Amstel Gold Race
- Six routes from 65 to 240 km, start and finish in Valkenburg
- On Sunday, on the Cauberg to watch the pros
- Bike Division support and refreshments on the course
What to expect
The beer Classic. Since 1966 the Amstel Gold Race has brought the pros to the hills of Limburg, in the south of the Netherlands. It is the race that opens Ardennes week, which continues with Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and it reaches its 61st edition.
A region that lives for cycling. It is the only Classic named after a beer, and that is the spirit of the weekend: more than 250,000 people along the roads, flags, music and a whole region that lives for cycling for two days.
On Saturday, it's your turn to ride. The Amstel Gold Race Sportive starts and finishes in Valkenburg, with around 15,000 riders from all over Europe. Choose from six routes, from 65 to 240 km, and set off whenever you like within your start window: it is a sportive, with no timing and no rankings. At the finish, live music and a cold beer are waiting for you.
On Sunday, the pros on the Cauberg. You head back to the Cauberg with the staff, this time at the roadside, to follow the professional race. If someone travelling with you does not ride, they can come along as a companion.
With you, the Bike Division staff. A mechanic and a ride guide look after you throughout your stay: on Friday they take you on a recce of some sections of the course, on Saturday they wait for you at a support and refreshment point along the sportive. Entries to the Sportive are capped and normal registration goes through a ballot: with the VIP race number, which you can add to your package, your place is guaranteed and you get access to the VIP pavilion.
Moments from the holiday
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Your days on the bike
Your days on the bike
Day 1Arrival and recceFriday 16 April
Arrival at the hotel and check-in, with the mechanic on hand to set up your bike. Recce ride over some sections of the course, with a Bike Division guide and the support van.
In the evening, welcome briefing with the staff and handover of the VIP race numbers. Dinner and evening at leisure.
Day 2The sportiveSaturday 17 April
Breakfast and a final bike check with the mechanic. Then you ride to the start in Valkenburg, a few kilometres from the hotel, for the Amstel Gold Race Sportive on the distance you have chosen. After the finish, party in the finish village and ride back to the hotel. Dinner and evening at leisure.
The routes: 65 km and about 600 m of climbing, with the Geulhemmerberg and Cauberg, start between 8.30 and 11.00; 100 km and about 920 m, with the Fromberg and Cauberg, start between 8.00 and 11.00; 125 km and about 1,135 m, with the Sweikhuizerberg and Cauberg, start between 7.30 and 11.00; 150 km and about 1,920 m, with the Vaalserberg, Keutenberg and Cauberg, start between 7.00 and 11.00; 200 km and about 1,990 m, with the Eyserbosweg, Keutenberg and Cauberg, start between 6.30 and 9.00; 240 km and about 2,715 m, with all of these climbs, start between 6.30 and 9.00.
Day 3The prosSunday 18 April
Breakfast at the hotel, then onto the Cauberg with the staff to follow the professional race.
Day 4DepartureMonday 19 April
Check-out and journey home.
Routes, climbing and start windows are set by the organisers and may change.
Where you stay
- Breakfast included
A 4-star hotel a few kilometres from Valkenburg, where the Sportive starts and finishes: on Saturday you ride to the start and pedal back to the hotel afterwards. Breakfast is included.
What's included
- 3 nights at the Hotel Amrath 4★, with breakfast
- Support, mechanic and ride guide throughout your stay
- Recce ride over some sections of the course on Friday
- Escort to the start of Saturday's sportive
- Bike Division mechanical support and refreshment point on the sportive course
- Escort to the Cauberg on Sunday to watch the pros
- Bike Division gilet made by Alé
- Medical and baggage insurance
- Guaranteed VIP race number, no ballot: we handle your entry and our staff hand you your race number and race pack. It includes access to the VIP pavilion, with a buffet breakfast before the start, supervised bike park, reserved showers and changing rooms, pasta party after the finish, group photo and an event souvenir
- Carbon road bike hire, for the whole stay
- Hard bike case hire to fly with your own bike, shipping not included
- Bike Division cycling shorts by Alé, to match the gilet
- Return flight
- Transfers to and from the airport, quoted only once the group is confirmed. The airports are not close to Maastricht, so a hire car is often the most convenient option
- Travel cancellation insurance, which covers you if a certified emergency stops you from travelling
- Single room
- Entry to the sportive, unless you choose the VIP race number
- Flight and transfers to and from the airport
- Lunches and dinners
- Tourist tax, payable locally
- Anything not listed as included
Riders who have travelled with us
Io e mio marito abbiamo fatto svariati viaggi con Bike Division: New York, Londra, Marbella, Gran Canaria, Marche, Fiandre… e ne faremo ancora. Organizzazione sempre al top. Viaggi e soggiorni ben preparati, percorsi per i ciclisti con guide professionali e con meccanici top e rifornimenti a seguito, programma per accompagnatrici e accompagnatori sempre diverso. Il tutto perfettamente orchestrato da tutto lo staff, capitanato dal campione Andrea Tonti e da Michela Matteucci. La gentilezza e la massima disponibilità non mancano mai. Grazie Bike Division
Bike Division is a professional cycling trip organizer and operator. My friends and I have traveled with them for over 6 years every year and they surpass our expectations both in the cycling planning and routes as well as in delivering excellence in service. They carefully plan the journeys, select the hotels and have staff to support the trip like excellent mechanics and masseurs. Great job Bike Division!
Appena rientrati dal Cammino Portoghese fino a Santiago… e ancora pieni di entusiasmo. Dopo la splendida esperienza in Marocco, abbiamo scelto di nuovo Bike Division e si sono confermati una garanzia. Abbiamo attraversato luoghi meravigliosi, godendoci ogni tappa.
How to book your place
If you need to cancel
If you need to cancel, the penalties depend on how long before departure you cancel and are set out in the travel contract. We recommend cancellation insurance, which you can add when you confirm.
Get all the details
We'll send you the holiday brochure with the package, programme and prices by email and WhatsApp.
Before you go
How do I book a trip?
Fill in the quote request on the trip page, or message or call us: within 24 working hours we send you the full proposal. To confirm your place you pay a deposit, usually 30% of the price, together with the full cost of flights and cancellation insurance, if you chose them. The balance is due by the date in your travel contract, normally one month before departure.
What does the price include? Is the flight included?
The price covers everything you find in the trip programme. Every holiday always includes:
- accommodation
- Bike Division Tour Leader and guides
- daily bike tours with support van and refreshments (snacks, drinks and fruit)
- mechanic and Italian staff always with you
- daily laundry for your cycling kit
- personalised Bike Division jersey
- basic medical and baggage insurance
Meal plan, airport transfer and a Tour Leader for non-riders vary from trip to trip. The flight is usually not included, so you can leave from wherever and whenever you like: book it yourself or let us do it.
How fit do I need to be?
Each trip shows the distance and climbing of the routes, so you can see straight away if it suits you. On some trips you can choose between two groups every morning, and you can almost always ride an e-bike too. If in doubt, tell us how you ride: we will advise you.
I'm travelling alone: will I find company?
Yes, and sooner than you think: we ride as a group and spend the days together. If you want a room to yourself you can ask for a single, with a supplement; otherwise we find you a roommate. Many friendships among our riders started this way.
Can I bring someone who doesn't ride?
Of course. On many trips non-riders have their own programme, with a dedicated Tour Leader: the trip page tells you if it is available.
Can I bring my own bike? Which bikes can I hire?
As you prefer: bring your own or hire one. If you fly with your bike you need a bike case: if you don't have one, we ship one of our hard cases to your home. If you hire, your bike is ready at the hotel: good-quality bikes suited to the trip. The model depends on availability and on your measurements, which is why we always ask for your height and measurements: so we can prepare the right bike for you.
Can I join with an e-bike?
Yes, on most trips: the trip page says so. If you fly in, the e-bike has to be hired locally, because airlines do not allow them on board.
What happens if I have to cancel?
Cancellation terms vary from trip to trip and the exact dates are in your contract: if you cancel by those dates you get a partial refund; after that the price is no longer refundable. Flights, insurance policies and bike hire are never refundable.
To travel with peace of mind we recommend cancellation insurance. It is optional and you request it when you confirm the trip. If a certified unforeseen event stops you from leaving, the policy refunds the price in your travel contract, minus the cost of the policy and the excess. Cases, limits and exclusions are those in the policy document, which we can send you whenever you like.
