Welcome to our coverage of the latest UCI WorldTour one-day race, the undulating Amstel Gold – the biggest annual race on the Dutch cycling calendar.

Gilbert led the chase of Freire but faded in the closing stages. Peter Sagan looked like he was going to take the victory as the Spaniard was caught in the final 100m but Gasparotto, the former Italian champion who rides for Astana, came around the other side to win ahead of Jelle Vanendert (Lotto-Belisol) with the Slovak third.

ENRICO GASPAROTTO TAKES A SHOCK VICTORY!

Gilbert is leading the charge, tracked by Iglinsky. They catch Terpstra...now just Freire.

1200m of climbing to come. Freire from Terpstra and then a bunch of around 35 riders.

Niki Terpstra has a dig, just before the foot of the Cauberg. He can see Freire.

Triple world champion Freire has an advantage of 12 seconds.

Maybe around 40 riders in the main bunch on the run-in to the Cauberg. Now Oscar Freire tries to get a jump on the group before the final climb.

Bardet's brave solo bid comes to an end as Thomas Voeckler hits the front, tracked by Sagan.

Boasson Hagen caught on the Keutenberg as Greg Van Avermaet continues to set the pace with Gilbert on his wheel. Bardet leads the race on his own.

Sagan and Valverde amongst those waiting to pounce as they sit behind Gilbert as Edvald Boasson Hagen goes off alone on the approach to the Keutenberg.

BMC on the front on the Fromberg as Robert Gesink is dropped. Bardet and Howes are a mere 15 seconds ahead. This one will explode on the final two climbs.

Sanchez is trying to work his way back up to the group on the Eyserbosweg. None of the leading contenders were prepared to make a move on that climb. The peloton is around 50 strong.

BMC at the front on the Kruisberg with Greg Van Avermaet and Gilbert in his wheel, tracked by Gerrans. Bardet and Howes still hanging out in front as riders drop off the back of the bunch as the speed cranks up. Those riders include Samuel Sanchez and Jurgen Van den Broeck.

Maxim Iglinsky was part of a speculative counter-attack that was soon reeled back in by the very large peloton. Bardet and Howes have left the remnants of the escape group on the Gulperberg. Meanwhile Wout Poels has abandoned.

Kreder and Delfosse have rejoined the leaders after losing contact on the Loorberg climb. The six remaining ascents are the Gulperberg - 700m with average gradient of 8.1%; Kruisberg - 800m @ 7.5%; Eyserbosweg - 1100m @ 8.1%; Fromberg - 1600m @ 4%; Keutenberg - 700m @ 9.4; Cauberg - 1200m @ 5.8m

The escape group has split. Barder, Bilbao, Howes and Stortoni remain out ahead but their lead is down to 1:30.

Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) won Brabantse Pijl on Wednesday with a gutsy solo attack. Can he follow Gilbert's example with a Brabantse-Amstel double? 2:25 is the gap to the nine leaders as they commence climb number 24, the 800m Wolfsberg.

Jurgen Van den Broeck crashed on climb number 23, the Bemelerberg. The Belgian has been helped back into the bunch by two team-mates. But Matti Breschel has also abandoned. The leaders have three minutes advantage over the peloton.

Simon Gerrans (GreenEdge) was third behind Gilbert and Rodriguez in 2011 and is having the best year of his career with wins in the Tour Down Under and Milan-San Remo.

On the final loop now with all the favourites poised. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) was second last year and was the bookies' favourite after winning an undulating stage in Tirreno-Adriatico and two stages in the Tour of the Basque Country.