Visma DS "convinced" Wout van Aert could've followed Mathieu van der Poel had it not been for Paterberg crash at E3 Saxo Classic
Cycling
In the first meeting of Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel this Classics season, it was the Dutchman who took the spoils at the E3 Saxo Classic on Friday afternoon.
Had van Aert not suffered a slip of the front wheel on the wet cobbles of the Paterberg, could things have been different though? For Team Visma | Lease a Bike sports director, Arthur Van Dongen, this question leaves him with a tinge of what could have been.
"It is up to us to show resilience," Van Dongen explains to his team's official website in his post-race recap. "Of course it was a pity, but we have already managed to deal with bad luck situations in the past. We were well represented in the race as a team, but the crashes of Tiesj Benoot and Wout van Aert were crucial."
"I am convinced Wout was able to follow Van der Poel, although he was definitely the rightful winner in the end," Van Dongen continues. "Now we will lick our wounds and review the situation with an eye on the upcoming classics."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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🇧🇪 #E3SaxoClassic 💬 "It is up to us to show resilience.” – Sports director Arthur van Dongen Read more from Wout van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson and Arthur van Dongen in our race report! ✍️
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