Amstel Gold Race

A well-timed attack gives Kreuziger all the edge he needs to win the Ardennes opener

Sport directors think the revised Amstel course may trigger more aggressive racing

World champion takes good sensation out of Brabantse Pijl and enjoys non-favorite status for Ardennes opener

Slovak champion targets victory on the Cauberg after missing out at the Amstel Gold Race one year ago

Spanish team has one of the deepest squads entering the trio of races, starting with Sunday's Amstel Gold Race

Updates to the course for the 48th Amstel Gold Race will likely introduce a more hectic finale on Sunday

More than any others, these seven climbs hold the key to glory in the hilly classics set to open Sunday in Maastricht, Netherlands

Italian continues training after confrontation with driver and says he'll be ready for Sunday's Ardennes opener

IAM Cycling rider hit by car in training, suffers open fracture of left index finger

Garmin-Sharp is building toward the first grand tour of the season, which starts May 4 in Naples

Backed by the addition of Vincenzo Nibali, Astana could be the team to beat in the upcoming classics races

Peter Sagan points to Philippe Gilbert as top favorite for Sunday's Amstel Gold Race, but isn't discounting his status

Peter Sagan had all the answers on Wednesday at Brabantse Pijl, leaving many rivals wondering how to test him in the Ardennes

After winning the road race at the 2012 world championships, Philippe Gilbert has yet to win a race this season

Young American said riding on a different bike with different shoes and cleats is partly to blame

Simon Gerrans' victory in the opening stage at the Basque Country tour buoys his confidence ahead of the spring classics

Organizers of the hilly Dutch classic announced a new course on Wednesday that sees the Cauberg climb four times

Legendary images by famed Dutch photographer Cor Vos, from the pages of VeloNews Magazine

Italian U23 Flanders champ has already made starts in two major classics in his neo-pro season

Garmin neo-pro and former U.S. under-23 champ plays protagonist twice in a week at Brabantse Pijl and Amstel Gold Race

Disappointing day for RadioShack-Nissan at Amstel Gold Race, but Fränk Schleck looked ahead to Liège with confidence

It's a matter of when, not if, the young Slovak earns his first classics win

Philippe Gilbert won’t be repeating his historic 2011 Ardennes treble, but he takes confidence out of his performance at Amstel Gold Race

Enrico Gasparotto started the Amstel Gold Race as a long shot, but took the win to prove his third-place finish in 2010 was no fluke.

Spaniard Óscar Freire figures all he needed was another 100 meters and he might have pulled the cat out of the Amstel Gold Race hat.

Freire escapes late, but Gasparotto pushes the favorites aside on the Cauberg to open Ardennes week

Evans is still hoping to be in top shape to defend his title at the Tour de Romandiedespite pulling out of Amstel Gold Race with a cold

1. Enrico GASPAROTTO, Astana in 6:32:35 2. Jelle VANENDERT, Lotto-Belisol, at s.t. 3. Peter SAGAN, Liquigas-Cannondale, at s.t.

Andrew Hood runs down the chances of the four Spanish favorites for the Ardennes classics

The two-time world champion Italian drove the 2012 worlds course and expects a four or five-man group to punch up a sprint for the rainbow stripes in September

Tour champ pledges allegiance to Belgian teammates for the hilly classics

Ardennes week is here. Get the rundown on the favorites, the route and the underlying stories for Sunday's Amstel Gold Race

In an exclusive video interview from BrakeThrough Media, Greg Van Avermaet talks about being pleased with his aggressive ride at Brabantse Pijl and one of his top goals for the year, Amstel Gold Race

Canadian levels on a quiet spring and being patient ahead of the hilly classics and a run at the Giro overall

Vanendert learning to race at the front; Nuyens out of Turkey; Rabo protects six in Ardennes; Kroon gunning for Amstel Gold

Three-time world champ hopes to cap strong spring campaign with a win atop the Cauberg on Sunday

Amstel, Liège are top goals for GreenEdge sensation

Defending champion says he doesn't expect to be in the front, but feels no pressure from BMC Racing brass

Two top favorites suffer hard crashes at Brabantse Pijl

Cobbled classics king will skip Ardennes opener with foot pain

Virus wiped out the early season for 2009 Liège winner

Vandendert: 'Without Gilbert, it's a world of difference'; Dutch police strike threatens Amstel Gold Race; Devolder eyes Tour classification

Preliminary startlist for the 2012 Amstel Gold Race

Previous winners of the Amstel Gold Race

Paris-Nice and Amstel Gold Race announced four additional teams for each race

Editor’s note: Every week through the 2011 road season, VeloNews editor-at-large John Wilcockson is writing about key features of the week’s racing. This 10th installment focuses on the career of rider of the week Philippe Gilbert.

Stuart O’Grady was probably watching Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race from the comfort of his couch, but he wasn’t surprised to see teammate Andy Schleck on the attack late in the race.

Philippe Gilbert won't say he's the best classic rider — but he will say he's the most complete one.

Quick Results

• 1. Philippe Gilbert (BEL), Omega Pharma-Lotto, 6:30:44
• 2. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (ESP), Katusha, at 0:02
• 3. Simon Gerrans (AUS), Sky, at 0:04
• 4. Jakob Fuglsang (DEN), Leopard Trek, at 0:05
• 5. Alexandr Kolobnev (RUS), Katusha, at 0:05

VILT, Netherlands (VN) — Philippe Gilbert left no doubt Sunday on the Cauberg, launching a violent attack midway up the climb to claim his second Amstel Gold Race in a row. The win was the third consecutive hilly classic for the Omega Pharma-Lotto rider, who cemented his position as king of the Ardennes.

VILT, Netherlands (VN) – Greg Van Avermaet carried the hopes of BMC Racing into the Amstel Gold Race Sunday.

VILT, Netherlands (VN) – Fabian Cancellara (Leopard-Trek) started the Amstel Gold Race Sunday with a big weight off his shoulders.

VILT, Netherlands (VN) – Last week big Swiss Grégory Rast earned the most important result of his career at Paris-Roubaix. On Sunday the RadioShack classics man was headed for a six-week vacation after stepping off the Amstel Gold Race course at the end of the first lap.

Check out Brian Holcombe's author page.

A quadricep injury will keep Cadel Evans from starting Sunday's Amstel Gold Race, but the former world champion said his recovery is going well and he remains on track to focus on the Tour de France, BMC reported on Thursday.

Philippe Gilbert is one of the smartest, strongest and nicest guys in today’s peloton. And those qualities were neatly reflected in the way he took the victory in Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race. He brilliantly exploited all the resources of his admittedly weak team then stamped his authority on the race.

Ryder Hesjedal takes confidence from his strong second-place finish at the Amstel Gold Race.

2010 Amstel Gold Race results

Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) shoots away from an elite group to win the Amstel Gold Race.

Start List: Amstel Gold Race, 2010

Carlos Sastre (Cervélo) and Bradley Wiggins (Sky) are among several riders to have pulled out of Sunday’s edition of the Amstel Gold Race after encountering problems getting flights to the Netherlands.

Amstel Gold Race: Previous winners

Of all the major classics, the Amstel Gold Race is the most difficult to predict — and one of the hardest to win. Only three riders have won the Dutch classic more than once: Eddy Merckx (of course), who took it twice in the 1970s, and the Dutchmen Gerrie Knetemann (1974 and 1985) and Jan Raas, who had five wins in six starts between 1977 and 1982. But all those successes happened long before the Amstel became a truly international classic.

Hot off second place at the Vuelta al País Vasco behind Chris Horner (RadioShack), Valverde says he’s in shape to have a good run through the Ardennes.

Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) has been one of the enigmas of the 2010 season.

Fabian Cancellara, winner of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, has pulled out of Sunday's Amstel Gold Race, saying he won't compete again until next month's Amgen Tour of California.

Horner, Valverde lead teams for Amstel

Roman Kreuziger and Vicenzo Nibali will lead Liquigas into the Ardennes classics, with Franco Pellizotti joining for Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

It’s another busy week in Europe, highlighted by the Vuelta a Castilla y León in northern Spain and the Amstel Gold Race in the Limburg region of Holland.

David Millar says he’ll leave Paris-Roubaix to the experts. The Garmin-Transitions captain got his first real taste of the Hell of the North, but made a mid-course revelation that he’s not cut out for the punishing march across the cobblestones.

Horner wins Basque Tour

Saxo Bank’s Frank Schleck did not start Thursday’s fourth stage at the Vuelta al País Vasco, but the former Amstel Gold Race champion is expected to race the Ardennes classics later this month.