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Wout Van Aert defended his title in Friday’s WorldTour one-day race in Harelbeke, Belgium, the E3 Saxo Classic, beating what have become his traditional rivals, Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar. The three got loose on the famed Paterberg and sprinted it out at the line.
Introduction
E3 is a preview of the upcoming Flanders Classics Week comprised of Gent-Wevelgem, Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Flanders. Shorter than than the Tour of Flanders, E3 utilizes many of the same climbs. Last year Jumbo-Visma went one-two with Van Aert and Christophe Laporte.
E3’s challenges were five cobbled climbs, 11 non-cobbled climbs and five cobbled sections. Although the Knokteberg (1.2 km of 7.3 percent) and Taaienberg (700 metres of 6.3 percent) were sharp bites, they were set in the middle of the 204-km course. The decisive climbs arrived bunched together with 48 km to race: Kapelberg (800 metres of 5 percent), cobbled Paterberg (400 metres of 9 percent) and cobbled Oude Kwaremont (2.1 km of 4.2 percent), with Karnemelkbeekstraat (1.4 km of 5.7 percent) soon after. The final climb peaked with 20 km remaining. Some of the early cobbles were wet.
We’re ready in Harelbeke for the E3 Saxo Classic, with its 17 leg-breaking steep hellingen and changeable weather conditions, today is a day for the hardest riders in the peloton!
🚩Harelbeke
🏁Harelbeke
🛣️204.1km
⛰️17 Hellingen
⏰12:15 CET
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🇧🇪#E3SaxoClassic#YallaIPT pic.twitter.com/HYonU7fYIw— Israel – Premier Tech (@IsraelPremTech) March 24, 2023
Derek Gee and Nick Zukowsky made up the Canadian contingent. Hugo Houle was supposed to start, but did not due to illness.
The Race
A bold quintet of escapees sallied forth before the first climb Katteberg. Jumbo-Visma and UAE-Emirates powered the peloton engine behind. At kilometer 87, the climbs started to come thick and fast. The break’s gap was 3:13.
By the Taaienberg, the escapees were within hailing distance. An attack of Julian Alaphilippe and van der Poel demanded a response from Van Aert. The cyclocross aces were locked together and then brought back.
A strong Movistar move from American Matteo Jorgenson prompted van der Poel to scurry in pursuit, bringing along Van Aert, Laporte, Pogačar and several others. Nathan van Hooydonck, Matej Mohorič and Søren Kragh Andersen flared off from this bunch before the Eikenberg.
With 57…
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