'It cost blood, sweat and tears' - Van der Poel pushed to the limit in thrilling E3 Saxo Classic finale

The Dutchman had rocketed clear from the peloton on the slopes of the Taaienberg before catching the breakaway and going clear with 45km remaining. It looked like a formality that the Dutchman would complete his hat-trick. 

However, things changed when a chase group featuring Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), Stan Dewulf (Decathlon CMA CGM), Per Strand Hagenes (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), formed behind and inside the final 20km, the Dutchman’s advantage of around a minute began to dwindle. 

The race was in the balance as Van der Poel headed under the flamme rouge with the chase group hot on his tail. It seemed that the catch would be made here, considering that the Dutchman’s advantage had dwindled from over a minute to just a handful of seconds over 20 kilometres. 

It felt that the trajectory of the race was only heading in one direction, and that was not in the Dutchman’s favour, and Van der Poel admitted that there were moments where he thought the race might be lost.

"Yeah, a few times actually, but, especially at a bit more than one [kilometre] to go, the legs were not really turning well anymore, and then I looked back, and they were really close,” said Van der Poel.

Van der Poel decided that he couldn’t sit up and bank on his sprint, and that he needed to hold onto an advantage in the hope that the chasers would start bluffing one another, and that’s exactly the scenario that played out. 

“But I knew if I waited, I would become fifth, because I didn’t have the legs anymore to do a sprint, so yeah, I just did a seated all-out [effort] to the finish line.”

A moment of hesitation from the chasers, led by Florian Vermeersch, enabled Van der Poel to eke out a few more seconds of an advantage, which would be enough to not only ensure the hat-trick, but give him time to plan his celebration. 

“Yeah it means a lot for me, it’s one of the nicest races of the year, and one I really enjoy riding, and I’m happy to take the win again,” said Van der Poel.

In the process, Van der Poel became just the fourth rider to win three consecutive editions of the E3 Saxo Classic alongside Rik Van Looy, Jan Raas and Tom Boonen, though it was the hardest fought of the three wins for the Dutchman.

“In the end, I made it, but it cost blood, sweat, and tears,” said the Dutchman, who will rest up and recuperate for Gent-Wevelgem this Sunday, before the big showdown next Sunday at the Tour of Flanders.