narrowly missing out on victory at Paris-Roubaix at the weekend, also still having to deal with the raw grief of losing her father recently. Knowing Vos, she’ll be back at Amstel Gold this coming Sunday hungry for the win, and while she fell agonisingly short of victory in the Roubaix velodrome, her performance that day proved he has the form despite having missed so much of the spring. As the only rider to have two Amstel Gold titles to her name, she knows better than anyone how to win this race — nobody will want to have to take her on in a sprint.
After narrowly missing out on a vistory at Roubaix, Vos will be looking to go one better in the Netherlands (Image credit: Getty)
Puck Pieterse
So far Pieterse’s spring campaign has been typical of her career: great displays of strength, consistently high finishes, but no wins to her name. The results have been getting better though, building on her sixth and fifth Strade Bianche and Trofeo Oro in Euro with fourth in Milan-Sanremo, and most recently made the podium at the Tour of Flanders with third. And encouragingly for the Fenix-Premier Tech rider, the Ardennes Classics are probably the ones that suit her the best, especially taking into account last year where she podiumed in all three of them, including registering what was (and remains) only the second win of her career at Flèche Wallonne.
Read more: Planet Puck: Mountains, mud, cobbles, gravel - Pieterse can do it all
Puck Pieterse has shown her attacking instinct on key climbs this season, including her decisive surge over the Poggio at Milan-Sanremo. All eyes will be on the Dutchwoman at her home race (Image credit: SWpix.com)
Lorena Wiebes
There’s very little doubt that Lorena Wiebes could win Amstel Gold if she can be present in a final group, as (notwithstanding the 2024 edition, when she lost out to Vos after celebrating prematurely), she tends to win every sprint she takes part in. The question is: will such a scenario play out, and can she stay in contention over the climbs?
Wiebes’ climbing form is certainly encouraging, staying in contention to make the top six in all of the classics she has finished this spring, while most recently she managed to make the main selection behind the successful escapees at Paris-Roubaix, winning the sprint for sixth. If her SD-Worx team, set to feature defending champion Mischa Bredewold and former winner Anna van der Breggen, rally behind her to try to keep things together for a sprint, she stands a great chance.
Wiebes bounced back with a sixth-place finish at Roubaix following a crash at Flanders (Image credit: Getty)
Franziska Koch
What had already been a breakthrough spring for Franziska Koch (FDJ-United Suez) was elevated to even greater heights on Sunday, when the German managed to claim the much-desired title of Paris-Roubaix. It was an astonishing ride, and one that proves her credentials as one of the best in the world right now. While she had to overcome the superior number of Visma-Lease a Bike in the finale to win that race, Amstel Gold will see her line up as part of what looks the strongest team, with the likes of Vollering and Strade Bianche winner Elise Chabbey also riding for FDJ-Suez. Amstel Gold is a very different race to Paris-Roubaix, requiring punchy climbing rather than the raw power and skill of the cobbles, but her results this spring suggest she can be in the mix here as well if given the freedom to attack by her team.
Koch's Classics form amalgamated in a phenomenal Roubaix win, where she stunned Visma duo Vos and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot in the final sprint (Image credit: Getty)
Read more: 'I realised this crazy race is for me': Roubaix crowns Koch its latest queen
Other contenders
As a former winner from 2019 Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto) is a contender, especially given how strongly she started the season with runner-up finishes at both Omloop Nieuwsblad and Strade Bianche. There are doubts, however, about her fitness, having not raced since crashing out of Milan-Sanremo last month, and in any case will need a hard, selective race to stand a chance of winning.
Strade Bianche winner Elise Chabbey is another who would benefit from a hard race, and could fulfil the role of wildcard animator should her stacked FDJ team wish to race aggressively. Similarly, SD Worx-Pro Time have defending champion Mischa Bredewold as an attacking option, should they not want to rely solely on Lorena Wiebes’ sprint.
Lidl-Trek have multiple options in Shirin Van Anrooij, Lucinda Brand and Niamh Fisher-Black but no clear leader. In terms of form, 20-year-old Fleur Moors could even be their best option having placed second at Gent-Wevelgem, but she’s unproven at this race.
World champion Magdeleine Vallieres rides for EF Education-Oatly seeking her first win in the rainbow stripes, but the fast finish of her teammate Noemi Rüegg might be their best option, especially considering how well she climbed the Poggio to take second at Milan-Sanremo. And finally Movistar have Cat Ferguson for a fast finish and, if she can find some form, Liane Lippert as an attacking option, while the absence of Elisa Longo Borghini means Italians Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini and Silvia Persico plus Trofeo Alfredo Binda winner Karlijn Swinkels will enjoy some freedom riding for UAE Team Emirates XRG.
Prediction
With such a strong line-up, FDJ United-Suez should be able to animate the race, and prove too hot to handle for the other teams trying to control it. We’re backing them to continue their hot streak, and for Demi Vollering to find a way to break clear from the field and take a second career Amstel Gold title.
