The Amstel Gold Race - A Historical View.
Sunday's Amstel Gold Race kicks off the second batch of Spring Classics, a trilogy of races held across the Netherlands and Belgium. Here we present a historical perspective on this relatively youthful race.

By Giles Belbin

Sunday's Amstel Gold Race kicks off the second batch of Spring Classics, a trilogy of races held across the Netherlands and Belgium. Here we present an historical perspective on this relatively youthful race.

When compared to the other of cycling's classic races, the Amstel Gold Race, suffers a little. Reasonably young, it's first edition was in 1966, and named not after a town or place or region, but after its sponsor, it can be rather snootily overlooked when cycling fans discuss the great races of our sport. Yet this race has all the ingredients of classic bike races. It has length, difficulty, a indelible relationship with its region and, most of all, a history already rich in intrigue and quality of winners. It is clear that the Amstel Gold Race deserves its seat at the table of top one-day races.

Peloton passing a windmill during the Amstel.  Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti  

The race came to fruition thanks to the imagination of two Dutchmen who ran Inter Sport in the 1960s – Ton Vissers and Herman Krott, and who shared a love of cycling. Vissers, from the city of Rotterdam came into cycling relatively late, then taking positions firstly as a manager of a team of amateurs before going on to manage the team Willem II – Gazelle, who boasted many well known riders amongst their ranks, including Rik Van Looy.

Krott, from Amsterdam, also had links with the cycling world, firstly as a (not particularly successful) rider and then working as an assistant to the Dutch rider Peter Post. He went on to become the team manager of the amateur cycling team representing Amstel Breweries and was extremely successful in bringing amateurs up through the ranks and into professional teams - no less than 60 riders turned professional thanks to Krott, including the 1980 Tour de France winner, Joop Zoetemelk.

Together Vissers and Krott organised a series of races across the Netherlands, 27 in 1966 alone, but these were mainly criteriums and all were of little lasting significance. The two cast covetous glances across the border into Belgium where they saw a multitude of important races, including of course the Ronde de Vlaanderen and Liège-Bastogne-Liège and started to hatch plans to organise their own Dutch classic cycle race.

2008 Podium: Frank Schleck, Damiano Cunego, and Alejandro Valverde
Hazen

With Krott ideally placed to secure sponsorship for their plans he set about convincing the Amstel brewery of the merits of such a race, selling it as a race of “great international allure”. Amstel bought into the idea and in 1966 the race, under the name the Amstel Gold Race, was announced - to be run over 280 kilometres, from Amsterdam to Maastricht, Krott later admitting “I had already cycled the race [route] several times, although nobody knew this at the time”. With sponsorship secured and a race route announced the Amstel Gold Race was up and running. But, as the organisers were soon to realise, the inaugural race's problems were just beginning.

First of all the organisers had announced the length of the race (280 kilometers), the start city (Amsterdam) and the finish city (Maastricht), however, despite Krott's revelation he had already ridden the proposed route, closer inspection revealed that it was not possible to devise a route of that distance between the two cities. There were too many rivers to cross and detours needed. At the very least an alternative starting city had to be found. Utrecht was considered before the organisers settled upon Rotterdam. However, it was then later realised that the route out of Rotterdam would take the racers over the Moerdijk bridge for which no permission had been granted. A quick rethink was necessary and just three weeks before the start of the race the start was finally moved to Breda. At the same time the finish of the race was moved from Maastricht to Meerssen (where it pretty much stayed until the early 1990s).

Unfortunately for the organisers the issues over the route were not the only problems they faced. The race was scheduled for April 30th, in between the two existing Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. April 30th however is also a national holiday in the Netherlands known as Queens Day. The holiday is the largest one-day holiday in the country, celebrating the birth of the Queen of the Netherlands. In the 1960s the Netherlands was going through a period of instability, with a group known as the “Provos” declaring a state of anarchy in the country.

Furthermore, just a month earlier, in March 1966, Princess Beatrix had married a German, Claus von Amsberg, prompting further discontent. Whilst on the surface of it none of this has much to do with the Amstel Gold Race, it was all very bad news for the race's organisers as it made the Dutch authorities very reluctant to grant licenses for any public gatherings for fear of public unrest, particularly ones to be held on such an emotive occasion as Queens Day.

The outlook was bleak and just four days before the race was due to be held Vissers and Krott held a press conference to announce that the race was off due to the absence of a license. Fortunately, amid the downbeat conference a telephone call was received from the authorities declaring that permission had been granted, provided that the race would never again be held on April 30th. The organisers agreed and the race was back on.

That first race from Breda to Meerssen, which was held without major incident, in the end ran for 300 kilometres and was won by Jean Stablinski, a Frenchman, who broke away from a group of 12 riders with his team-mate Bernard Van de Kerckhove and Jan Hugens. When Hugens suffered a mechanical failure the way was clear for Stablinski to take the inaugural victory, and collect winnings of 2,000 guilders and a gold ring. The race was held to be a big success and has been held without interruption ever since.
Five time winner, Jan Raas
Photo courtesy Milan San Remo site

The race route has continued to evolve over the years. The start has moved from Breda to Helmond; then to Heerlen; and then onto Maastricht (where it remains) whilst the finish has moved from Meerssen to Elsloo; back to Meerssen; then to Maastricht; and then, in 2003, to Valkenberg, where it is today.

Whilst the start and finish lines may have moved the route is essentially a series of three loops through the Limburg (also known as Mergelland) region of the Netherlands, each finishing with the ascent of the Cauberg in Valkenberg. The race's finale was moved here in 2003 to give it a different dynamic (it had very much become a sprinter's classic up until that point).

The race is characterised by the many short and steep hills the racers must climb - 31 in total in 2009 - and the narrow, twisty streets the riders have to negotiate. These, coming complete with the many pieces of traffic calming furniture the modern urban scape has, pose unique challenges for the riders. The climbs themselves are also of the type rarely seen outside of this race, the Cauberg for example is a street with hotels, bars and restaurants on either side and is a cacophony of noise on race day (anyone who has been on the Alpe d'Huez during a Tour de France will bear testament to the Dutch's ability to create an awesome atmosphere) as the masses spill out of bars where they have been following the race on TV to cheer on their heroes as they pass.

Despite 2009 only being the 44th edition of the event, the Amstel Gold Race has already given us its fair share of stories, perhaps none more so than in 1973, a story which we must start with the words of the co-organiser, Herman Krott, as quoted on the race's official website.

Eddy Merckx, © John Pierce PhotoSport International

“Merckx [who hadn't started the race for many years prior to 1973] wanted to come in 1973 for a certain fee for his team [Merckx had just won Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège - then the Amstel Gold Race was the final Spring Classic]. I told him he could get the money if he would win. 'Well,' said Eddy, 'make sure you have the money at the finish'.”

Into the race and Merckx, displaying the form that would make 1973 his best ever Classics season (5 victories), put in a fearsome attack, ripping the peloton apart. Only 15 other riders were able to stay with him, including such luminaries as Joop Zoetemelk, Freddy Maertens and Raymond Poulidor. Another rider in the leading group - Hennie Kuiper then attacked, followed by Zoetemelk and then, finally by Merckx. The final selection had been made and the winner would come from this group of three.

As the road again begins to ramp up Merckx again stamps on the pedals and with a final and definitive attack, breaks the other two to finish the race alone, winning by a gap in excess of three minutes, delivering on his promise to the race organisers and, of course, collecting the money he had requested for his team.

"Mr. Amstel Gold", Michael Boogerd got the nick name after finishing on the podium 7 times after winning the race in 199. Here he celebrates his final Tour de France appearance in Paris with cold one of the race sponsor.  Photo © Ben Ross

 Amstel Gold Race Winners
Dutch rider and Classics specialist Jan Raas holds the record for the most victories, a remarkable five taken in 1977 -1980 and 1982. Here is the complete list of Amstel Gold Race winners:

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Daily Peloton.Com Amstel Gold Archives
2008 Ready Reference:
44th Amstel Gold Report & Photos
43rd Amstel Gold - 2008 Results & Photos
43rd Amstel Gold - Teams & Riders

2007 Ready Reference:
42nd Amstel Gold - Team Comments & Photos
42nd Amstel Gold - Report, Results & Photos
CSC's Fränk Schleck Pre Amstel Gold Interview
42nd Amstel Gold - Quickstep/Innergetic Team Preview
42nd Amstel Gold - Astana Team Preview
42nd Amstel Gold - Cofidis Team Preview
An American in Belgium - Part IV - Classics Complete

2006 Ready Reference:
41rst Amstel Gold Live Ticker
41rst Amstel Gold Startlist
Amstel Gold Team and Roster Announcements
41rst Amstel Gold Race Preview Part I
41rst Amstel Gold Race Preview Part II
Amstel Gold Race Website

Previous Amstel Gold:
Amstel Gold Live Report 2005
Amstel Gold Report 2005
Amstel Gold Live Report 2004
Amstel Gold Roundup 2004
Preview 2004  & Start lists
Amstel Big Aim for Rabobank 2004
Who are the Best 20 Classics Riders in History?
Amstel Gold - Live Ticker 2003
Amstel Gold - How to Win
Amstel Gold - Preview 2003
Amstel Gold - Rider News 2003
Amstel Gold -Race Report 2002
Amstel Gold Preview and Full Start List
Amstel Gold ! Nostalgia...