A threepeat at the E3, but it almost didn’t go to script.

Mathieu van der Poel, riding through Harelbeke like a man possessed, launched a devastating solo attack with 64 kilometres left to race  — because hey, he’s VDP.

He spent more than 40 kilometres alone at the front, a lone wolf howling across the farmlands of Belgium. Yet with five kilometres to go, it nearly went wrong, and with just over one kilometre remaining, his legs were barely turning anymore. He won in spite of this, with a massive helping hand from his hapless chasers, del;ivering a finish that will be remembered through the ages – not least by the clowns who took the 4 spots behind him.

The Flamme Rouge above them. The chasers smelled blood. They were metres away – and then they hesitated horribly, looked at each other, and gifted him the win. 

Per Strand Hagenes and Florian Vermeersch came 2nd and 3rd and probably didn’t sleep last night. Hagenes spoke of 2nd being commendable and – yeah sure, normally – but you had him! He was right there!

Least guilty of the chasers was Stan Dewulf of Decathlon, who was the last to resist VDP and had every right to hang on to the back of the  4-man group as they looked to be about to finally reel the mighty Dutchman in. 

“It was really bizarre,” Dewulf told VTM. “For a moment, I didn’t even know what was happening myself… We came very close, but I was gambling that someone else would close the gap so that I could launch my own sprint. The strongest man won here, but there were opportunities….”

Van Der Poel himself admitted it was a tough day, “I thought I could make it but with 5km to go, it nearly went wrong. Especially with a bit more than one k to go, the legs were just not really turning well anymore.”

Three consecutive E3 victories, but he will need to rest up and fully recover before Flanders. Might this ride have been one too far in his prep for the Ronde? 

Pogacar will most definitely be hoping so.