“Suddenly the cooperation disappeared” - Heartbreak for Florian Vermeersch as split second hesitation lets Mathieu van der Poel escape in E3 thriller

Florian Vermeersch was central to the moment that decided the E3 Saxo Classic, not just a witness to it. As Mathieu van der Poel’s long-range solo began to fade in the final kilometres, it was Vermeersch who helped drive the chase that brought the race to the brink. From over half a minute down, the gap collapsed to just a few seconds. The catch was there to be made, it just never came.

Vermeersch’s race had already been shaped by misfortune before the decisive phase even began. “Just before the Taaienberg, I found myself in a difficult situation. I had to change bikes, which meant I started the climb in around 120th position.”

In a race where position is everything, that moment forced him into a long pursuit. He worked his way back through the field and rejoined the front just as the race began to split. “I got back to the front fairly quickly and immediately felt that I was having a really good day.”

From there, he was not following the wheels. He was part of the group shaping the race as it opened up over the climbs.

When Van der Poel attacked on the Paterberg, the race looked settled. The gap opened quickly, and the hesitation behind gave him room.

Vermeersch helped change that. “I tried to make the difference, but the wind wasn’t favourable after the climbs. Because I was often on the front, everything kept coming back together.”

That effort meant he was still present when the decisive chasing group formed. On the Karnemelkbeekstraat, the move that mattered finally went clear. “I made my final move there and managed to get away.”

Together with Per Strand Hagenes, Jonas Abrahamsen and Stan Dewulf, he formed the group that began to bring Van der Poel back. The gap fell sharply. What had looked like control became pressure. By the final kilometres, the leader was within reach.

With the gap down to seconds, the race became a question of commitment. “Suddenly, the cooperation disappeared.”

The pace stalled at the worst possible moment. The rhythm of the chase broke, and the final metres proved just out of reach. Vermeersch made his decision in that moment. “I thought to myself: I’m not going to put all my cards on the table here. Then I’d rather let Mathieu go and sprint for second place.”

That hesitation, shared across the group, proved decisive. Van der Poel was never brought back.

Despite finishing third, the result did not reflect how close the race had been. “I’m left with a bitter feeling.”

Vermeersch understood how narrow the margin had been between chasing for victory and settling for the podium. “There really was more in it.”

His earlier setback still lingered in the background of that reflection. “I’m not saying I would always have been able to follow him, but because of that, I was mainly on the defensive.”

Even so, his ambition remains clear. “I race to win. Third is great, but I’d like to stand two steps higher.”