Italian Cavalli surprises with Amstel Gold Race win

Italy’s Marta Cavalli has won the Amstel Gold Race for women. The FDJ Nouvelle rider placed her attack more than 2 kilometers before the finish, after Annemiek van Vleuten had tried in vain to break away on the Cauberg.

Demi Vollering (SD Worx) sprinted to second place, ahead of Germany’s Liane Lippert (third) and Van Vleuten (fourth).

For the 24-year-old Cavalli, it was her third victory as a cycling professional and by far her most important, she acknowledged in front of the NOS camera. “I have to thank my sports director. During the reconnaissance yesterday we had already discussed that it was the place to attack. When we had crossed the top of the Cauberg he shouted that I had to go. After 500 meters I looked back and saw I thought I had a nice lead,” said the overjoyed Italian.

Active

Van Vleuten had been active early in the race. Her acceleration resulted in a leading group about 60 kilometers before the finish, which eventually consisted of eight riders. Among them are the other top favorite Vollering, the Polish former winner Katarzyna Niewiadoma and Chantal van den Broek-Blaak, who also won the Dutch classic. The apparently interesting group was caught up 40 kilometers before the finish due to lack of cooperation.

In the final phase, the Bemelerberg did not lead to a selection and a fairly large group drove to the foot of the Cauberg, the final climb for the women. Van Vleuten knew she had to make a difference there, but seven women kept her wheel. Of them, Cavalli was on top of the first to attack. The last two flat kilometers she managed to stay ahead, no matter how much Vollerings South African teammate Ashleigh Moolman tried to close the gap. Now the young South Holland rider sprinted to second place, the same ranking as last year when Marianne Vos was just too quick for her.