Mathieu van der Poel undeterred after E3 Saxo Classic loss to Wout van Aert

Mathieu van der Poel after the E3 Saxo Classic 2023 where he finished second to Wout van Aert
Mathieu van der Poel after the E3 Saxo Classic 2023 where he finished second to Wout van Aert (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Mathieu van der Poel appeared liberated at the E3 Saxo Classic. With Milan-San Remo in the bag and the Tour of Flanders a week away, the Dutchman raced with abandon on Friday and digested defeat almost as swiftly as he'd sailed up the Taaienberg.

It was on Tom Boonen's favourite climb that Van der Poel decided to open the race up with some 80km still to run. Only one man was able to follow: his old foe Wout van Aert, with Tadej Pogačar notably out of position and lagging behind.

Patrick Fletcher

Patrick is a freelance sports writer and editor. He’s an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish). Patrick worked full-time at Cyclingnews for eight years between 2015 and 2023, latterly as Deputy Editor.