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World champion Kwiatkowski wins cycling Amstel Gold Race

Xinhua, April 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

Polish cyclist Michal Kwiatkowski won the 50th edition of the Dutch World Tour classic Amstel Gold Race on Sunday.

The 24-year-old reigning world champion of the Etixx-Quick-Step team was the strongest in a sprint on the final climb of the Cauberg. Defending champion Philippe Gilbert (BMC) took the initiative, but the Pole fought back and overpowered his rivals to claim the victory.

Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) finished second and Australian Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEdge) came in third. Gilbert, who won the race in 2010, 2011 and 2014, had to settle for the 10th place.

The race over 258 kilometers from Maastricht to Valkenburg in the southern Dutch province of Limburg had an early escape group of six riders, who had a maximum lead of ten minutes, but at around 37 kilometers from the finish all were caught. Another breakaway group also failed and at the start of the final climb of the Cauberg around 60 riders battled for the victory.

Kwiatkowski is the fourth rider to win the AGR as reigning world champion, following Eddy Merckx in 1975, Jan Raas in 1980 and Bernard Hinault in 1981. He is the first Polish rider to win the AGR. Endi