E3 Saxo Classic 2026, March 27

[Hugh Januss]

I disagree. Hagenes was the anchor on that group from the moment it formed and once it got to the point that Laporte was clearly never riding to the rescue he was still happy to be second. He and his own negative riding probably cost him a marque victory.

I disagree with your disagreement. Hagenes started the move but once "faster" riders joined team strategy dictated that he not help pull them further away from Laporte. Once it became clear that they were closing in on Van der Poel he started contributing again. In fact his last hard effort was the one that nearly caught VDP, then Vermeersch came through and kind of feathered it and Abrahamsen didn't come through at all. In his defense he may have just not had anything anymore as he couldn't even beat Dewulf who had been off the front for about 600 kilometers. (More or less)

 

[Hugh Januss]

Great solo effort from MVDP, but it's clear he's not in his top shape.

Today, the group 2 did a fabulous job reducing the gap from 1minute to 2 seconds... and then they managed to massively sabotage themselves. Mental...

Van der Poel is washed!

 

[Sciatic]

I disagree with your disagreement. Hagenes started the move but once "faster" riders joined team strategy dictated that he not help pull them further away from Laporte. Once it became clear that they were closing in on Van der Poel he started contributing again. In fact his last hard effort was the one that nearly caught VDP, then Vermeersch came through and kind of feathered it and Abrahamsen didn't come through at all. In his defense he may have just not had anything anymore as he couldn't even beat Dewulf who had been off the front for about 600 kilometers. (More or less)

It was definitely the final big pull from Hagenes that got them within touching distance . . . which was apparently close enough they thought they could take their collective foot off the accelerator.

 

[yaco]

Ethan Vernon got a win and a second at another race.. Guy looks great. He 2 wins already this year. Same as highly paid Girmay

do you realise that Vernon's two stages were won after weather conditions altered stages from hilly or mountainous to flat.

 

[RedheadDane]

Just think of how many times the guy after Mathieu will win!

No thanks...

It would make more sense if Van der Poel or someone else wins it e^3 times.

That‘s quite the irrational scenario.

We could round it down to an even 20, but what do I know? I can't perform an Euler, let alone a Zingle Axel (I would crash if I tried to hold on to a speeding cat (or car, for that matter)).

You guys are math!

 

[pastronef]

do you realise that Vernon's two stages were won after weather conditions altered stages from hilly or mountainous to flat.

well, he won the stages beating the other riders who raced the same stage as him.

 

[Squire]

I disagree with your disagreement. Hagenes started the move but once "faster" riders joined team strategy dictated that he not help pull them further away from Laporte. Once it became clear that they were closing in on Van der Poel he started contributing again. In fact his last hard effort was the one that nearly caught VDP, then Vermeersch came through and kind of feathered it and Abrahamsen didn't come through at all. In his defense he may have just not had anything anymore as he couldn't even beat Dewulf who had been off the front for about 600 kilometers. (More or less)

I love how everyone has their own scapegoat.

This is just something that can happen when you have two guys with a decent sprint but who doesn't trust it fully, one guy with no sprint and one guy who's a passenger and also without a sprint. And they're all tired, as well. All of Vermeersch, Hagenes and Abrahamsen did excellent work until the last kilometer, and they never complained about Dewulf who was right to sit on in that company after being in the break all day.

Not saying they all didn't completely stuff it up (and Hagenes & Vermeersch stuffed it up the most I think, as they are favoured in a sprint), but I'm happy that for once someone managed to (basically) catch an alien solo. Was an interesting race. I said when VDP went solo that if cycling still made any sense, this attack on this parcours should be impossible for him. And I was almost right, at least.

 

[HashRouge]

I love how everyone has their own scapegoat.

This is just something that can happen when you have two guys with a decent sprint but who doesn't trust it fully, one guy with no sprint and one guy who's a passenger and also without a sprint. And they're all tired, as well. All of Vermeersch, Hagenes and Abrahamsen did excellent work until the last kilometer, and they never complained about Dewulf who was right to sit on in that company after being in the break all day.

Not saying they all didn't completely stuff it up (and Hagenes & Vermeersch stuffed it up the most I think, as they are favoured in a sprint), but I'm happy that for once someone managed to (basically) catch an alien solo. Was an interesting race. I said when VDP went solo that if cycling still made any sense, this attack on this parcours should be impossible for him. And I was almost right, at least.

It's absolutely bonkers though that the one time it actually happens, this is the result!

 

[canina82]

UCI points need to change. What happened yesterday is the death of this sport, no desire to win, they had the opportunity to beat MVP in his own terrain.

 

[tobydawq]

UCI points need to change. What happened yesterday is the death of this sport, no desire to win, they had the opportunity to beat MVP in his own terrain.

Wtf, that was not because of UCI points... They literally stopped catching him because they didn't want to lose...