Amstel Gold Race Men LIVE - Pidcock in four-man group at the front with Van der Poel out of contention behind

We certainly hope you enjoyed that as much as we did! It was a scintillating finish to an enthralling race as Van der Poel couldn't strike again, will he bounce back in Liege-Bastogne-Liege next week though? Make sure you join us and see, but goodbye for now...

Redemption for Pidcock after 2021!!

Tom Pidcock outsprinted Marc Hirschi by inches to win Amstel Gold Race and right the wrongs of 2021 after an enthralling finale without Mathieu van der Poel.

Pidcock found himself in a group of 12 riders off the front of the race with 30km to go made up of 11 teams, which contributed to a disjointed chase from the peloton behind despite the gap to the front never reaching a minute.

Van der Poel wasn’t in that selection though, finding himself isolated when the attacks started flying and refusing to pull the whole bunch back after winning the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in recent weeks.

Pidock eventually went clear with Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates), Tiesj Benoot (Visma Lease a Bike) and Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step) who sacrificed himself in the final kilometre to ensure a top-four finish while out of contention for the win.

Benoot was the first to open his sprint but Pidcock timed his run perfectly, sneaking through on the inside and just about holding off Marc Hirschi to record Ineos-Grenadiers’ first major one-day win of the season.

Here's how the rest of the riders crossed the line:

It was almost a repeat of the women's race as Pidcock posted up a few metres from the line with Hirschi charging hard but Pidcock overhauled Benoot who was the first to open his sprint and just about holds off the Swiss rider to win!!!

No one wants to lead it out, until Benoot attempts to make a long sprint for the finish. Pidcock is at the back of the group.

He's still not made the bridge - and at this stage he'll have no legs left even if he does make it.

Vansevenant was initially dropped by that Pidcock effort but has dragged himself back, while Lapeira remains 10 seconds behind. The cat-and-mouse games have well and truly started.

Lapeira was attempting to bridge across but Pidcock isn't waiting around, he's jumped off the front! Hirschi couldn't hold the wheel but Benoot eventually reels him back and carries the Swiss rider with him.

Whatever happens in the final 5km, there's still time to tune in and catch it on Eurosport and discovery+ too!

So who do you fancy? Vansevenant and Benoot have both been lively up front in splitting the group - as Lapeira jumps behind - but Pidcock and Hirschi will surely be the favourites.

The Brit just rolled across to check the expressions of his colleagues up front while Hirschi has shown in the past that he has the kick to match - and has finally rediscovered his 2020 form this season...

That Bilbao bridge has failed - at least for now - and those four riders continue to lead by 10 seconds now. FDJ are the only team with multiple riders in that second group but neither are driving the chase forwards, while behind EF aren't making any dent into this gap.

This was needed, though it remains to be seen whether it holds. Pidcock has gone and taken Hirschi, Vansevenant and Benoot with him after pulling Bilbao back, the Bahrain-Victorious rider is attempting to bridge across though as the gap to the peloton jumps back up to 37 seconds!

This is absolutely in the balance. Van der Poel has kept his powder dry all day, but there's no teammates to help the chase and he's at the mercy of EF and Lotto's attempts to bring the break back unless he's readying an explosive attack?

Honore has slipped off the front group that's lacking cohesion with the chase still on behind, Ben Healy hits the front of the peloton for EF as they attempt to work back while Pello Bilbao takes the opportunity for a descent attack up front! The Basque rider is a demon downhill, luckily so is Pidcock behind...

He did this in the Tour of Flanders too, as a clutch of riders including Matthews briefly attacked... But now he's working back. The gap is down to 30 seconds just like that!

The distance is ticking down, but the pace has also come out of that front group. Hirschi takes the lead attempting to kick up the tempo once more but there's still no teamwork behind - just Skjelmose taking a flier on his own.

Jayco AlUla, Uno-X Mobility and Israel-Premier Tech are the big teams who've missed out - apart from the obvious. The gap is almost at a minute now but there's no co-ordinated chase in the peloton with so many riders having teammates up front.

Here's the make-up of that front group in full:

Marc Hirschi - UAE Team Emirates

Mikkel Honore - EF Education EasyPost

Tom Pidcock - INEOS Grenadiers

Tiesj Benoot - Visma Lease a Bike

Mauri Vansevenant - Soudal Quick-Step

Roger Adria - Bora-Hansgrohe

Bauke Mollema - Lidl-Trek

Paul Lapeira Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale

Kevin Vauquelin - Akrea B&B Hotels

Valentin Madouas, Quentin Pacher - Groupama-FDJ

Pello Bilbao - Bahrain Victorious

That front group was too big to work together and things split again on the Fromberg - this time Pidcock, Hirschi, Benoot and Mauri Vansevenant are the front quartet. That won't stay for long though...

Wow it's all happening! Benoot, Bilbao and most importantly TOM PIDCOCK have jumped up to the front, they've got a 30-second lead to the peloton.