Tom Dumoulin will be the new race director of the Amstel Gold Race. The 2017 Giro d’Italia winner will take over the reins from Leo van Vliet after the 60th edition of the Dutch classic on Sunday, April 19. Like founder Herman Krott, Van Vliet has been the driving force behind the Amstel Gold Race for 30 editions.
At a meeting in café In den Ouden Vogelstruys on the Vrijthof in Maastricht, the place where the idea for an international cycling race was born in 1965, Dumoulin was introduced as the new race director. Next spring, Dumoulin will work alongside Van Vliet before succeeding him from 2027 onward.
Leo van Vliet took over from founder Herman Krott in 1996 and became a defining figure within the organization of the Amstel Gold Race. Under his leadership, the race further developed into a fixed fixture on the international cycling calendar and an indispensable part of the UCI WorldTour. Moreover, Van Vliet was instrumental in launching the highly successful Amstel Gold Race Tour version and was the driving force behind adding a women’s race to the Amstel Gold Race weekend.
“The 60th edition in 2026 feels like the right moment for me to pass the baton to a new generation,” said the now 70-year-old Van Vliet,
Tom Dumoulin in his last Amstel Gold Race as a rider in 2022. Photo: Fotoburo Cor Vos
While Krott chose Van Vliet as his successor in 1995, Van Vliet has selected Tom Dumoulin. With the former professional cyclist, the organization has deliberately chosen a successor who appeals internationally, has a strong profile, and possesses a deep connection to Limburg and the Amstel Gold Race.
Future race director Tom Dumoulin reacted with gratitude to his appointment: “The Amstel Gold Race has personally and athletically meant a great deal to me. Being entrusted from 2027 to further lead this race, following in the footsteps of Herman Krott and Leo van Vliet, feels like a great honor and responsibility. I look forward to working with the team to build on the rich tradition of this unique classic.”
Leo van Vliet, Tadej Pogacar, and Mauro Gianetti before the start of the Amstel Gold Race. Photo: Raymond Kerckhoffs
The organization expressed its great appreciation for Leo van Vliet’s decades of dedication at the gathering and emphasized confidence in a successful future under Dumoulin’s leadership.
Tomas Van Den Spiegel, CEO of Flanders Classics: “Since 2025, Flanders Classics has been actively involved in organizing the Amstel Gold Race, meaning we have worked closely with Leo over the past years. Through this cooperation, we have witnessed firsthand how deeply Leo has stamped his mark on this spring classic and with what passion he does so.”
“We intend to respectfully build on the foundations Leo has laid over the years. Heineken and we see Tom Dumoulin, a local with a big heart for the Amstel Gold Race, as the ideal successor with whom we can – following Leo and Herman Krott – develop a new long-term vision.”
