Demi Vollering crushes the Cauberg for first Amstel Gold Race victory

Published April 16, 2023 06:32AM

Demi Vollering (SD Worx) won Amstel Gold Race solo on a grey and grizzly day in the Dutch Limburg region.

Vollering kicked away from a star-studded group of six on the final climb of the Cauberg and time trialed her way to her first victory at her home race.

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) won the sprint for second after she played a crucial role disrupting the chase group that failed to track down her teammate Vollering. Shirin van Anrooij (Trek-Segafredo) took the third step on the podium.

“This is amazing, I can’t quite believe it,” Vollering said at the finish. “We executed the plan so good, I knew I wanted to attack on the top of the Cauberg, and I saw a lot of riders were finished there so I thought this is perfect.”

Victory at the Amstel Gold Race puts Vollering on three wins from six race days for the season and continues a stellar spring where she only once missed the podium.

The 26-year-old took every advantage of a long, misty, windswept day in the Dutch hills Sunday.

“It was a hard race, it was really cold,” she said. “I like cold weather so I kept in mind it was good for me. It was a hard race, I liked it. That it was hard suited me.”

Three separate breakaways came and were reeled back before the race roared into its final circuit around Valkenburg.

Riders from all across the dominant teams tried to burst clear before the make-or-break final climb of the Cauberg, with Kristen Faulkner (Jayco AlUla), Elisa Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM), Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) and Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx) among the many making moves.

Soraya Paladin (Canyon-SRAM) finally broke the deadlock with a stinging attack on the Bemelerberg, just 9km from the finish.

Grace Brown (FDJ Suez) bridged across to make a strong lead pair and the twosome hit the base of the Cauberg with just 10 seconds over the reduced peloton.

A heavyweight bunch of six powered across to the two reeling breakaway chancers, and the explosion of pace saw Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) dropped out the back.

Vollering timed her winning move to perfection, launching a haymaker over the Cauberg summit, just 1600 meters from the line.

Vollering’s teammate Kopecky sat in the chase group of Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance), Riejanne Markus (Jumbo-Visma), Lianne Lippert (Movistar) and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon SRAM) and disrupted the pursuit while the Dutchwoman time trialed her way to victory.

After twice finishing second at the Amstel Gold Race, Vollering took a second to relish her solo victory on home roads before she crossed the line.