The 2025 Amstel Gold Race Women unfolded with all the unpredictability and layered team dynamics that define the Ardennes Classics. What began as a seemingly typical edition, under clear skies in Maastricht, turned into a strategic masterclass from SD Worx-Protime — and a brutal misfire for the race favourites. Ultimately, Mischa Bredewold capitalised with a perfectly timed move, soloing to the biggest win of her career.
This year’s Amstel Gold Race Women returned to its full route after the 2024 edition was truncated due to a course incident. At 157.4km, it featured the traditional mix of narrow lanes, short, sharp climbs, and a four-lap finishing circuit around Valkenburg, with the Cauberg as its centrepiece.
Early breakaway sets the tone
The opening kilometres were tense, with several riders testing their legs. The first major attack came on the Maasberg, roughly 30km in, with Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck) lighting the fuse. She was joined by a group including Solbjørk Minke, Gladys Verhulst, Marine Allione, Manon de Boer, Vera Tieleman, Maud Rijnbeek, Allison Mrugal, and Nadia Quagliotto.
This move established a lead of around two minutes, but they were never truly let off the leash. By the time the peloton reached the local laps, the break was pulled back, and the race reset on the first of four circuits featuring the Cauberg, Geulhemmerberg, and Bemelerberg.
Photo Credit: Cor VosThe favourites are caught out
It was on the second ascent of the Cauberg, around 55km to go, that things blew open. A large group surged clear — including Mischa Bredewold, Kata Blanka Vas, Lorena Wiebes, Ellen van Dijk, Juliette Labous, Puck Pieterse, Silvia Persico, Anna Henderson, Marion Bunel, Femke de Vries, and others.
Notably absent? The headline favourites: Lotte Kopecky, Demi Vollering, Marianne Vos, and Elisa Longo Borghini. Kopecky later admitted she had the legs to be there but missed the moment, as SD Worx-Protime found themselves in the enviable position of having three riders up the road. With every major team represented, there was no concerted chase — only hesitation in the bunch.
“It wasn’t up to us to ride,” Kopecky later explained. “We had numbers in front. The gap got big quickly. Everyone started looking at each other.”
Despite some half-hearted efforts from FDJ-SUEZ and EF Education-Oatly, the peloton never made significant inroads. By the final lap, the leading group had a near two-minute advantage. The race for the win was all but sealed.
Late fireworks on the climbs
Juliette Labous launched the first big attack from the lead group on the penultimate ascent of the Cauberg, with Pieterse and Persico following. While Bredewold was momentarily distanced, she made her way back alongside Ellen van Dijk, forming a new leading five-rider group.
On the approach to the Cauberg for the final time, Van Dijk jumped clear with Bredewold in pursuit. “Ellen was the perfect companion,” Bredewold said. “I just thought: now it’s all or nothing.”
With a slender advantage of around eight seconds, they hit the Cauberg. It was there that Bredewold made her decisive move, riding Van Dijk off her wheel. Behind, Labous and Pieterse chased hard but couldn’t close the gap. Bredewold crested the climb alone and held her nerve on the run-in to Berg en Terblijt, sealing her first major Classic by seven seconds.
Behind, Van Dijk won the sprint for second ahead of Pieterse, completing an all-Dutch podium. Wiebes won the sprint behind for sixth.
Photo Credit: GettyReactions: relief, redemption, and surprise
Mischa Bredewold was stunned after the race — and visibly emotional. “I didn’t expect this at all. I had a really tough week mentally. After Brabantse Pijl, I doubted myself a lot. But the team got me through. It’s so hard to win races — I think people forget that. Today everything finally came together.”
She also admitted she was reluctant to make the decisive move herself. “I was scared to attack. I was hoping for a sprint, but when Ellen went, I just followed. I hate the Cauberg, but I didn’t look at the numbers — just full gas. This means the world to me. This is Amstel — in the Netherlands! A fucking dream.”
Lotte Kopecky, who finished 34th, was philosophical despite missing the winning move. “We got caught out, plain and simple. Every top team had someone in front, so in the peloton everyone was looking at each other. I could’ve been there myself. But I’m happy for the team, and Mischa took her chance. That’s what matters.”
Ellen van Dijk, second on the day, also spoke of a tough week following a disappointing Paris-Roubaix. “I really didn’t expect this. I’m not made for short steep climbs, but I raced with my head today. I was close — and that’s something to take forward into Liège.”
Puck Pieterse, third, reflected on a strong debut. “I didn’t know what to expect, but I love races like this. No one wanted to take Wiebes to the line, so we had to go all in. When Mischa attacked, I thought, ‘There goes my win.’ But I’m proud of this. She didn’t steal it — she was the strongest.”
Marianne Vos, 22nd, summed up the sentiment from the chasing favourites. “A big, strong group went clear on the Bemelerberg and we weren’t there. With Femke and Marion up the road, we were gambling a bit. In the end, Bredewold deserved it. She was simply the strongest.”
Photo Credit: ANP2025 Amstel Gold Race Women result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
