Fabian Cancellara's Classics column - Wout van Aert sits Mathieu van der Poel down to turn weakness into strength

Fabian Cancellara dissects the 'big three' of Tadej Pogacar, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel after E3 Saxo Classic
Fabian Cancellara dissects the 'big three' of Tadej Pogacar, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel after E3 Saxo Classic (Image credit: Getty Images)

On Belgian television, Renaat Schotte asked Wout van Aert if the podium at the E3 Saxo Classic was the most beautiful in the history of the race. His response was class: "As long as I'm in the middle, yes." I can remember some beautiful podiums in Harelbeke myself... but it has to be said, this one was special. 

In Wout Van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, and Tadej Pogačar, we have three amazing riders, all in different ways, and they are bringing so much value to the Classics. 

Fabian Cancellara

Fabian Cancellara is an ex-professional cyclist who raced from 2001 to 2016 for Mapei, Fassa Bortolo, CSC and Trek. One of a select trio of riders to have won Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders three times, alongside arch rival Tom Boonen and Johan Museeuw, he is the only racer who can add the Strade Bianche triple to that glittering statistic – first across the line in Siena at four year intervals between 2008 and 2016."Spartacus" was also a formidable time trialist: four times world champion, twice Olympic champion,  his final race as a professional cyclist came in the TT at the Rio Olympics in 2016, where he triumphed over second-placed Tom Dumoulin by a staggering 47 seconds. Alongside various business interests – and being a Cyclingnews columnist, of course – Cancellara is a founder of the Tudor Pro Cycling team, currently racing at UCI Pro Team level.