Wout van Aert wins E3 Saxo Classic after epic battle with Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar
Cycling
All fireworks went down at the E3 Saxo Classic, as Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar exploded the race very early on. And by that order they crossed the line after a tight sprint as Jumbo-Visma succeeeded.
The Belgian classic saw moves from early on but it was a difficult day to infiltrate the breakaway. Kelland O'Brien (Team Jayco AlUla), Thomas Bonnet (TotalEnergies), Mathias Norsgaard (Movistar Team), Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa Samsic) and Martin Urianstad (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) formed the break of the day.
It was a group that didn't stand much chances, and was caught early on in the Taaienberg. The wind didn't play a role early on, but with 85 kilometers an attack by Dries de Bondt started the race in the peloton, and in the steep ascent Mathieu van der Poel launched an attack, only followed by van Aert. The duo caught the escapees and then were caught themselves.
Matteo Jorgenson attacked after but was caught himself. Then followed a move by Soren Kragh Andersen, Nathan van Hooydonck and Matej Mohoric which built a decent gap and was dangerous. With 57 kilometers to go van der Poel attacked once again, with van Aert and Pogacar responding, with the trio joining the front trio. The group then collaborated well together into the Paterberg, extending the gap to the chasing group to around a minute.
In the Paterberg Pogacar attack, followed by van der Poel and van Aert. The six-rider group was united once again after, but in the Oude Kwaremont another string of accelerations saw the pre-race favourite trio ride up the road. In the meantime the chasing trio was caught by the chasing group - from which Mohoric, Cortina, Jorgenson and Küng made a move later on.
As for the front trio they continued to collaborate well into the finish in order to battle for the win. Pogacar launched an attack with just over 3 kilometers, disorganizing the group's collaboration. However behind no-one had the legs to catch up. Pogacar launched his sprint first and the battle for the victory was behind.
Wout van Aert had the best legs of the day and sprinted to victory in what was a very motivating triumph. He outsprinted Mathieu van der Poel in impressive fashion whilst Pogacar closed the podium. Matteo Jorgenson and Ivan Cortina finished fourth and fifth for Movistar.
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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🇧🇪 #E3SaxoClassic WOUT! 💥
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