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The Amstel Gold Race is Holland’s only UCI ProTour race and although the country is known for its flat open roads, the testing one-day race twists and turns through the countryside in the southern Valkenburg region close to Maastricht before finishing on top of the Cauberg hill that has been used for the UCI World road race Championships.

There are over 30 short climbs along the 250km route and they gradually hurt riders’ legs as the race progresses, meaning only the strongest can win.

The Amstel Gold Race was first organised in 1966 by the legendary Herman Krott who also ran the Amstel Bier professional team. Krott has now retired and former professional rider Leo van Vliet is in charge. He is helping make the race part of one of the most dynamic weekends of competition on the UCI ProTour calendar.

Van Vliet was one of the first organisers to run a cyclosportif ride the day before the men’s professional race, creating a great weekend of cycling in one of the most beautiful parts of Holland.

In 2009 Russia’s Serguei Ivanov from the Katusha team won the race. He broke away with Dutchmen Karsten Kroon and Robert Gesink but beat them both in the battle up the Cauberg climb.

Ivanov will be back in 2010 and other favourites include recent winners Frank Schleck (Saxo Bank) and Damiano Cunego (Lampre).

The Amstel Gold Race will have a special star in 2010 because Lance Armstrong has confirmed he will take part, in what is likely to be the last season of his remarkable career. The 38 year-old Texan went close to winning the Amstel Gold Race in both 1999 and 2001 but was beaten by Michael Boogerd and Erik Dekker. He last rode it in 2003 when he finished eighth.
Watch the Amstel Gold Race live