Philippe Gilbert wins Amstel Gold Race for fourth time
By Andy Charles
Last Updated: 17/04/17 11:31am
Philippe Gilbert is a four-time winner of the Amstel Gold Race after beating Team Sky's Michal Kwiatkowski in a two-man sprint finish.
Gilbert, who previously won the race in 2010, 2011 and 2014, looked to have been swamped by Kwiatkowski when the Pole swept into the lead 400m from the finish line in Berg en Terblijt.
But the 34-year-old, riding for Quick-Step Floors, was able to find a second sprint to pass Kwiatkowski 100m from the line before looking over at his rival and raising four fingers in celebration.
Gilbert, the reigning Belgian road race champion, has been in superb form in 2017 having previously won the Tour of Flanders while finishing second in E3 Harelbeke and Dwars Door Vlaanderen.
The pair had broken clear of the rest of the break inside the closing 7km, with Orica-Scott rider Michael Albasini proving best of that group, finishing in third some 10 seconds adrift.
Kwiatkowski's team-mate Sergio Luis Henao, who was in the original break, finished in sixth place.
Only Dutchman Jan Raas has won the race more times than Gilbert, having scored in four successive years from 1977 before claiming a fifth title in 1982.
Earlier, Lizzie Deignan had finished second in the women's race behind Boels Dolman team-mate Anna van der Breggen.
Deignan was 55 seconds adrift of Van Der Breggen, who launched a race-winning attack with 7km remaining.
Final result after 261km:
1 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors 6h 33m 55s
2 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky same time
3 Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica-Scott +10s
4 Nathan Haas (Aus) Dimension Data same time
5 Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spa) Movistar st
6 Sergio Luis Henao (Col) Team Sky st
7 Ion Izagirre (Spa) Bahrain-Merida +14
8 Michael Gogl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo +1:10
9 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida +1:11
10 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb same time
