World champion begins Ardennes Classics with a 34km-long solo attack, before contesting three-up sprint with Remco Evenepoel and winner Mattias Sjkelmose
Sunday 20 April, 2025
Tadej Pogačar made a fine start to his Ardennes Classics campaign, finishing second at the Amstel Gold Race in a three-up photo finish to race winner Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek). In third place was Soudal Quick-Step’s Remco Evenepoel, who led the pursuit of Pogačar when the world champion was on a trademark long-range assault.
With the three coming to the line together, it was Evenepoel who opened up his sprint first, before Pogačar appeared to have come around the Brabantse Pijl winner at the line. However, with his own late burst, Skjelmose surged over their left-hand shoulders to win his first Amstel title in a photo finish. Congratulating the Dane after the line, Pogačar was forced to settle for second place, two years after he and UAE Team Emirates-XRG won this race for the first time.
Speaking to the media, Pogačar reflected on an entertaining battle that saw him ride alone for 34km before contesting the finale as part of a three-strong front group.
Pogačar: “It was a really nice race, it was a really good race from us but in the end, the line was 5m too long and [we accept] second place.
“When me and [Julian] Alaphilippe went, I was hoping that he would stay longer with me together, and that we could go long. But maybe we were too enthusiastic in that first attack and since then, I tried to commit alone. Once Remco [Evenepoel] joined [Mattias] Skjelmose, they were two and in the last 50km it was a really strong headwind, so I couldn’t make the gap bigger. I decided to wait for them and try to beat them in the sprint, but it was a little bit of a gamble.
“I knew that on the climbs they would come closer, so I tried to accelerate always on the top and on the bottom, but at 15km to go, it was a little bit downhill and a super strong headwind. This is where I paid the most for all the efforts before and they could roll through with two, and gain some time there.
“I was expecting [Evenepoel] to be so strong and he showed everybody again that he is in top shape. In the end, Skjelmose was the strongest today in the final sprint.”
As opposed to Pogačar’s usual exploits, the Slovenian went clear of the peloton thanks to the aggression of a rival, with Tudor Pro Cycling’s Julian Alaphilippe making the race’s first big attack at 47.6km to go.
Sporting the rainbow bands of a two-time former world champion, Alaphilippe looked back to form in the Netherlands, with only Pogačar able to hold the Frenchman’s wheel as they rode up the Gulperberg. At the top of the punishing climb, the pair had a 10-second advantage over the peloton, and soon rode in through-and-off routine to extend their gap. In the bunch, the likes of Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Michael Matthews and Mauro Schmid (both Jayco AlUla) looked to go in pursuit, but UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Brandon McNulty rode smartly to follow the wheels.
On the Kruisberg climb that followed, a seated Pogačar attack left Alaphilippe in a world of trouble, with each pedal stroke distancing the Tudor Pro Cycling man further. With a look over his shoulder, Alaphilippe knew that the game was up, and he was soon swallowed by the peloton. At the front, Pogačar was alone and he pressed on in turn, with his gap to the chasing pack standing at 28 seconds with 40km to go.
For the next 10km, as Pogačar settled into his lonely endeavour at the head of the race, Soudal Quick-Step looked to rescue the race in the peloton for Remco Evenepoel, with Ilan Van Wilder burying himself on the front. Following his efforts, Evenepoel looked to capitalise on the Keutenberg, dropping a huge turn of pace that reduced the pack in size and drew out a counter-punch from Mattias Skjelmose.
Once as high as 35 seconds, the gap from the chasers to Pogačar had reduced to 21 seconds by the time the Slovenian began the iconic Cauberg climb for a penultimate time. By this point, Skjelmose and Evenepoel had formed a two-man chasing party behind, with the pair riding strongly to put a dent into the world champion’s advantage. His case was not helped by a howling headwind which stuntered any attempt to extend the gap.
The race was to-and-fro throughout the last 20km, with the gap between Pogačar and the Evevepoel/Skjelmose pairing dangling at just 13 seconds heading into the last lap of racing. The third group on the road, ostensibly the peloton, was never again in contention for the win, but McNulty remained attentive and eventually crossed the line in a credible 11th position. Earlier in the day, the American and his teammates Pavel Sivakov and Felix Großschartner had been instrumental in teeing up Pogačar’s long-range attack.
Over the penultimate climb (Bemelerberg), the gap reduced to single digits for the first time since Pogačar and Alaphilippe had gone on the charge, with the Slovenian soon deciding to sit up and wait for his pursuers. The catch was made at 8.1km to ride, bringing to an end his 34km assault. In turn, the three began to ride as a unit and did so for 5km before the final time up the Cauberg.
On the Cauberg, it was Evenepoel who took control of the pace-setting, with Pogačar and Skjelmose content to decide the day’s victory in a sprint.
Accepting his fate, Evenepoel led out the trio through the final 500m and became the first rider to open up his sprint to the line. At first, it looked as though Pogačar had timed his jump to perfection, before Skjelmose snuck a march on the outside to pick up the biggest win of his career to date.
Amstel Gold Race 2025 result:
- Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) 5:49:58
- Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) s.t
- Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) s.t
