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.

The winner in 2008, Damiano Cunego, is again in the running. Cunego: "This year I'm going to give my best in the Ardennes and in the Amstel Gold Race," said the experienced Italian Lampre-ISD rider.

Always a lot of pressure on Rabobank in their home race and Robert Gesink is competing, having fully recovered from his broken leg, sustained in a fall in September last year. "I’m aiming to improve on my position from last year." promises the 25-year-old who finished the 2011 race in ninth place, crossing the line 19 seconds behind winner Philippe Gilbert.

The winner of the Amstel Gold Race will get 80 points for the UCI World Tour rankings and a win bonus of €16,000 so no threat to the absent Tom Boonen.

After two hours the average speed was 42 kmh. Radiowhack have come to the front with the leading nine now 13 minutes ahead.

The lead for the nine escapees has now gone out to nine minutes.

Not among the BMC team's eight riders for the 47th edition of the race is Steve Cummings, who learned his left wrist was fractured in a crash during a rainy stage of Vuelta al Pais Vasco on April 6. Chief Medical Officer Max Testa said: "There may be two fractures of different bones. For now, one fracture is confirmed and an additional X-ray is being done to determine how long he is out. We do know he'll start training with a cast on it in the next five days."

They have opened up a lead of 5:45 as they head towards the Cauberg for the first time.

A host of early escape attempts failed but now nine riders have escaped: Romain Bardet (AG2R), Pello Bilbao (Euskaltel), Michel Kreder (Garmin), Alex Howes (Garmin), Steven Caethoven (Accent Jobs), Cedric Pineau (FDJ), Simone Stortoni (Lampre), Sébastien Delfosse (Landbouwkrediet), Delfosse and Eliot Lietar (Topsport Vlaanderen).

Not a great day in Limburg, rain, wind and temperatures of around eight degrees will sort out the men from the boys.

This opening Ardennes Classic has narrow, twisting roads which make a place at the head of the peloton vital and many of the same roads will make up the course for the World Championships in September.

The final and most famous ascent is that of the Cauberg, the 1200m climb is tackled three times by the peloton, with a painful maximum gradient of 13% halfway up and with the summit just 800m from the finish.

The penultimate climb, the Keutenberg, is just 12.3km from the finish and is often a decisive springboard as although it is only 700m long it has an average gradient of 9.4% with certain sections ramping up to 20%.

The group must tackle the first of two passes of the Wolfsberg and Loorberg, just before the 100km mark, before a loop to the south of Vaals. The final 60km lap is where the real action will take place - as nine quick-fire climbs.

So what of the route? The riders left the market square in Maastricht and have travelled in a northern loop taking in Stein and Geleen before now heading back into the heartland of the race.

Whilst the Flanders cobbles favour the strong men, the Ardennes Classics are suited to the punchy climbers and the likes of Joaquim Rodriguez, Peter Sagan, Alejandro Valverde, Simon Gerrans, Samuel Sanchez, Damiano Cunego, Vincenzo Nibali and Tour de France champion Cadel Evans are the race favourites.

He is relatively pessimistic about his chances of completing a hat-trick. He said: "With my current shape I won't be able to follow the best riders. I'll have to anticipate their attacks, but with my name, I won't be allowed freedom. Don't forget, I have not always been winning races. There are many reasons, like changing teams after a mentally and physically though year. It's only human to rebound like this."

The Belgian has won the event in each of the last two years but has yet to win a race this season. The 29-year-old, who also won Fleche Wallonne and Liege–Bastogne–Liege in 2011 to claim all three Ardennes Classics, has been short on form since joining BMC but shown a glimmer of improvement with 12th place in Brabantse Pijl on Wednesday.

Philippe Gilbert is aiming to become just the second cyclist in the 47-year history of the Amstel Gold Race to win the event three times.

All 18 ProTour teams are in attendance plus wildcards Argos-Shimano, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, Landbouwkrediet-Euphony, Team Accent–Willems Veranda’s, Europcar and Farnese Vini.

188 riders have just rolled out of the start in Maastricht for the 256.5km route in the Limburg region that includes 31 climbs.