2018 Amstel Gold Race

{{Infobox cycling race report

| name = 2018 Amstel Gold Race

| series = 2018 UCI World Tour

| race_no = 16

| season_no = 37

| image = Amstel Gold Race 2018.png

| image_size =

| image_caption =

| date = 15 April 2018

| stages = 1

| distance = 263

| unit = km

| time = 6h 40' 07"

| speed =

| first = Michael Valgren

| first_team = {{UCI team code|AST|2018}}

| first_nat = DEN

| first_color =

| second = Roman Kreuziger

| second_team = {{UCI team code|MTS men|2018}}

| second_nat = CZE

| third = Enrico Gasparotto

| third_team = {{UCI team code|TBM|2018}}

| third_nat = ITA

| previous = 2017

| next = 2019

}}

The 2018 Amstel Gold Race was a road cycling one-day race that took place on 15 April 2018 in the Netherlands. It was the 53rd edition of the Amstel Gold Race and the sixteenth event of the 2018 UCI World Tour.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-announces-2018-road-calendar/ |title=UCI announces 2018 road calendar |access-date=20 October 2017 |work=Cycling News}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.velon.cc/en/news/2017/09/uci-confirm-worldtour-calendar-for-2018 |title=2018 UCI WorldTour calendar unveiled |access-date=20 October 2016 |work=Velon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925133030/http://www.velon.cc/en/news/2017/09/uci-confirm-worldtour-calendar-for-2018 |archive-date=25 September 2017 |url-status=dead }} The race started in Maastricht and finished in Berg en Terblijt, containing 35 categorised climbs, covering a total distance of {{convert|263|km|abbr=off}}.{{cite web|title=Information Men's Race|url=https://www.amstel.nl/amstelgoldrace/wedstrijd/agr-heren-wedstrijd-informatie|website=amstel.nl|publisher=Stichting Amstel Gold Race|access-date=14 April 2018}}{{Dead link|date=July 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

The race was won by Michael Valgren ({{UCI team code|AST|2018}}) in a two-up sprint with {{UCI team code|MTS men|2018}}'s Roman Kreuziger.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/michael-valgren-takes-impressive-victory-amstel-gold-race-2018-376517|title=Michael Valgren takes impressive victory at Amstel Gold Race 2018|work=Cycling Weekly|publisher=Time Inc. UK|date=15 April 2018|access-date=23 April 2018|first=Richard|last=Windsor|archive-date=15 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415180621/http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/michael-valgren-takes-impressive-victory-amstel-gold-race-2018-376517|url-status=dead}} {{UCI team code|TBM|2018}}'s Enrico Gasparotto finished third, two seconds behind the front pair.

Route

The race started on Maastricht's Markt, the city's central market square, and finished in Berg en Terblijt, totaling {{convert|263|km|abbr=off}}.{{cite web|last1=de Neef|first1=Matt|title=Preview: Your guide to the 2018 men's Amstel Gold Race|url=https://cyclingtips.com/2018/04/preview-your-guide-to-the-2018-mens-amstel-gold-race/|website=cyclingtips.com|access-date=14 April 2018|archive-date=12 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412211843/https://cyclingtips.com/2018/04/preview-your-guide-to-the-2018-mens-amstel-gold-race/|url-status=dead}} The route, similar to the 2017 edition, was made up of four sinuous loops centering around Valkenburg in the south of Limburg. Only the final loop, {{convert|16|km|abbr=off}} long, was modified in order to search for more narrow roads. Organisers intended to make the race finale harder for a peloton to control.{{cite web|title=Amstel Gold Race wil met smallere wegen finale spannender maken|url=http://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/324179/amstel-gold-race-past-finale-aan.html|website=wielerflits.nl|access-date=14 April 2018|language=nl|trans-title=Amstel Gold Race wants to make final more exciting with narrow roads}} Maastricht and Valkenburg have been the start and finish locations of the Amstel Gold Race since 1998 and 2003, respectively, and engaged themselves to host the race until 2022.{{cite web|last1=Doup|first1=Nick|title=Amstel Gold Race verlengt samenwerking met Maastricht en Valkenburg|url=http://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/318369/amstel-gold-race-verlengt-samenwerking-met-maastricht-en-valkenburg.html|website=wielerflits.nl|access-date=14 April 2018|language=nl|trans-title=Amstel Gold Race extends cooperation with Maastricht and Valkenburg}}

The route contained 35 categorised hills, usually short but with a varying gradient and coming in quick succession throughout the race. Since 2017, the uphill finish on the Cauberg was abandoned, after it had been the last climb of the race for 14 years. Nonetheless, the Cauberg, the difficult and most iconic passage, was addressed three times during the race. The third crossing of the Cauberg came at {{convert|18|km|abbr=off}} to go and was followed only by the Geulhemmerberg at {{convert|13|km|abbr=off}} and Bemelerberg at {{convert|7|km|abbr=off}} from the finish.

Teams

As the Amstel Gold Race was a UCI World Tour event, all eighteen UCI WorldTeams were invited automatically and obliged to enter a team in the race. Seven UCI Professional Continental teams competed, completing the 25-team peloton.{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/amstel-gold-race-2018/start-list/|title=Amstel Gold Race 2018 - Start List|work=Cyclingnews.com|publisher=Immediate Media Company|access-date=15 April 2018}}

{{cyclingteamlist|ALM|AST|TBM|BMC|BOH|DDD|EFD|team1={{UCI team code|FDJ|2018b}}|KAT|TLJ|LTS|ORS|MOV|QST|SKY|SUN|TFS|UAD|title = UCI WorldTeams|year=2018}}

{{cyclingteamlist|title = UCI Professional Continental teams|year=2018|ABS|ICA|NIP|RNL|SVB|VCC|WGG}}