Amstel Gold Race, Yvon Caër: "the first episode of the Ardennes campaign"
Traditionally, the Amstel Gold Race opens the cycle of the three Ardennes classics. The Arkéa-Samsic team will be based around its leader Warren Barguil. He will be able to rely on a collective .
“I will discover the Amstel Gold Race. I’ve already raced in the U23 category in Ardennes-type events, like Liège-Bastogne-Liege. I know that the distance for professionals is not the same, and the same for the pace in the race. But these types of races are the ones that I like with distance and difficulty. I like hilly races like that, now I also know that it will be a discovery for me but I want to take my marks, gain experience on these competitions for the future”.
“The Amstel Gold Race is the classic that opens the Ardennes triptych, while retaining a little mountain and cobblestone spirit. It is held in the Netherlands and alternates between small roads and larger roads. It is almost a circuit race since the riders take the same places several times, including the famous Cauberg. Warren Barguil made an interesting comeback on the Flèche Brabançonne after a training period in Spain, and is entering a period of objective races on which he has already performed. He is surrounded by a team of climbers and climbers who will be at his service, even if some of them will be able to anticipate his movements and serve as relays later on.”