Paula Blasi solos to victory at Amstel Gold Race

Cor Vos

Paula Blasi took her first WorldTour one-day win on Sunday when she soloed to victory at the Amstel Gold Race. The UAE Team ADQ rider followed a move by SD Worx-Protime's Nienke Vinke with 26 km to go, but on the Cauberg, Blasi attacked to ride the final 22 km alone.

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) and Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) finished second and third respectively after attacking the peloton on the final ascent of the Cauberg. They finished 27 seconds behind the winner, with Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco) fourth at the head of a small chase group a further 16 seconds behind.

1. Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ)
2. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) +27
3. Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) st.
4. Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco) +43
5. Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) st.

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How it happened

• It took quite a while for anyone to get any separation from the peloton. Annelies Njssen of Lotto Intermarché eventually got away solo with 144 km to go and was later joined by a group of four, including Heidi Franz of St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93. The five-rider breakaway gained up to two and a half minutes before the peloton started to shut it down.
• By the time the race crossed the Cauberg for the first time with 80 km to go, the advantage for the breakaway was down to only 50 seconds. They were caught 13 km later.
• With each completion of the circuits around Valkenburg, the peloton reduced in size. The attacks were non-stop from top riders like Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal), Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime), and Fleur Moors (Lidl-Trek). Wiebes was dropped with 40 km remaining in the race, hinting that the Dutch team was hoping Anna van der Breggen would be able to pick up her first win of the season, or that Mischa Bredewold could take the win two years in a row.
• Indeed, the former world champion attacked with 35 km to go, bringing with her Niewiadoma-Phinney, Vollering, Sarah Van Dam (Visma-Lease a Bike), and Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly).

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Van der Breggen's attack brought out the big guns.

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