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

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All the action from the 207.6km 'mini Tour of Flanders'

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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. 

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

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. 

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...

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

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. 

The crash involved these riders:

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

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

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

Break:

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:

170km to go

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

160km to go

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. 

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

Attack!

150km to go

Three man break:

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...

Quotes from the start...

140km to go

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

130km to go

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

120km to go

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 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. 

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:

100km to go

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. 

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

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. 

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. 

Crash!

Puncture and wheel change:

80km to go

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

Attack!

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

77km to go for the break. 

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

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

Attack!

70km to go

Attack! 

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

New group:

Attack!

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!

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

60km to go

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

Attack!

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

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

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

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:

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

50km to go

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

Attack in break:

Lazkano (MOV) is now solo up front. 

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

Crash!!

Attack! 

40km to go

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

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

Attack!

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

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). 

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

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

30km to go

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

20km to go

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. 

10km to go

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

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

5km to go

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

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

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. 

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:

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...

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

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. 

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