Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won the first head-to-head battle with Wout Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) at the E3 Saxo Classic, attacking alone on the Paterberg with 43 km to go and then holding off his big rival in a tense pursuit match to the finish.
Van der Poel was ever-aggressive during the final two hours of racing, often attacking and chasing other moves. He was isolated and outnumbered but still emerged as the strongest rider in the race.
Van Aert was unfortunate to crash just seconds after van der Poel attacked on the Paterberg but bravely fought on. He got up and set off in a lone chase,…
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