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...

 

[Red Rick]

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

Vermeersch said: "Then I'd rather let him ride. I don't blame anyone, such is cycling"

In other words, he'd rather lose than try to win, it was a fait accompli, and there was nothing to be done. Losing wasn't about wanting to win or lose, it was their destiny, and then he'd rather lose to Gods 2nd Favorite Son.

 

[tobydawq]

Vermeersch said: "Then I'd rather let him ride. I don't blame anyone, such is cycling"

In other words, he'd rather lose than try to win, it was a fait accompli, and there was nothing to be done. Losing wasn't about wanting to win or lose, it was their destiny, and then he'd rather lose to Gods 2nd Favorite Son.

[content deleted] it was a pretty textbook tactical situation. No rider in the group probably didn't really back his sprint, and everyone thought that if they would be the one to close the gap, then they would have no chance for the win. Then it became a Mexican standoff.

The problem here was that Mathieu probably slowed down enough that this assessment was false but that was perhaps hard to know in the situation. They all thought they did what they had to do to win. [content deleted]

 

[Red Rick]

[content deleted]

It's about the resignation about losing to the top dogs that they don't even try to beat them anymore, because losing is 100% expected, accepted, and embraced.

Just race like a moron say "goats gonna goat what can ya do" and off to the pub you go.

 

[Samamba]

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

I get what you're trying to say but saying that they didn't want to lose when they literally chose exactly that... losing, doesn't really make sense. Not catching Van der Poel is an automatic loss.

And yes, ofc it had nothing to do with UCI points.

 

[Potomac]

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

I agree with part of your statement

 

[TourOfSardinia]

... I also like Francesco Pancani and Stefano Garzelli on Rai TV, ...

Garzelli is oh so boring
almost always start a comment by repeating verbatim what the other guy just said.
And a mega long Quest'oggi............

 

[Salvarani]

The classical projection.

It's about the resignation about losing to the top dogs that they don't even try to beat them anymore, because losing is 100% expected, accepted, and embraced.

Just race like a moron say "goats gonna goat what can ya do" and off to the pub you go.

[content deleted] How can you say that after the group actually put a huge effort in to close the gap and chasing MVDP, in this case, down? What was "resigned" about that? [content deleted]

Because what happened in the last 500 metres has nothing to do with them being "resigned" to losing. @tobydawq summed up what happened pretty eloquently.

[content deleted]

 

[Extinction]

Garzelli is oh so boring
almost always start a comment by repeating verbatim what the other guy just said.
And a mega long Quest'oggi............

Yea, he's certainly not inspiring but nonetheless provides sound and thoughtful analysis.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Race has started. Hopefully we can get a big power break up the road.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Race has started. Hopefully we can get a big power break up the road.

This race has actually already finished.

 

[topcat]

This race has actually already finished.

In an uneventful E3 race-run of the mill-

Spoiler: Race result

Warning: if you click on this button it will give you the race result

Spoiler: This really is the race result

MvdP won

 

[yaco]

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

He will not get a luckier year.

 

[Unchained]

Funnily enough, in Catalunya today UAE had quite a ridiculous sticky bottle incident themselves as well. Soler goes back to the team car, Rubio gets dropped from the break, and the team car pulls Soler straight past Rubio back to the break. It made me laugh at least.

Madison sling

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

Yes..I do realize that.. He has an excellent sprint

 

[yaco]

Madison sling

Yes..I do realize that.. He has an excellent sprint

so that is two wins he would not get under normal circumstances.

 

[E_F_]

Actually taking yourself out of contention to ensure you don't lose a sprint for what would be around the top of your palmarès is not tactical even if it is pretty normal. The thing is, in this case, we're literally talking like one pull extra, you cannot possibly know for certain, that it would kill your sprint after such a tough chase. Infuriating.