"You don’t come close to winning a major classic every day" - Visma celebrate 'breakthrough' ride from its new classics talent Per Strand Hagenes

Team Visma | Lease a Bike finished the E3 Saxo Classic with a second and seventh place. Overall not a bad day for the Dutch team who did not have Wout Van Aert and Matteo Jorgenson at the start; and Matthew Brennan recovering from an illness. Per Strand Hagenes took the opportunity and was only beaten by Mathieu van der Poel, whilst the team also looked to deflect tactical criticism.

“Of course, it would have been nice if I could have sprinted for the win, but this second place is definitely a great result,” the Norwegian said in a post-race interview. Hagenes was one of the strongest in the race, matching what he had shown in previous weeks and specially the GP de Denain.

Together with Jonas Abrahamsen and Florian Vermeersch, the 22-year old managed to escape the clutches of the peloton and almost fully chase down Mathieu van der Poel. But Hagenes was willing to take the risk, and did not want to be the one closing down the Dutchman to the benefit of his rivals.

“It was a difficult situation chasing Van der Poel. I already found it impressive that we almost managed to close the gap. We could have handled the final kilometers differently. I took the risk of waiting, and in the end, that didn’t work out well.”

What would've happened ultimately is an hypothetical scenario, however he then sprinted to second place on the day, being the strongest in the group. Whilst there could be some disappointment over potentially missing out on the win, a second place in such a high-level race is a tremendously good sign for him, and Visma who have lost several classics riders this winter.

“You don’t come close to winning a major classic every day, but these kinds of tactical situations are part of cycling. I can look back on this performance with pride," he adds. "As a team, we also rode a very strong race. We had several riders we could play tactically. I’m very pleased that I was able to deliver a podium finish for the team in one of the biggest races of the spring".

“I think this is Per Strand Hagenes’ breakthrough at the very highest level. In his age group, he was obviously already one of the better riders, and now you can see that riders like him and Alec Segaert are starting to rise to the surface," team DS Arthur van Dongen said in words to IDLProCycling. "At a time when everyone seems to think it all has to happen at 19, riders like him thankfully prove the opposite.”

Visma can look ahead positively with Hagenes' evolution, who is providing the Dutch team with more cards to play in the cobbled monuments. Whilst Christophe Laporte is back to form and Wout Van Aert is looking in peak condition as well, the team needs every help they can get to challenge the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel who have had an iron rule over the classics over the past years.

“Per had already been very strong in other races and had done a very good job for the team, but in terms of result this is extremely impressive in a hard WorldTour race like E3 Harelbeke (correction: E3 Saxo Classic, ed.)".
"When you cross the line in second, your first thought is 'damn'. Especially when you were so close to bringing Mathieu back. But if you are realistic, and we are, then we simply have to be very satisfied with second and seventh place.”

However Visma isn't taking premature conclusions over the Dutchman's crack in the final kilometers; van Dongen does not believe this was a sign of weakness in any way. With Middelkerke - Wevelgem taking place this Sunday where there can be a more even battle between the two teams from the Benelux, the team will not underestimate van der Poel based on the final kilometers of E3.

“This was not Van der Poel showing weakness. I’ve already heard that suggestion, but it really was not that It was down to the race situation and the course, with such a long stretch back to Harelbeke on wide roads and into a headwind," he argued. "You cannot compare that with the Tour of Flanders.”

“Mathieu went very early, and behind him there were still a lot of strong riders together, so then you know it can become difficult on your own. What Van der Poel is doing is exceptional and extremely good. The people who don’t rate that properly have never raced themselves.”