As it happened - Van der Poel leaves the field behind at E3 Saxo Classic

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 2024 E3 Saxo Classic!

Today should be a brilliant race with some incredible riders set to battle it out. 

Of course, the main headline is the first clash between Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Wout Van Aert (Visma-Lease-a-Bike) on the road in 2024.

However, that will not be the only story told at this year's race. An on-form Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) may have something to say. 

Not to mention American superstar and Paris-Nice winner, Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease-a-Bike), giving Van Aert an extra help as he is missing Laporte today. 

The race is 207.6km and takes on some of Flanders' most famous cobbled climbs. Including the Oude Kwaremont, Paterberg and Taaienberg. 

Unsurprisingly, with all these well-known ascents, this race is known as the 'baby Tour of Flanders'... Or 'Mini Ronde van Vlaanderen' if you want to sound local.

But, of course, almost all the headlines have been bossed by Van der Poel and Van Aert locking horns for the first time on the road this season. 

We've gone into the rivalry of these two amazing riders for you to have a read. Just click the link below...

>>> Rivalry without end - Van der Poel and Van Aert's duel sets tone for cobbled Classics

Also, in the news room today... We looked at how altitude training has changed in the last couple of decades and how it has gone from Team Sky's 'marginal gains' to the norm and how Van Aert has been using it to prepare for the Classics... Jst click the link below...

>>> From Team Sky to Wout van Aert - how altitude training revolutionised preparation for the Classics

We are racing in Flanders fr the 2024 E3 Saxo Classic! 

The official start has just been given and the racing can begin. 

Plenty of early moves with 10 riders said to be attacking to form the morning break. 

The early moves are not successful and it is all back together again. 

Further back in the bunch, there has been a crash involving eight riders. No update on who the riders are as of yet. 

The crash involved these riders:

Per Strand Hagenes (Visma-Lease-a-Bike)
Łukasz Owsian (Arkéa-B&B Hotels)
Clément Russo (Groupama-FDJ)
Timo Roosen (DSM-Firmenich-PostNL)
Christophe Noppe (Cofidis)
Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost)
Dimitri Peyskens (Bingoal-WB)

No news on whether they are back riding or not. Big blow of EF as Bettiol has been in incredible form. 

The peloton is still all together with over 15km ridden in this 207.6km race. 

Gives chance to have a look at more stories on our site.

With Christophe Laporte ill, how will defending champion Wout Van Aert perform? Is the European champion integral to the Belgian's success? Or will the rest of the sad, which is extremely strong, step up. Have a read in the link below...

>>> Wout van Aert without Laporte in E3 Saxo Classic title defense

First abandons from the race. That crash sounds like a bad one. 

Per Strand Hagenes (Visma-Lease-a-Bike)
Christoph Noppe (Cofidis)

A real shame for those two riders. Also, sees Van Aert lose a key man as the Norwegian youngster is excellent on the cobbles. 

A solo move has been made by Tobias Lund Andresen (DSM-Firmenich-PostNL) but he hasn't managed to get a gap. 

The likely reason why there wasn't a break was that the peloton sat up after the crash. There was a split but it all cam back together, minus the two riders who have since abandoned. 

We are not far away from the first cobbles of the day. Just 1km, in fact.

The Katteberg is a small flat sector before going onto the asphalt Katteberg climb, that is then immediately followed by the flat cobbles of Holleweg. 

After a couple of undulating climbs it is then the longest cobbled sector of the day on the flat Paddestraat.

The Katteberg is 2.1km of cobbles and as soon as the riders hit the sector a 12 man group get away. 

Will this be the early break of the day?

Break:

Fran Miholjević (Bahrain Victorious)
Marco Haller (Bora-Hansgrohe)
Edvald Boassan Hagen (Decathlon-AG2R)
Jordan Labrosse (Decathlon-AG2R)
Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ)
Julius van den Berg (DSM-Firmenich-PostNL)
Luke Durbridge (Jayco-AlUla)
Jasper De Buyst (Lotto-DSTNY)
Jakob Fuglsang (Israel-Premier Tech)
Rasmus Bøgh Wallin (Uno-X Mobility)
Jelle Vermoote (Bingoal-WB)

That break has also been dragged back into the clutches of the peloton. We are all back together yet again. Two cobbled sectors down and no break has been allowed clear. 

More abandons:

Clement Russo (Groupama-FDJ)
Aleander Krieger (Tudor)

Russo is a very talented Classics rider, so that is a big shame. Hopefully both aren't too badly hurt. 

170km to go

Over 40 minutes into the race and 36km in the legs and there is still no breakaway. 

Onto the Paddestraat. The third cobbled sector of the race. Third of nine cobbled sectors today. 

160km to go

There may not be any riders going out of the front of the peloton, but riders are being distanced. 

Blake Quick (Jayco-AlUla) and Gleb Brussenskiy (Astana) have both been dropped for the moment. 

It is Visma-Lease-a-Bike and Ineos Grenadiers who are leading the way at the front of the peloton. 

Another crash. This time involving four riders. 

We have now been racing for an hour. 

So far, the average speed has been 51.3kph! This has been a rapid start to the day. 

Attack!

Remi Cavagna (Movistar)

The Frenchman goes solo briefly but has no company and is swiftly dragged back again. 

150km to go

With one hour and six minutes on the clock, the race has covered 57km. Quite incredible pace as a quarter of the race is done already. 

Three man break:

Emil Herzog (Bora-Hansgrohe)
Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar)
Jannik Steimle (Q36.5)

They have 20" on the bunch.

A solo chaser of Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) is just 15" behind. 

Now Niklas Märkl (DSM-Firmenich-PostNL) is also trying to bridge as the break appears to be getting a decent gap, finally. 

Quotes from the start today...

Kasper Asgreen (Soudal-QuickStep): 

“It's a hard race and it looks like the final is going to rain so for sure it’s going to be a tough day out there,” Asgreen said going into the day as co-leader with Julian Alaphilippe. 

“Of course, I’m aiming for the win, but I think there’s 180 guys in the bunch aiming for the win." 

When asked about his form, Asgreen added “I definitely feel like it has been on the rise the last few weeks so I hope today is going to be the day where it all comes together.”

Quotes from the start...

Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious): 

“Today’s quite simple. It is: be in the front on the Taaienberg then survive to be in the moves that follow after that, I think it will play out similarly to the last few years,” Wright told Cyclingnews in Harelbeke. 

"Van der Poel and Van Aert will smash it and hopefully, we’ll be in that group and able to play our cards. Ideally there’s both of us (Matej Mohorič and Wright) in a group of say 15 and one can go with one of the Visma riders that make a preemptive attack.”

140km to go

Jannik Steimle (Q36.5) could be a dangerous rider to let go up the road after he won a brilliant edition of the GP de Denain last week from a breakaway where he out-sprinted Bingoal-WB's Ceriel Desal to take the win.

Steimle (Q36)
Herzog (BOH)
Milesi (MOV)

Chase +35":

Le Berre (ARK)
Märkl (DFP)

Peloton +43"

Quite a few riders have joined the chase group. But it does look like we finally have a break!

Steimle (Q36)
Herzog (BOH)
Milesi (MOV)

Chase +50":

Le Berre (ARK)
Märkl (DFP)
Cavagna (MOV)
De Pestel (DAT)
I. Oliveira (UAD)
Abrahamsen (UXM)
Vermoote (BWB)

Peloton +1'42"

130km to go

The chase group aren't closing on the three leaders as of yet. However, the gap to the peloton has now gone over two minutes. 

Race situation... The break has come together and we now have a group of 10 at the front of the race. 

Steimle (Q36)
Herzog (BOH)
Milesi (MOV)
Le Berre (ARK)
Märkl (DFP)
Cavagna (MOV)
De Pestel (DAT)
I. Oliveira (UAD)
Abrahamsen (UXM)
Vermoote (BWB)

Peloton +3'23"

120km to go

Into the second third of the race and the climbs really get going from now. Beginning with La Houppe. 1.9km at an average gradient of 5.1% with a max of over 10%. This is where the race really gets going. 

Fun fact! Emil Herzog in the break is the 5th youngest rider to ever start the E3 Saxo Classic at 19 years and 167 days.

The youngest is currently Josh Tarling who raced for Ineos Grenadiers last year at 19 years and 37 days. 

The heavens have opened! Rain is falling on the riders. Not what you want when trying to ride up cobbled climbs. 

Up next is the Kanarieberg. 1km at an average of 7.9%. A shorter sharper climb. After that it is the cobbled Oude Kruisberg which is 900m at an average of 5.3%.

Onto the Oude Kruisberg and the break now has a gap of 4'28" as they have now been racing for just over two hours. 

The average speed is a bonkers 48.8kph! Madness.

104km to go and the peloton haven't launched an attacks yet. The big favourites may be waiting for the climbs like the Taaienberg which is for climbs away, or rather, just over 20km from now. 

Another couple of abandons from earlier:

Danny van Poppel (BOH)
Luke Rowe (IGD)

Van Poppel finished 3rd the other day at Classic Brugge-De Panne. Not sure what happened with him. 

Also, a big blow for the leaders of Ineos as Rowe is absolutely key. 

100km to go

Gropama-FDJ, Uno-X Mobility, Tudor and Intermarché-Wanty leading the peloton with 4'42" to the break up the road. 

It gets nervous on these roads anyway, but with the rain falling, the peloton looks even more tense than normal as they go onto the Knokteberg in the break. 

Rear puncture for Steimle in the break. 

Massive battle to lead onto the narrow road of the Knokteberg in the bunch.

World Champion, Mathieu van der Poel, suddenly appears in 2nd wheel with Riesebeek and Kragh in front and behind him as the lead onto the road up to the Knokteberg.

Jorgenson (TVL), Vacek (LTK), Asgreen (SOQ), Van der Poel (ADC) and Riesebeek (ADC) lead on the Knokteberg now. The gap up to the break has dipped under four minutes. 93km to go. 

The break get onto the Hotondberg, 1.2km at an average of 4% with a max of 8%.

90km to go

Over the Knokteberg in the peloton as Gianni Moscon hits the front with his leader, Julian Alaphilippe of Soudal-QuickStep. Asgreen also uup to the front.

This change of pace has really strung the peloton out into one very long line. There is a small split too. 

Wout Van Aert and a few of his Visma-Lease-a-Bike teammates have been caught out in this split! Only Jorgenson and Van Baarle is in the right place. 

Not ideal for the defending champion, but he ought to be able to get back in. 

Wow! Suddenly, from the back to the front! Van Aert appears right next to Van der Poel at the front of the peloton. That is amazing recovery by the Belgian megastar. 

The break on the Kortekeer right now. 

Behind, Lidl-Trek have control with Van Aert and Van der Poel are currently both isolated, unusually. 

Crash!

Miles Scotson (ARK)
Plus a couple of others. Just a couple of touches of wheels. 

Also, a mechanical:

Tobias Lund Andresen (DFP)

Puncture and wheel change:

Dylan van Baarle (TVL)

Not ideal for the Dutch national champion. 

80km to go

Lidl-Trel leading to peloton with a gap of 3'00" to the break. We are heading to the Taaienberg. Expecting big attacks here. 700m at an average of 6.3%, max of over 18%

The peloton his the Taaienberg with Alex Kirsch (LTK) leading 

Attack!

Mathieu van der Poel (ADC)

He's gone solo! Pedersen is the closest to him with Stuyven, Trentin and Van Aert just behind. 

Rear puncture for Oliver Naesen (DAT). Shame for the former podium sitter at this race. 

77km to go for the break. 

2'29" back:

Van der Poel (ADC)

Chase:

Van Aert (TVL)
Pedersen (LTK)
Stuyven (LTK)
Trentin (TUD)

Then a large group with Jorgenson, Turner and Kung in there. 

Van der Poel sits up and is joined by the main favourites group as Pedersen thought about a move but it is all together. 

Attack

Kirsch (LTK)
Wellens (UAD)
Kragh (ADC)

Kirsch then goes again after it was caught initially. Jorgenson chasing him. 

Getting a much bigger group together now with 73km to go. 1'54" up to the break. Kirsch is dragged back. 

Attack!

Julian Alaphilippe (SOQ)
Mads Pedersen (LTK)

Fantastic to see Alaphilippe up to the front of the race here. 

70km to go

Jorgenson (TVL) closes Alaphilippe down in a group of about 10 riders but it is all coming together again.

Attack! 

Mads Pedersen (LTK)

The former world champion has gone solo. Bold move by him.

Politt (UAD and Wrigtht (TBV) tried to follow and they get dragged back. 

Onto the Boigneberg now as Askey attacks with Van der Poel, Wellens and Jorgenson with carnage behind him. 

Van Aert leading the chase behind with Girmay and Narvaez. 

New group:

Van der Poel (ADC)
Van Aert (TVL)
Jorgenson (TVL)
Pedersen (LTK)
Girmay (IWA)
Narvaez (IGD)

Chasing behind them:

Lazkano (MOV)
Skujins (LTK)

Now 41" up to the break with 66km to go. 

Attack!

Mathieu van der Poel (ADC)

Wout Van Aert and Mads Pedersen react first but everyone can follow except Skujins. Benoot (TVL) and Wellens (UAD) about to join. 

The chasing group is not far behind these big names and it could get much larger yet again. Now 29" up to the break with 64km to go. 

The pace slackens as we have a brief hiatus in the favourites group. The break extends its gap to 37" with Wright (TBV) leading the chase. 

Attack!

Jasper Stuyven (LTK)
Stefan Kung (GFC)
Kragh (ADC)

Plenty more moves behind with Mohoric leading a new move too.

Vermoote (BWB) dropped from the break and is about the be caught by the favourites. 

60km to go

Nine riders have a tiny gap but it is just closed down yet again . 23" up to the break who are holding on brilliantly. 

On the Stationsberg now and Jannik Steimle is attacking the breakaway. He looks extremely strong.  

Attack!

Lazkano (MOV) and Van der Poel (ADC) and Van Aert (TVL) follow and counter him! Exactly the same as last season. 

Goodness me Van der Poel has obliterated the favourites group with only Van Aert able to follow. They catch Le Berre from the break. 

Behind, Lazkano and Narvaez chase and are not far away at all. 

Van der Poel still really testing Van Aert. 

Lidl-Trek have missed this! Kung, Jorgenson and Girmay join Lazkano and Narvaez now on the Marieborestraat. 

Van der Poel and Van Aert collect a few more from the break but also more favourites make it back as well. Group of around 15 together again. 

Attack

Oier Lazkano (MOV)

He shoots across to the breakaway with little reaction. 

Behind, Pedersen tried yet again but couldn't get a gap. 

Lazkano has the luxury of having Cavagna in the breakaway to support him. 

Matteo Jorgenson has also managed to sneak across to the breakaway. Two very interesting moves as Lazkano and Jorgenson could definitely take this race. 

New attacks from the favourites group:

Nils Politt (UAD)
Stefan Kung (GFC)

Meanwhile, Alaphilippe rejoins the main favourites group. 

Lazkano is either an exceptional actor, or he is absolutely spent. Making all sorts of faces, gasping for air. 

Meanwhile, Ivo Oliveira has sat up from the break to help Nils Politt get to the front with Kung. 

50km to go

Break:

Steimle (Q36)
Milesi (MOV)
Märkl (DFP)
Cavagna (MOV)
De Pestel (DAT)
Abrahamsen (UXM)
I. Oliveira (UAD)
Politt (UAD)
Kung (GFC)

Peloton +20"

Lidl-Trek leading the favourites group with Kirsch, Skujins and Stuyven working for Pedersen.

Attack in break:

Jorgenson (TVL)

But Lazkano (MOV) goes over the top and drops the Paris-Nice champion. 

Behind, Pedersen is attacking with Wellens but Wright is closing it down.

Lazkano (MOV) is now solo up front. 

Abrahamsen (UXM) from the early break is still in between the gap then Jorgenson (TVL) leads the main group behind as the main leaders come back together. 

About 20 riders in the chasing group just behind Lazkano as Narvaez leads the chase onto the Paterberg! 

Crash!!

Wout Van Aert (TVL)

The defending champion is surely done for now! 

Attack! 

Mathieu van der Poel (ADC)

He goes solo over the top of the brutal Paterberg heading to the Oude Kwaremont. He flew by Lazkano as if he wasn't there. 

40km to go

Mathieu van der Poel (ADC) is solo. 

Jhonatan Narvaez (IGD) is also solo at +12"

Then 12 riders are +18" down with Van Aert (TVL) dragging about eight more back. 

Onto the Oude Kwaremont! The asphalt start onto cobbles. 2.2km long average of 4% max of 11.6%.

Crash for Emil Herzog in that main group. 

Behind, Jorgenson leads for Visma-Lease-a-Bike with Van Aert on his wheel. Narvaez has been caught by them. 

33" between Van der Poel and the chasers. 

Attack!

Wout Van Aert (TVL)

The Belgian is putting on an astonishing recovery ride here after crashing on the Paterberg as Van der Poel goes over the top of the Oude Kwaremont. 

Two more climbs to go now with the E3 climb of the Karnemelkbeekstraat up next. 

37km to go:

Van der Poel (ADC)

Chase +25":

Van Aert (TVL)

Other favourites +37"

Wout Van Aert (TVL) is doing an incredible ride here. He is now just +13" down! The chasers are just +30" down as they turn towards the Karnemelkbeekstraat with 34km to go. 

Van Aert is doing something quite amazing here. He is now juust +11" down on Van der Poel (ADC). 

Onto the E3 Col/Karnemelkbeekstraat.

1.5km long, 4.9% average, max of 18%

Van der Poel has saved up some energy on the long flat section and is now hammering up Karnemelkbeekstraat. 

The world champion has upped his gap to 16" now. Over a minute to the main chase group. 

Just one more climb to go. The Tiegemberg. 32km and just 16" between Van der Poel and Van Aert. 

30km to go

Behind, a new chase group:

Narvaez (IGD)
Stuyven (LTK)
Girmay (IWA)
Wellens (UAD)
Jorgenson (TVL)

They are 48" back on Van der Poel. 

Onto the final cobbled sector of the Varent. Van der Poel leads Van Aert by 24" now. 

20km to go

Leader:

Van der Poel (ADC)

Chase +35":

Van Aert (TVL)

Chase group +1'17":

Narvaez (IGD)
Stuyven (LTK)
Girmay (IWA)
Wellens (UAD)
Jorgenson (TVL)

Onto the Tiegemberg, 750m. 5.6% average with max of 9%.

Wout Van Aert (TVL) is slowly drifting back towards the chasing group. Maybe he was riding on adrenaline for a while and the crash is catching up on him? Or maybe he's trying to save something. 

The weather is getting worse. Raining hard and with very poor visibility. 

Not bothering Van der Poel, though. He is riding to victory with 15km to go and 51" back to Van Aert. 

10km to go

Leader:

Van der Poel (ADC)

Chase +1'08":

Van Aert (TVL)

Chase group +1'48":

Narvaez (IGD)
Stuyven (LTK)
Girmay (IWA)
Wellens (UAD)
Jorgenson (TVL)

The chase group are chasing Van Aert down. They will be worried about Jorgenson, though.

Wellens attacks and Girmay looks to be hurting a lot now. Maybe some cramp. 

Stuyven then tries an attack and Van Aert is getting caught at this rate. He looks empty. 

Girmay is dropped. 

Stuyven gets away solo and is now chasing Van Aert down. Jorgenson tried to follow but he wasn't able to. 

5km to go

Leader:

Van der Poel (ADC)

Chase +1'48":

Van Aert (TVL)
Stuyven (LTK)

Chase group +1'53":

Narvaez (IGD)
Wellens (UAD)
Jorgenson (TVL)

Dropped 

Girmay (IWA)

4km to go and Stuyven has made the jump to Van Aert. 

Wellens and Narvaez are trying to catch them with Jorgenson sitting on. But they are not closing in on the Stuyven led duo with Van Aert. 

Van der Poel has almost two minutes of a lead. 

3km to go, Van der Poel has 1'51" gap now. All the chasers behind the world champion look on their absolute limit. 

2km to go for Van der Poel. He is storming to victory. Something he has not managed before at E3. He is achieving something his father, Adrie, who wasn't able to add to his own second and third places at this race. 

Flamme Rouge

Final kilometre for Van der Poel and he is already celebrating. 

500m to go for Mathieu van der Poel 

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) wins the E3 Saxo Bank Classic 2024! 

Van Aert and Stuyven go under the flamme rouge as the battle for the 2nd and 3rd positions. They can't play around though. 

Jorgenson is now trying to bridge too. 

Jasper Stuyven takes second with Wout Van Aert takes a miraculous third place. Wellens gets fouurth with Jorgenson in fifth and Narvaez in sixth. 

Top 10:

1. Mathieu van der Poel (NED) Alpecin-Deceuninck 4:39'15"
2. Jasper Stuyven (BEL) Lidl-Trek +1'31"
3. Wout Van Aert (BEL) Visma-Lease-a-Bike +1'34"
4. Tim Wellens (BEL) UAE Team Emirates +1'48"
5. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease-a-Bike +1'50"
6. Jhonatan Narvaez (ECU) Ineos Grenadiers +1'52"
7. Nils Politt (GER) UAE Team Emirates +2'48"
8. Toms Skujins (LAT) Lidl-Trek
9. Vincenzo Albanese (ITA) Arkea-B&B Hotels
10. Alex Kirsch (LUX) Lidl-Trek, all S.T.

Here is the race report after what was an absolutely brutal Classic. The weather played a part but also the brutal pace throughout the entire day did too. Perhaps Van Aert's crash also was pivotal? Either way... A monstrous performance by Van der Poel. have a read below...

>>> E3 Saxo Classic: Mathieu van der Poel takes stunning solo win

Jasper Stuyven salvaged the race for Lidl-Trek with second place after Mads Pedersen rode himself into the ground. 

His teammates of Toms Skujins and Alex Kirsch also slotting into the top 10. It was the top three teams that locked out the podium, though. 

Behind, the minor places were snaffled up in the top 10. Nils Politt won the sprint against Skujins, Albanese and Kirsch. It was like a slow bike race. Everyone on their knees at the end of today. 

Even though he was empty, Wout Van Aert could still give a smile at the end as he held onto third. 

That's that for our live page of the E3 Saxo Classic. Thank you very much for joining us. 

This weekend, it is the final two days at the Volta a Catalunya as well as the men's and women's Gent-Wevelgem. Make sure you joins us for them. 

Have a lovely rest of your Friday as we head into the weekend.