Deceuninck-QuickStep take flush hand into Amstel Gold Race
Deceuninck-QuickStep will once again head into a weekend Classic with a stacked hand on Sunday at Amstel Gold Race, where the Belgian team will ride in support of Julian Alaphilippe and four-time winner Philippe Gilbert in search of the team's 10th one-day race win this year.
Alaphilippe has had a phenomenal season so far with eight wins, including Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo. Gilbert, who won Amstel previously in 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2017, has two wins so far this year, including Paris-Roubaix last week.
“We come here with two leaders," said Deceuninck-QuickStep director Geert Van Bondt, "Julian, who tested his legs on Wednesday at Brabantse, and Philippe, who skipped the race to recover after Paris-Roubaix and feels good, so we can look to Amstel with confidence."
Alaphilippe and Gilbert will be backed in the 265.7km race by a proven Classics roster that includes Rémi Cavagna, Dries Devenyns, Mikkel Honoré, Pieter Serry and Petr Vakoc.
The Dutch Amstel Gold Course course, which features a day of narrow and twisting roads, is peppered with 35 climbs, including the Cauberg, Kruisberg and Bemelerberg. The last climb of the day tops out 7.3km from the finish line.
"Dries and Pieter have a deep knowledge of the parcours and will play an important role supporting our two guys, together with Rémi, Mikkel and Petr," Van Bondt said. “There won’t be too much wind on Sunday, and the temperatures will be nice, and that will make for a very fast race, which means we have to stay focused at all times.”
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