Amstel Gold Race preview

The professional cycling calendar reaches its relentless peak in spring, with a heady mix of early-season stage races and the infamous cobbled Classics forming two principle components of  a packed programme of compelling races. The missing piece of the jigsaw until this point of the season has been a series of hilly one-day races – Classics for the men who will contest the biggest prizes in cycling when the Grand Tours come around.

Enter Ardennes Week: three gruelling one-day races that will bring the best from the men of the mountains. The Amstel Gold Race, held in the rolling Limburg region of Holland and containing a leg-sapping 34 climbs in a debilitating 250km parcours will kick things off on Sunday (April 20).

We’ve taken a detailed look at the course and contenders for our in-depth preview, in which we consider the prospects of five riders who will bid to cross the finish line at the summit of the 900m Cauberg with their arms in the air.

And if you’re not planning a trip this weekend to the Netherlands and are uncertain when and where you can watch the action unfold, then fear not – simply follow this link to our television guide.