Kwiato edges Amstel thriller

10 Apr 2022

Kwiato edges Amstel thriller

Related riders

Amstel Gold Race: Maastricht › Valkenburg, 254.1km.

Michal Kwiatkowski edged a thrilling edition of the Amstel Gold Race, winning a two-up sprint by the finest of margins. 

Kwiatkowski beat Benoit Cosnefroy in a sprint that required a photo finish to determine the winner, with the AG2R Citreon rider initially being announced as the victor before the decision was official.  

The former world champion had in fact edged past Cosnefroy just before the line to win the team's first Amstel Gold title in dramatic fashion after a superb team performance.  
Ben Turner setting a tough pace

Ben Turner setting a tough pace

The Grenadiers had led from the front for the whole race, keeping the early break in check throughout the initial phases with Luke Rowe and Laurens de Plus working hard in the peloton. 

This helped position the team in key technical sections, allowing Ben Turner to attack and setup the decisive move. Turner pushed the pace on the Kruisberg to reduce the peloton significantly, before Kwiatkowski accelerated on the Keutenberg climb to create an elite lead group which also contained Tom Pidcock. 

This group quickly amassed a strong lead over the rest, with numerous accelerations failing to succeed. This was until Kwiatkowski escaped with 20 kilometres remaining. 

The chase group were unwilling to co-ordinate a chase, so Cosnefroy bridged to the Grenadier in the closing kilometres, with the pair managing to stay away and decide the race in a dramatic sprint finish. 
null

Reaction

Michal Kwiatkowski

“It was a very tough finish and sprint, I was super confident I could win, but the last 50 metres were super tough as I think Cosnefroy was still accelerating when I was by the side of him. For me it was all about the win because Tom was in the front group - it was all about winning this race as I was in the front move. 

“In the attack, Cosnefroy did most of the work as I was sure with Tom in the group we could win the race in different ways and it wasn’t up to me to maintain the gap. I was only there to win the race.”

“It was very confusing after the race, I was super sad in the first place, as today was all about the win. I learned from last year that you have to wait for the euphoria!"  

“I love this race. I’ve had a lot of bad luck getting COVID and flu, being sick and unable to follow my race programme, so to be here and win Amstel Gold Race is is an incredible feeling. I’ve proved to myself that I have to be patient and sooner or later the victory will come and I will be able to perform. It was difficult to get back on track but here I am.”