photo credits @ E3 Saxo Classic
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) put in a stunning performance in today’s E3 Saxo Classic, after the Dutch rider managed to hold off the chase during the last kilometer, crossing the finish ahead of Per Strand Hagenes (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) by a mere four-seconds to seize a solo victory.
Race Highlights
It took quite a bit of racing before a small group of riders containing Bastien Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ), Nickolas Zukowsky (Pinarello Q36.5), Michiel Lambrecht (Flanders-Baloise), Stan Dewulf (Decathlon CMA CGM), Luke Durbridge (Jayco-AlUla) and Sven Erik Bystrøm (Uno-X Mobility) finally managed to escape the peloton.
From there, the sextet built up a modest advantage of around three minutes over the chase, while Henri-François Renard-Haquin (Picnic PostNL), Sean Flynn (Picnic PostNL) and Vojtěch Kmínek (Burgos Burpellet BH) tried in earnest to bridge their way to the escapees.
However, Timo Kielich (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Daan Hoole (Decathlon CMA CGM) later caught up with Renard-Haquin, Flynn and Kmínek on the Karnemelkbeekstraat with 94 kilometers to go.
Back in the main field, Tim Van Dijke (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) decided to attack on the Taaienberg with around 70 kilometers remaining, a move that was closely marked by Van der Poel.
With 45 kilometers still left, after catching the remnants of the day’s breakaway, Van der Poel jettisoned Van Dijke and went solo on the Paterberg.
Meanwhile, a late formation of riders tried to hunt the Dutchman down, steadily reducing his lead. Indeed, with just a few kilometers remaining, the prospects of reining in Van der Poel seemed very likely.
However, despite nearly reeling him in with just under one kilometer to go, Van der Poel surged again, maintaining enough of an impetus to remain outside of the clutches of the chase and score his third consecutive victory in the early-season cobbled race.
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