Mischa Bredewold claims women's Amstel Gold race triumph in front of Dutch fans in first Ardennes Classic

A tough day out in the first of this year’s Ardennes classics ended in jubilation for Team SD Worx-ProTime, as Mischa Bredewold fought her way to a stunning victory after managing to join a successful late breakaway.

The race was ridden full gas all day, beginning with the first attack of the race, which came from Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, riding her first road race of the season for Fenix-Deceuninck. The former world cyclocross champion was one of nine riders who formed an early breakaway group, which opened out a modest gap of around two minutes on the chasing peloton for a while.

One of the pre-race favourites Demi Vollering (FDJ SUEZ) came down in a crash with just over 80 kilometres remaining and though she stayed on her bike, she took no part in the day’s action. The breakaway was caught just after that, as the peloton hit the finishing circuit and began to take on the series of three key climbs that define the race. The group was torn to shreds under the punishing pace of Anna van der Breggen – the Team SD Worx rider later stepping off her bike having worked on the front for her team leaders, to the detriment of many other teams.

With around 50 kilometres left in the race, an elite selection of around 24 moved clear of the rest, and there were notable absences from the group, including Vollering, last year’s winner Marianne Vos and her Visma-Lease A Bike teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, world champion Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx), and UAE Team ADQ’S Elisa Longo Borghini, who won at Brabantse Pijl on Friday. Despite the absence of Kopecky and van der Breggen, Team SD Worx-ProTime were the best represented in the lead group, with European champion Lorena Wiebes, alongside teammates Bredewold and Blanka Vas.

The group stayed together until the penultimate ascent of the Cauberg, where Juliette Labous (FDJ SUEZ) and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) both launched attacks, distancing the rest by the top of the climb. They briefly formed a lead duo, before UAE Team ADQ’s Silvia Persico put in a strong turn to bridge to them, and later on Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) and Bredewold were able to use the flatter sections of road to find their way across to the lead group. Though the strong climbing of Pieterse and Labous had distanced the primary threat of Wiebes, SD Worx were still represented with Bredewold.

After that, it was all about tactics, as van Dijk and Bredewold – both strong rouleurs and time-trial specialists – used the flatter ground to their advantage, while the other three riders would need to take their chances on the climbs. Meanwhile, in the chase group, teammates of the five riders out front worked to disrupt the chase, ensuring the winner would come from among the select quintet of leaders.

With around six kilometres remaining, Van Dijk took her opportunity to attack, and Bredewold was able to go with her. Despite only ever having around eight seconds of an advantage over the chasing trio, the two had space as the final ascent of the Cauberg began, and though Van Dijk dropped back under the strains of the gradient, Bredewold pushed on, holding her gap despite pressure from Labous and Pieterse who tried to close in behind her.

Despite the pressure, the tough day of racing took its toll on the legs of all the riders involved in the finale, and the 24-year-old Dutch native Bredewold was able to go over the top of the climb with some breathing room. With just under two kilometres to ride to the finish line, she dug deep and held off the rest to take her 13th career victory on home soil. Van Dijk won the sprint for second with Pieterse in third to round out an all-Dutch podium.

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