Wout van Aert snatches victory at E3 Saxo Classic as Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar attacks fail

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) got his rewards for suffering up and down the cobbles as he defended his title at E3 Saxo Classic after an absorbing scrap with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates). Despite being distanced on the climbs under pressure from his two superstar rivals, the elastic never fully snapped, allowing the Belgian to latch back on before winning a three-up sprint in the dress rehearsal for the Tour of Flanders on April 2. Ad “I really wanted to focus on the sprint and try to stick to one plan,” said Van Aert.

“It’s just nice. It’s a long while so I’ve won a race on a road bike. I had a difficult preparation going into the Classics but I’m on the right path.” Tour de FranceExclusive: 'He looks unbeatable but...' — Contador on Pogacar’s Tour revenge missionYESTERDAY AT 07:34 The race exploded into life on the Taaienberg with 81km remaining as the first cobbles rattled by, with Van der Poel exploding away to end any hope the day’s five-strong breakaway had of victory.

Van Aert followed, along with the break’s last survivor Kelland O'Brien (Jayco AlUla), prompting Pogacar to launch a panicked chase. Despite having plenty of riders for company, Pogacar was forced to do the lion’s share of the hunt, eventually bridging over after 4km of hard riding as a 12-strong group formed at the front. Van der Poel, clearly concerned at the presence of three Jumbo-Visma jerseys in that pack, then attacked again with 67km remaining, driving up the pace and almost forcing Pogacar into a face-first introduction with a roadside house after he hesitated on a wet patch of road.