Enrico Gasparotto wins the 2016 Amstel Gold Race

Enrico Gasparotto (Wanty – Groupe Gobert) attacked on the final ascent of the Cauberg and with only Michael Valgren (Tinkoff Team) able to follow the pair worked together for the run to the finish with 2012 winner Gasparotto taking the win, Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani CSF) won the bunch sprint for third place.

Crossing the finish line Enrico Gasparotto paid tribute to former teammate Antoine Demoitié who died following a crash with a motorbike at the Gent-Wevelgem race last month.

“Yesterday, Antoine’s wife came to see us at the hotel and said, ‘Guys, go for it’. It was not easy; it is not easy. I am 34 years old; I have a wife. Every day we think about it. Antoine’s death is so fresh.” said Gasparotto.

How Enrico Gasparotto won the race

Tim Wellens led the peloton on to the final ascent of the Cauberg by by 12 seconds with previous race winners Michal Kwiatkowski and Philippe Gilbert already dropped on previous laps.

With 2.4km to race Gasparotto attacked around the outside of the left hand bend initially followed by Jan Bakelants with Valgren close behind. As the three riders went past Wellens Gasparotto had opened a 20 metre gap to Valgren who passed a fading Bakelants with the peloton now on his wheel. Valgren quickly closed the gap to Gasparotto as the peloton looked at one another to see who was chasing, nobody wanted to chase and momentum was lost, this was the moment that anyone left in the peloton that came here to win lost the race.

With Gasparotto and Valgren up the road the favourites in the peloton watch each other
With Gasparotto and Valgren up the road the favourites in the peloton watch each other

Up the road Valgren recovered from closing down the gap and started working with Enrico Gasparotto and they opened enough of a gap that the peloton could not chase them down, Valgren led all the way from 800 metres to go until Gasparotto went around him with about 150 metres to race. Valgren had no answer to the acceleration and this was the moment Enrico Gasparotto won the 2016 Amstel Gold Race.

While one of the top favourites did not win this years race Gasparotto was certainly no outsider and it was no surprise, he’s won here before and was second at De Brabantse Pijl.

Pre-race favourites Michael Matthews finished 5th and Simon Gerrans was 11th.

Results of the 2016 Amstel Gold Race

Place Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 6:18:02
2 Michael Valgren (Den) Tinkoff Team
3 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:00:04
4 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Direct Energie
5 Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
6 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx – Quick-Step
7 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre – Merida
8 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team
9 Loic Vliegen (Bel) BMC Racing Team
10 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
11 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
12 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff Team
13 Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
14 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
15 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Giant-Alpecin
16 Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
17 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Lampre – Merida
18 Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team
19 Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ
20 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Movistar Team
21 Floris De Tier (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
22 Diego Rosa (Ita) Astana Pro Team
23 Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
24 Jon Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Movistar Team
25 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal
26 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal
27 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) BMC Racing Team
28 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Team Sky
29 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Team Sky
30 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
31 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:00:08
32 Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:00:34
33 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Dimension Data
34 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team
35 Oliver Naesen (Bel) IAM Cycling 0:00:41
36 Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Bardiani CSF
37 Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
38 Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Giant-Alpecin
39 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-GreenEdge
40 Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre – Merida
41 Wouter Poels (Ned) Team Sky
42 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
43 Bob Jungels (Lux) Etixx – Quick-Step
44 Lawrence Warbasse (USA) IAM Cycling
45 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Astana Pro Team
46 Pieter Weening (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
47 Simon Clarke (Aus) Cannondale Pro Cycling
48 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team 0:01:01
49 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
50 Cyril Gautier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
51 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team
52 Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Team Sky
53 Pieter Serry (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:01:36
54 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
55 Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:02:05
56 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data 0:02:07
57 Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica-GreenEdge 0:02:12
58 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:03:20
59 Bertjan Lindeman (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:03:37
60 Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:04:18
61 Jaco Venter (RSA) Dimension Data 0:04:33
62 Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Dimension Data
63 Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Bardiani CSF
64 Mario Jorge Faria Da Costa (Por) Lampre – Merida
65 Aleksei Tcatevich (Rus) Team Katusha
66 Huub Duyn (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
67 Toms Skujins (Lat) Cannondale Pro Cycling
68 Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre – Merida
69 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Tinkoff Team
70 Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Team Katusha
71 Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie
72 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team
73 Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
74 Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Movistar Team
75 Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre – Merida
76 Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) IAM Cycling
77 Paul Martens (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
78 Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky
79 Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ
80 Davide Rebellin (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
81 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
82 Sergei Chernetski (Rus) Team Katusha
83 David Tanner (Aus) IAM Cycling
84 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
85 Tiago Machado (Por) Team Katusha
86 Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team
87 Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale
88 Gianni Meersman (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
89 Michel Kreder (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
90 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Team Katusha
91 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
92 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal
93 Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Orica-GreenEdge
94 Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ
95 Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:05:39
96 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:05:56
97 Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Team Katusha 0:06:19
98 Bjorn Thurau (Ger) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:07:35
99 Matej Mohoric (Slo) Lampre – Merida 0:08:03
100 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
101 Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Team Katusha 0:08:49
102 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
103 Benjamin King (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling
104 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Cannondale Pro Cycling
105 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
106 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
107 Antwan Tolhoek (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
108 Berden De Vries (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
109 Valerio Conti (Ita) Lampre – Merida
110 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Direct Energie
111 Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team
112 Jesper Hansen (Den) Tinkoff Team
113 Daniele Colli (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
114 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team
115 Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
116 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff Team
117 Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:09:11
118 Chad Haga (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:11:24
119 Marinus Cornelis Minnaard (Ned) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:15:49
120 Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:17:16
DNF Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky
DNF Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky
DNF Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky
DNF Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx – Quick-Step
DNF Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
DNF Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Rory Sutherland (Aus) Movistar Team
DNF Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
DNF Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-GreenEdge
DNF Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNF Fredrik Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNF Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Soudal
DNF Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal
DNF Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
DNF Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
DNF Jay Mccarthy (Aus) Tinkoff Team
DNF Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff Team
DNF Yury Trofimov (Rus) Tinkoff Team
DNF Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Laurent Didier (Lux) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Frank Schleck (Lux) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Lars Boom (Ned) Astana Pro Team
DNF Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team
DNF Dario Cataldo (Ita) Astana Pro Team
DNF Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Team Katusha
DNF Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) FDJ
DNF Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) FDJ
DNF Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ
DNF Kévin Reza (Fra) FDJ
DNF William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ
DNF Jerome Coppel (Fra) IAM Cycling
DNF Stef Clement (Ned) IAM Cycling
DNF Sondre Holst Enger (Nor) IAM Cycling
DNF Stefan Denifl (Aut) IAM Cycling
DNF Nathan Brown (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling
DNF Omar Fraile Matarranz (Spa) Dimension Data
DNF Nathan Haas (Aus) Dimension Data
DNF Natnael Berhane (Eri) Dimension Data
DNF Youcef Reguigui (Alg) Dimension Data
DNF Sander Helven (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Jens Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNF Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNF Mark Mcnally (GBr) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Kenny De Haes (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Marco Marcato (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Tony Hurel (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Ryan Anderson (Can) Direct Energie
DNF Josef Cerny (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Adrian Kurek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Leszek Plucinski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Simone Ponzi (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Damiano Cunego (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Grega Bole (Slo) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Giacomo Berlato (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Yuma Koishi (Jpn) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Kazushige Kuboki (Jpn) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Riccardo Stacchiotti (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Nicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF Nicola Ruffoni (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF Luca Sterbini (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF

Race report by TBL – The Bike Lane

Related: 2016 Amstel Gold Race Preview

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