SD Works started Sunday's Amstel Gold Race with the peloton's strongest six-woman team, with riders capable of handling any possible scenario during the 128.5km race.

At the foot of the Cauberg, the Dutch team looked well-prepared for their fifth win of the season and their first home race victory in four years. Demi Vollering and Ashley Moolman-Pasio were in the lead group of seven on the final climb of the day.

Overall winner Annemiek van Fruten (Movistar) launched an attack that triggered an elite move, but it was Marta Cavalli (FDJ-Nouvelle-Axitaine-Futuroscope) who made the decisive attack on the climb, in Berg-en-Telbricht She took a solo victory.

After the finish, Voerling, who was four seconds behind Cavalli in second place, said she would have rather finished second for the second year in a row than miss the podium.

"Last year I was really happy with second place, and now I feel a little disappointed. But second place is definitely better than not being on the podium." But second place is always better than not being on the podium."

"I think it was a really, really great win for Cavalli. She was the strongest today, so it was a really good race for her."

Vollering, who finished second in the Omloop Het Niusblad earlier in the spring, said that when Cavalli jumped into the Cauberg, she hesitated to move.

"I think there was a moment when I hesitated to go behind Cavalli myself. I think there was a moment when I was hesitant to go behind Cavalli. I'm happy with my legs, so I'm looking forward to the next time."

Amanda Spratt (BikeExchange-Jayco) and Lierjeanne Marx (Jumbo-Visma) tried to break away, while SD Worx's Chantal van den Broeck-Braak and Blanca Cata Vas also took this risk before the finish. They were chased down, and the team's Swiss champion, Marlen Reusser, countered himself before the decisive move could be made.

Early in the race, with around 60km to go, an elite group including Van Vleuten, Vollaring, and Vandenbrouck jumped to the front and were then pulled back. Vollering later said that with such a strong group, there was little cooperation far from the line.

"In fact, the group was too good. You have to be really careful because this course is really technical."

"On the last lap, I almost made a mistake. But Chantal and Blanca did a really good job to close the gap to the first group. But it was a really hard race. It's always a really hard race here."

The multiple moves, breaks, and attacks that unfolded throughout the race were indicative of the ever-changing nature of the day, with the early break caught in the middle and the lead group barely holding together after that.

The environment made it difficult to execute the team plan, but Reusser agreed when asked after the race about the SD Walks plan.

"I don't know. I really don't know. I'll ask my friend Chantal," she said." Can we talk about our plans?

"It was obvious we needed an early break because the course was so hard. That's why I wanted to include Chantal or Blanca in this break. I think it was a little bit special that on the first really hard climb today, Cassia, Demi and Anne-Mike were already gone.

"So I think it was a pretty special turn of events. We had to change our tactics a little bit, and during the race we just attacked and waited. It was really hard."

Even in Cauberg, the team's plan was not completely clear as they were caught up in Cavalli's moves. Moolman Passio said that he did his best to run to the line for Vollering, but that SD Volks was the strongest team but failed tactically in the final.

"It's definitely a little frustrating because I think we were the strongest team. 'Amstel Gold is always a strange race. Amstel Gold is always a strange race. It's hard, but it's also tactical, so at certain moments things can go completely wrong.

"But in the end we were in a good position. When we went into Cauberg, we went in a little too far back. If I hadn't been at the back, I could have made more of a difference in the attack. I was happy to be there." Just when I thought, "Okay, let's wait for a second or two for the legs to recover," Marta Cavalli attacked.

Mourman Pacio, who missed the win because of this confusion, said that both she and her team were unhappy with the result.

"At the end of the day, maybe we were both a little frustrated," she said. 'Not so much on each other, but on ourselves. I think Demi would have liked to have been in a better position, and at that moment she had to save for the sprint. She is the best sprinter.