"They passed the scene of the disaster on the way" - Marc Sergeant explains lingering affects of 2024 crash for Van Aert's poor E3 Saxo Classic
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel delivered another masterclass on Friday
to win the E3 Saxo Classic, launching his race-winning move on the Taaienberg
alongside Mads Pedersen and Filippo Ganna. The trio lit up the decisive climb,
but one major team was notably absent from the action: Team Visma | Lease a
Bike.
Wout van Aert, expected to be among the favourites, never
featured in the final selection, leaving many fans and pundits wondering what
went wrong for the Belgian star.
Marc Sergeant offered his thoughts in Het Nieuwsblad,
suggesting that Van Aert is still far from his best.
"This is not yet the Wout van Aert as we know him. Too
bad. But you see what you see. I am not giving up hope for the Tour yet, but
this is not a good sign."
Sergeant pointed to Van Aert’s positioning going into the
crucial moment of the race as a key factor in his underwhelming performance.
"If you start the Taaienberg in twentieth position, you
know that not much has to happen or you will get into trouble."
Beyond race tactics, Sergeant believes Van Aert may still be
mentally affected by his crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen last season, which
occurred on a section of road featured again in this year’s E3.
"Then I point to those crashes last year. What's more,
they also passed the scene of the disaster on the way, where he fell so badly a
year ago in Dwars door Vlaanderen. That must be in his head somewhere. He grabs
his brakes more often. But that costs you six or seven places every time."
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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