Remco Evenepoel (26) conquered the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday in Valkenburg, powering past Mattias Skjelmose (25) in a dramatic two-man sprint to claim victory. The Belgian, who finished third last year, seized his chance in the absence of Slovenian champion Tadej Pogacar, taking revenge on the Dane and notching his seventh win of the season—the 74th of his career.
Having been beaten in a sprint by Skjelmose and Pogacar in 2025, Evenepoel, nicknamed the “Little Cannibal,” arrived at the start of the Netherlands’ only classic—celebrating its 60th edition—”motivated and with a bit of thirst for revenge.”
“This is a huge victory in one of my favorite races, just below the five Monuments of cycling. I managed my sprint much better than last year,” celebrated the double Olympic champion from Paris 2024. Perfectly positioned by his Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe teammates, who set a blistering pace early on, Remco never dropped from the front of the peloton over the 257-kilometer route.
The win bodes well for the “Queen of the Classics,” Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where the Belgian will face Tadej Pogacar next Sunday, as well as French phenomenon Paul Seixas.
