Amstel Gold Race “where we belong”

The demanding course of the Amstel Gold Race allowed Team Mayenne Monbana My Pie to showcase themselves this Sunday. Kiara Lylyk and Natalie Quinn were active at the front of the race, while Karolina Perekitko finished in a second peloton, crossing the line as the third rider from a ProTeam.

The Dutch Limburg region is dotted with short, steep climbs—exactly what was on the menu for the Amstel Gold Race, where Team Mayenne Monbana My Pie lined up. Building on a positive Brabantse Pijl, the French ProTeam arrived with optimism. The early breakaway was made up of five riders, including Canadian Kiara Lylyk. Natalie Quinn launched a counter-attack but was unable to bridge across. Behind them, the group built around Karolina Perekitko worked well together, with Léa Rondel, Marine Allione, and Alice Coutinho contributing. The Polish rider Perekitko, already visible in Belgium on Friday, made it into a second peloton where she finished 43rd. A result, in a race of this level, that confirms both her potential and strong current form.

Karolina Perekitko, 43rd : “The race was demanding from the start. We worked very well together. It was intense all day. A race like this leaves no room for error, and the peloton felt like a constant washing machine. With two laps to go, everything split on the Cauberg, where I didn’t start the climb in the first positions. We take this as a lesson and stay positive for the upcoming races. The team spirit is high, we’re all motivated, which is very encouraging.”

Damien Pommereau, sports director : “The Amstel is a beautiful race, one of the toughest, with nearly 160 kilometers. Like last year, we managed to place a rider in the day’s breakaway of five, with Kiara. We almost had a second one, as Natalie attacked behind, but alone she came within 15 seconds and couldn’t make the junction, despite Kiara not contributing at the start—the others didn’t wait. Later on, the peloton accelerated sharply on a tricky section of roads before the first passage on the finish line. We ended up with a group of around 70 riders, including Karo, Marine, and Kiara, who had been caught by then. She quickly dropped on the final circuit, and the race split into several groups with two laps to go. Karo found herself in what became the second peloton in the finale, which sprinted for 31st place. In a WorldTour race of this level, we are where we belong—especially since Karo is not a classics specialist and struggles to stay well positioned before the climbs. After the Brabantse Pijl, she’s showing she’s in good form. That’s promising for the two Walloon races”.

Next race : La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday. See you on the Mur de Huy!

Results :

43 - Karolina Perekitko

65 - Marine Allione

79 - Alice Coutinho