Leo van Vliet has been fighting for 'his' Amstel Gold Race for thirty years: 'I'm at my strongest when it comes to bad things'

Exactly thirty years ago, Leo van Vliet (69) faced his first challenge as boss of the Amstel Gold Race. In 1995, he took over from founder Herman Krott and has gone on an annual rollercoaster ever since. From wonderful moments, such as Mathieu van der Poel's spectacular victory in 2019, to disasters he managed as a “street fighter”. “'Don't know, doesn't exist, 'we say in the Westland.”