Friday, March 22, 2024 at 2:25 PM
Overview The E3 Saxo Classic has started, meaning the first duel between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert on the road in 2024 has finally begun. You can follow the course of the race via our WielerFlits Liveblog, here you can read what you have missed so far and which important passages will follow!
Don’t miss anything from the E3 Saxo Classic? click here for the WielerFlits Liveblog!
What did you miss?
– For the fashion police: Mathieu van der Poel went to the hairdresser this week and lost his mat! He also announced that he would like to race and take initiative himself.
– Visma’s ambitions | Lease a Bike are clear. The team wants to win the E3 Saxo Classic, with whoever. Wout van Aert is the leader, although he is also realistic following his altitude training.
– Jasper De Buyst does not start the classics period completely fit, following he became ill following Paris-Nice. Yet he wants to show himself in the service of Arnaud De Lie.
– The official starting shot sounded in Harelbeke at 11.45 am.
– There was an immediate crash in the first 10 kilometers, including Dylan van Baarle and Alberto Bettiol. Visma | Lease a Bike saw Per Strand give up Hagenes.
– The first hour of racing went at over 51 km/h and a breakaway group did not get away.
– After 60 kilometers a leading group broke away with Emil Herzog, Lorenzo Milesi and Jannik Steimle. They had seven riders following them, who joined 125 kilometers before the finish. The peloton gave the ten people space towards the hill zone.
– The leaders crossed La Houppe and the Kanarieberg with a lead of more than four minutes. At that stage it also started to rain during the race.
– The favorites opened the final on the Traaienberg (81.3 km). Jasper Stuyven accelerated first. His attack was countered by an unleashed Van der Poel, who put Mads Pedersen, Van Aert and Stuyven, among others, within regarding twenty meters. Van der Poel then continued for a while, but then allowed himself to be caught up once more.
– After the Traaiberg there was a battle for the pendulum, for example on the Boigneberg. Van der Poel and Pedersen in particular were very active. Visma | Lease a Bike always helped or corrected the situation. Furthermore, Biniam Girmay, among others, also had a good time.
– Oier Lazkano decided to continue on the Stationsberg, but was countered by – once once more – unleashed Van der Poel. The world champion drove everyone out of the wheel, except Van Aert. The Belgian had to make every effort, but he stuck with it. The rest might connect once more, but the value relationships were clear.
– Van Aert crashed on the Paterberg. He wanted to go to Van der Poel’s wheel, but slipped away. Of course, the world champion didn’t wait and blazed up the slope. His lead at the top was immediately large. Van Aert got back on the bike almost immediately, but of course lost a lot of time.
– Before the Oude Kwaremont, Van Aert was able to rejoin the chasing group. He let Jorgenson set the pace on the first half of the Kwaremont, and then moved on himself. Van der Poel’s lead was 26 seconds at the top of the slope.
– Van der Poel lost some ground in the kilometers following the Oude Kwaremont, his lead was even halved, but held his ground on the Karnemelkbeekstraat. At the top, Van Aert was 16 seconds behind. Afterwards the Belgian lost ground once more, it became clear that Van der Poel was going to win.
What else is coming?
After the climbs of the Paterberg and the Oude Kwaremont, only the Tiegemberg. From there, twenty relatively flat kilometers lead to the arrival town of Harelbeke.
E3-COL Karnemelkbeekstraat
What time? between 3:35 PM and 4:05 PM
How far? 33.3 kilometers to the finish
Tiegemberg
What time? between 3:50 PM and 4:25 PM
How far? 21 kilometers to the finish
Finish
What time? Between 4:15 PM and 4:55 PM