Amstel Gold Race Plans 18km Local Circuit

The Amstel Gold Race didn’t happen last year. Its traditional slot in the calendar was swallowed whole by the emerging Covid-19 crisis, and its rescheduled October 11th date coincided with a resurgence of the disease in the Netherlands.

The rescheduled date is pertinent, because in order to make it happen, the organizers had to plan for holding the race on a short, closed circuit. Those plans were in vain… or not, as luck would have it: this year’s race will use the same closed circuit in order to ensure the race can take place on its scheduled April 18th date.

Interestingly, however, the final nail in last year’s coffin may resurface this year: local authorities mandated that sporting events must be held without an audience, and the race director couldn’t guarantee that local residents would stay indoors. That sounds a bit like throwing in the towel, so perhaps a similar mandate might be met with a little more fight in 2021, but it remains a threat to the race.

Race Director Leo van Vliet said “We are aiming for a race on a course that is easy to close to visitors from outside. There will be no possibility of a VIP village. We approached local residents, holiday parks, hotels, and restaurants along the route last year, and they were very positive and accommodating.” (Ed note: Some copy editing took place in translation.)

So then. Amstel Gold is basically a criterium on a closed circuit this year.

Both Men’s and Women’s editions of the 2021 Amstel Gold Race will* take place on Sunday, April 18.