THE HAGUE, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Polish cyclist Michal Kwiatkowski won the Amstel Gold Race for the second time on Sunday after beating French rider Benoit Cosnefroy in a close sprint of two in the streets of Valkenburg.
The two riders broke clear from a select group of favorites shortly after the Cauberg climb at the start of the final round. After more than 254 kilometers Kwiatkowski (Ineos) and Cosnefroy (Ag2r) had to battle for victory and the win was initially awarded to Cosnefroy.
However, a photo-finish revealed that the Pole had put his wheel over the line first and therefore was victorious in the 56th edition of the Dutch cycling classic. The 31-year-old Pole Kwiatkowski, who won the world title in 2014, was already the best in the 2015 Amstel Gold Race.
Belgian Tiesj Benoot (Jumbo-Visma) finished third, ahead of Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix). Wout van Aert, the winner of the previous edition, missed out due to a COVID-19 infection. ■
