Cyclingflash
Working together? Mathieu van der Poel drops rivals with impressive attack

Working together? Mathieu van der Poel drops rivals with impressive attack

Mathieu van der Poel kept a low profile during the opening hours of the E3 Saxo Classic, but he has now fully unleashed himself. After following an attack from his fellow Dutchman Tim van Dijke on the Taaienberg, he broke away from everyone on the subsequent climb—the Boigneberg. Is he heading towards the lead group?

The Taaienberg is traditionally the first crucial climb on the E3 Saxo Classic route, and this year was no different. An initial attack by Jasper Stuyven already stretched the peloton out, but Tim van Dijke’s counter caused even more damage.

Only one rider was able to follow the unleashed Van Dijke: none other than Mathieu van der Poel. The Alpecin-Deceuninck team leader let Van Dijke vent his fury first, then took over, and the two Dutchmen quickly rode up to a group of chasers including Daan Hoole and Timo Kielich.

A promising situation for Van der Poel, you might think, but the defending champion clearly had no intention of waiting. On the slopes of the Boigneberg, he decided to shake things up. With an impressive acceleration, he broke away from everyone—including Van Dijke—and began a solo chase for the six leaders.

With 55 kilometers remaining, the gap between Van der Poel and the lead group is about forty seconds. In the finale, two key climbs still await: the Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont.