📸 The women’s Amstel Gold Race halts for safety for 75 minutes: from cuddling dogs to casual chats, but mainly sympathy for the motorcyclist!

The women's Amstel Gold Race, ultimately won in a dramatic finish by Marianne Vos, was initially a 157.6-kilometer event but was abruptly stopped after 45 kilometers due to an incident. A motorcycle officer was rushed to the hospital, accompanied by a significant police and medical presence on the scene. Post-race, it was reported that the officer was doing well, and several riders shared their thoughts on the incident.

The riders ended up sitting on the ground from 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM until the decision was made to ride to Valkenburg without racing and complete three local laps to decide the race. From the reactions afterward, it was evident that the riders were deeply concerned about the injured motorcyclist. "It was a very strange race with an unusual turn of events. That applies to everyone. I understand why the organizers had to step in. The accident was quite severe, so hopefully, the motorcyclist is doing well. It was definitely a shock. We obviously need to respect the situation," said European champion Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime), for example.

"Everything is relative, we are just playing a game": riders reflect on the motorcycle accident and the neutralization

Demi Vollering, who ended up working hard for Lorena Wiebes, remarked that the race turned into something unexpected. "Once we restarted, I honestly didn't think much about it. At that moment, the race isn't the priority. You just hope that everyone involved is okay. Switching gears is all you can do. But I was a bit confused about my eating and the meal plan I had prepared. We had been stopped, but I really had no idea how long. I thought: I have no idea what my carb intake per hour is now, but I just kept eating."

Eva van Agt, racing for Visma | Lease a Bike, was the team member who made the cut in the offensive on behalf of that team. "Hopefully the motorcyclist is doing well. That's what matters most. At the end of the day, we're just playing a game and a human life is obviously far more important," she also expressed her sympathy. "I think the organizers handled it well. Suddenly, three laps seem very few, haha! For example, missing a climb like the Keutenberg meant everyone was still quite fresh, which made it extra hectic. It almost turned into a kind of criterium. But again, that's all relatively speaking."

Bredewold, Vollering, Van Agt, and Van Dijk express their sympathy

IDLProCycling.com also spoke with Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek), who, in addition to evaluating the race, also commented on the incident at the beginning of the day. "It's really terrible for the motorcyclist. I really hope he's doing well. They told us quite quickly that it was going to take a while. What did I do in the meantime? At one point, I was a bit cold and put on a jacket. But mostly, I spent an hour chatting with other ladies."

As a result of the sad event and the 75 minutes of downtime, the ladies were seen engaging in a variety of activities. Some casually ate a sandwich, others played with their cheerful four-legged friends.

Photos: Women's Amstel Gold Race neutralized

Youri van den Berg (Twitter: @YourivndnBerg)