It will be a bright and early start for Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank in Valkenburg, Netherlands, when they roll to the line of the first of three Ardennes Classics – Amstel Gold Ladies Edition.
“Amstel Gold is the first of the Ardennes Classics, and it’s a race that I know the whole team is looking forward to,” said Australian Sarah Gigante, who has delivered top performances since Trofeo Alfredo Binda. “We have a strong mix of strengths on the team, and we are also feeling confident in our communication and cohesion, which have been improving building every race so far. The course is a hilly circuit, and I’m sure it will lead to an aggressive and brutal race – our favourite. I’m excited to see what Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank can do.”
Racing starts at 8:30 a.m. CEST. Amstel Gold will be available to watch live on GCN + for European and Asian-Pacific audiences and Flobikes for U.S. Canada and Australian fans starting at 11:05 a.m. CEST (2:05 a.m. PST).
Photo/Twila Muzzi
Held in the Limburg province, the one-day Women’s WorldTour race starts in Valkenburg and traverses over 17 biting climbs, including the Geulhemmerberg, Bemelerberg and the famous Cauberg, before concluding in Berg en Terblijt.
The course is new for this year’s edition, circling seven laps of a grueling 17-kilometre circuit that features little to no respite for the peloton. The weather will be partly cloudy with a high of 58 degrees (14 Celsius) and low winds.
Roster
Sarah Gigante
Kristen Faulkner
Eva Buurman
Nina Kessler
Emily Newsom