Wout van Aert has expressed his disappointment after the E3 Saxo Classic regarding his performance and the circumstances that affected his race. The Belgian rider from Visma-Lease a Bike finished in third place, but a crash midway through the race forced him to expend valuable energy to get back to the front.
Van Aert admitted that the crash played a crucial role in his race. “I made a silly mistake by jumping onto the cobblestones to gain some positions, but I got stuck on the edge. I immediately felt that I had fallen hard, and my right side is quite battered, with pain in my hip and elbow,” he explained afterward.
Despite the crash, Van Aert fought his way back into the race but couldn’t maintain the pace in the final. “I gave it my all, but the effort to come back took its toll. In the end, I was just happy to stay on Jasper Stuyven’s wheel to finish third.”
Van Aert acknowledged the dominance of Mathieu van der Poel, who rode solo to victory. “Mathieu was clearly the strongest today and fully deserved this win,” he admitted sportingly.
The E3 Saxo Classic is considered an important preparatory race for the Tour of Flanders, where Van Aert hopes for a better performance. “It’s frustrating to crash like this, but I need to move on quickly and focus on the upcoming classics. Hopefully, I recover soon and can come back stronger.”
With the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix on the horizon, Van Aert will do everything he can to be in top form at the start and achieve his ambitions.
Hier is het nieuwsbericht over Wout van Aert en de E3 Saxo Classic. Laat me weten of je aanpassingen wilt!
