Robert Gesink finished 23rd in the Amstel Gold Race today in the Netherlands. Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s front man saved his energy for the final time up the Cauberg climb, but was unable to place well in the sprint of 47 riders. Enrico Gasparotto (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) won.

The final Cauberg climb decided the Amstel Gold Race. Gasparotto and Michael Valgren (Tinkoff) forced the decisive gap. Behind them, a small group of riders sprinted for the third place, with Gesink and Wilco Kelderman fighting for their best.

“When you look at the small number of riders that sprinted for the victory, you know that it was a tough race,” Sports Director Merijn Zeeman. “The race was controlled from the beginning, so that made it a knock-out.”

Five in the final

Team LottoNL-Jumbo counted five riders just before the knock-out fight and tried to take the initiative. Bert-Jan Lindeman, Enrico Battaglin and Sep Vanmarcke attacked.

“We wanted to force something ahead of the final,” Zeeman continued. “We are playing at the highest level, though, so when one team made a move, the others reacted immediately. Our men didn’t get enough space and the group was too big for Robert and Wilco to sprint to a good result. We delivered a strong team performance ending up with five riders in front, but we didn’t grab the result we aimed for.”

‘The best I could do’

“It was a very hectic race,” Gesink said. “When you see Tim Wellens’s [Lotto-Soudal] move, you see that it’s very hard to stay in front after an attack before the Cauberg. I wanted to ride aggressively myself, but I know that my energy fades away quickly, so we decided to wait. The other men stayed alert and tried to escape in the right moments. I gambled for the final climb. It was all I could today.”

Kelderman finished 30th, right behind Gesink. “The rain made it extra hard,” Kelderman said. “It was cold. The guys were strong in front during the final, but not me. I didn’t deliver a strong final and I was in bad position during the sprint. I’m not satisfied.”

Vanmarcke debuted in the Amstel Gold Race and supported his team-mates until the final climb of the Cauberg. “I thought that I wouldn’t be able to make it until the end,” the Belgian explained. “I had a cold this week and I wasn’t able to breathe perfectly. I made it through the rain and I felt that I was going to be able to survive the Cauberg, but when I was riding through the wind in the final, my strength faded. I brought Robert to the foot of the Cauberg and that was the end of my race.”