Westra is one of the 22 Dutchmen who will be at the start of the Amstel Gold Race. The Astana man hopes that he can sit in the front group in the final and will go to work for leaders Vincenzo Nibali, Borut Bozic and Enrico Gasperotto, who will undoubtedly show their faces. With the recent lack of Dutch success at the race in mind, he will want to come away with the best possible result he can get on the day too.

"I’ll wait and see," said Westra on WielerUpdate.nl about the Gold Race. "I've never really ridden the finale. I've raced well but my main goals come later this year. The finale starts pretty much at the Gulpenerberg of the Cross, and then I hope to have good legs. Two years ago it was around that place that I felt good. Then I hung with the favourites but could not do any more than that.  Hopefully I'm now able to do what I couldn’t then. "

Astana has a potential winner in Vincenzo Nibali in their ranks. " When I look at our team, I see that we have two strong men with us. Nibali, but Jakob Fuglsang is very strong. And when I see myself riding now, I have to use and help these guys.”

The name of Alejandro Valverde is regularly heard when it comes to the favorites for the win, but since last Wednesday Westra has a new favorite. 

"I saw a very strong Philippe Gilbert in the Brabantse Pijl" he said. "He drove a gap to the front, closed them, was caught and still won the sprint. He'll go to Maastricht with confidence. I see Gilbert as the favorite. "

"But Wout Poels is in fantastic form” said Westra about his former teammate. "But we both have never riden a real finale in a great classic , so we are very curious to see what happens. And after all the successes of the past few months, I think the Netherlands will be curious to see how we go in the race"