The Amstel Gold Race, one of cycling’s younger Classics, made its debut in 1966. The brainchild of Herman Krott, who managed the Amstel Bier cycling team and fostered talents like Fedor den Hertog, Joop Zoetemelk, Gerrie Knetemann, Gert-Jan Theunisse, and Leo van Vliet, the race was conceived to rival prestigious events like the Tour of Flanders and Milan–San Remo. Though an initial route from Amsterdam to Maastricht proved impractical, the inaugural race was held on Queen’s Day in 1966, starting in Breda and finishing in Meerssen.
The first Amstel winner – Jean Stablinski, pictured with Jacques Anquetil.
The first edition was won by Jean Stablinski, a naturalized French cyclist of Polish origin who was also a former World Champion and a winner of Classics and the Vuelta a España. This victory marked Stablinski’s last major win, and Krott secured a prominent figure to inaugurate the race’s winner’s list. While not a Monument, the Amstel Gold Race boasts an impressive roster of champions, including Eddy Merckx (twice), Gerrie Knetemann (twice), Freddy Maertens, Jan Raas (a record five times), Steven Rooks, Joop Zoetemelk, Jelle Nijdam, Eric Van Lancker, Adrie van der Poel, Frans Maassen, Johan Museeuw, Bjarne Riis, Michael Boogerd, Erik Zabel, Erik Dekker, Michele Bartoli, Alexandre Vinokourov, Davide Rebellin, Fränk Schleck, Philippe Gilbert (four times), Enrico Gasparotto, Mathieu van der Poel, Michał Kwiatkowski, Wout van Aert, and Tadej Pogačar.
Three prominent Dutch cyclists of the 1970s and 1980s: the late Gerrie Knetemann, Jan Raas, and Hennie Kuiper during the 1977 Amstel Gold Race. This was Jan Raas’s first Amstel victory. Knetemann triumphed twice, in 1974 and 1985. Hennie Kuiper never won his home race.
The Netherlands leads with eighteen victories, followed by Belgium with thirteen, and Italy with seven. The last Dutch win was achieved by Mathieu van der Poel in 2019. In 2021, Wout van Aert edged out Tom Pidcock by a millimeter. The following year, Michał Kwiatkowski sprinted to victory against Benoît Cosnefroy, and in 2023, Tadej Pogačar dominated the race with a solo triumph.
Race founder Herman Krott.
Herman Krott passed away in 2010. In 1996, Leo van Vliet took over as race director, overseeing his 29th edition in 2024. This marked Van Vliet’s final tenure as race director, with Flanders Classics assuming organizational duties in 2025 while Van Vliet continued as race director. Krott’s legacy is honored by the Herman Krott Trophy, awarded to the most combative rider.
Philippe Gilbert achieved four victories at the Amstel Gold Race.
Tadej Pogačar, the pre-race favorite for the 2023 Amstel Gold Race, lived up to expectations. His decisive attack on the Keutenberg, 30 kilometers from the finish, distanced Tom Pidcock and Ben Healy, leading to a solo victory. Healy secured second place, with Pidcock holding on for third.
In 2024, Tom Pidcock avenged his narrow 2021 defeat to Wout van Aert. The INEOS Grenadiers rider joined the winning breakaway and secured the sprint ahead of Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) and Tiesj Benoot (Visma | Lease a Bike). The favored World Champion, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), was caught in the peloton and finished 22nd.
The 2025 edition saw a stunning victory by Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) in a thrilling finale. The leading favorite, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates XRG), who had launched a long solo effort, was caught by Skjelmose and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step). Skjelmose then out-sprinted both riders for the win.
English Translation:
The Amstel Gold Race, one of cycling’s younger Classics, made its debut in 1966. Conceived by Herman Krott, who managed the Amstel Bier cycling team and supported riders like Fedor den Hertog, Joop Zoetemelk, Gerrie Knetemann, Gert-Jan Theunisse, and Leo van Vliet, the race aimed to rival prestigious events such as the Tour of Flanders and Milan–San Remo. Although an initial route from Amsterdam to Maastricht proved unworkable, the inaugural race took place on Queen’s Day in 1966, commencing in Breda and concluding in Meerssen.
The first edition was won by Jean Stablinski, a naturalized French cyclist of Polish origin who was also a former World Champion and a victor of Classics and the Vuelta a España. This marked Stablinski’s final major win, and Krott secured a significant figure to launch the race’s winner’s list. While not classified as a Monument, the Amstel Gold Race boasts an impressive list of champions, including Eddy Merckx (twice), Gerrie Knetemann (twice), Freddy Maertens, Jan Raas (a record five times), Steven Rooks, Joop Zoetemelk, Jelle Nijdam, Eric Van Lancker, Adrie van der Poel, Frans Maassen, Johan Museeuw, Bjarne Riis, Michael Boogerd, Erik Zabel, Erik Dekker, Michele Bartoli, Alexandre Vinokourov, Davide Rebellin, Fränk Schleck, Philippe Gilbert (four times), Enrico Gasparotto, Mathieu van der Poel, Michał Kwiatkowski, Wout van Aert, and Tadej Pogačar.
The home nation, the Netherlands, holds the record for the most victories with eighteen, followed by Belgium with thirteen and Italy with seven. The most recent Dutch triumph was by Mathieu van der Poel in 2019. In 2021, Wout van Aert narrowly defeated Tom Pidcock by a millimeter. The following year, Michał Kwiatkowski out-sprinted Benoît Cosnefroy, and last year, Tadej Pogačar dominated the race with a solo victory.
Race founder Krott passed away in 2010. In 1996, Leo van Vliet assumed the role of race director, heading his 29th Amstel race in 2024. This marked Van Vliet’s final term as race director, with Flanders Classics taking over as the new organizer in 2025, though Van Vliet remained race director. Krott’s legacy is commemorated by the Herman Krott Trophy, awarded to the most aggressive rider in the Amstel race.
Tadej Pogačar, the top favorite for the 2023 Amstel Gold Race, lived up to his billing. The Slovenian launched his decisive attack on the Keutenberg, 30 kilometers from the finish, dropping Tom Pidcock and Ben Healy to claim a solo victory. Healy finished second, and Pidcock secured third place.
In 2024, Tom Pidcock avenged his incredibly close loss to Wout van Aert in 2021. The INEOS Grenadiers rider bridged to the winning break and won the sprint against Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) and Tiesj Benoot (Visma | Lease a Bike). The favored World Champion, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), was unable to contend from the peloton, finishing 22nd.
The 2025 edition saw a stunning victory by Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) in a thrilling finale. The top favorite, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates XRG), who had mounted a long solo effort, was caught by the Dane and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step). Skjelmose then proved superior in the sprint against the two prominent riders.