Roubaix champ Sagan confirmed for Amstel Gold
After winning Paris-Roubaix, Peter Sagan rolls on at the hilly Amstel Gold Race in the Netherlands.
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Paris-Roubaix winner Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) won’t have much time to admire his cobblestone trophy because he’s off to start Amstel Gold Race Sunday.
Officials confirmed to VeloNews Monday that the three-time reigning world champion will race in the Limburg region of the Netherlands, the first of the three hilly spring classics.
Sagan stunned fans and rivals alike in Roubaix with a 50-kilometer attack that culminated with a sprint victory over Silvan Dillier (Ag2r La Mondiale) in the velodrome Sunday. It was the second monument win of his career following Tour of Flanders in 2016.
Sagan has only raced Amstel Gold three times in his career: 2011, 2012, and 2013. In his second outing, he finished third behind Jelle Vanendert and winner Enrico Gasparotto.
However, five years ago, in his last ride at Amstel, the route was different than it will be this year.
Up until 2017, the race finished on the Cauberg climb. Last year, organizers moved the finish to Berg en Terblijt, where Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step) won. The famous Cauberg was still included in the race route, albeit earlier. The 2018 event will also finish near Valkenburg after 260 kilometers.
Jan Raas was the last man to win both Paris-Roubaix and Amstel Gold Race in the same season, in 1982.
Sagan has never won one of the three hilly one-day races — loosely termed “Ardennes classics” — which begin with Amstel Gold, continue with Flèche Wallonne Wednesday, and culminate with Liège-Bastogne-Liège April 22.
He is also expected to race the Amgen Tour of California in May.
Andrew Hood contributed to this report.