Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition 2023 - Prediction

Saturday, April 16th: Maastricht - Berg & Terblijt (155.8 km)

The Amstel Gold Race Ladies returns for its ninth edition in the Women's WorldTour peloton in the Netherlands-Limburg. The course is a winding and twisting route, known for its valleys and climbs, and the race will be a full-fledged part of the AGR weekend rather than a difficult side event because it has to be. The history of the Amstel Gold Race Ladies dates back to 2001, but due to logistical problems and other reasons, the race was not organized. In 2017, the race returned and was immediately embraced by the peloton. This preview discusses the course, previous editions, and the contenders.

Parcours

The Amstel Gold Race Ladies course consists of a 155.8-kilometer route with 21 climbs, including the Cauberg, Eyserbosweg, Fromberg, and Keutenberg. The race has been extended by almost 30 kilometers to a total length of almost 156 kilometers, in line with the development of women's cycling and the trend of longer races. 

The course has also become more challenging, with three additional climbs, bringing the total to 21, and an elevation gain of 1,700 meters. The race starts with an extra loop towards Sittard-Geleen and from Ubachsberg, the peloton rides towards Simpelveld and Wahlwiller, tackling the Kruisberg, Eyserbosweg, Fromberg, and Keutenberg in succession. The well-known final loop of 18 kilometers with the Geulhemmerberg, Bemelerberg, and Cauberg will now be ridden four times instead of three from 2023 onwards.

Previous editions

In the previous editions of the Amstel Gold Race Ladies, there were many Dutch victories. The first edition in 2001 was won by Debby Mansveld, followed by Leontien van Moorsel in 2002 and Nicole Cooke in 2003. After a break of fourteen years, the race returned in 2017 and was won by Anna van der Breggen. In 2018, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak won the race, followed by Katarzyna Niewiadoma in 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the race was cancelled in 2020. In 2021, Marianne Vos won, and last year Martha Cavalli won ahead of Demi Vollering and Lianne Lippert.