Van der Poel admits he was right on the limit in phenomenal E3 win: “With five kilometres to go, I was empty too”

At first, it seemed set to become another one of those familiar Van der Poel masterpieces. He accelerated early, split the race apart and launched into a solo effort of around 60 kilometres. But this time, things were far less comfortable than they may have appeared. His advantage began to melt away in the closing phase, and only hesitation behind allowed him to stay clear to the line.

“I started to lose confidence a bit at one point,” Van der Poel admitted afterwards in the flash interview. “I just kept riding my numbers, really. With about a kilometre to go, I thought they were coming back, but I could feel that I wasn’t able to sprint anymore. I just rode as fast as I could, and it was just enough.”

That naturally raises the question of why he chose to go so early. Van der Poel said that was not fully the original intention. “On the Boigneberg, it was more about thinning out the group. I knew the group behind wasn’t going to work together. I ended up alone, and from there to the Paterberg there was a really strong headwind. I felt it was going to be a very difficult effort.”

So even for a rider of Van der Poel’s class, there came a moment when he thought he might not make it. “Yes, definitely. At first I still felt fairly confident, but I know how hard it is to ride alone. I thought I could hold them off, but with around five kilometres to go, I was empty too. In the end I did hold on, but it really cost blood, sweat and tears.”

The chasers came alarmingly close in the final kilometre, but they also started to look at one another instead of fully committing. Van der Poel knew he had to keep going at all costs. “With a little over a kilometre to go, my legs were no longer turning well. When I looked back, I saw they were very close. I knew I would have finished fifth if I had waited, because I simply didn’t have the legs left for a sprint. I just went all-in to the line, seated, and gave everything.”

In the end, that was enough to secure another E3 Saxo Classic title for Van der Poel, who clearly values the race highly. “I’m very happy, but it cost a lot of energy. It’s one of the most beautiful races of the year and one I really enjoy. I’m happy to win here again.” How highly does this one rank for him? His answer said plenty. “It’s definitely one of the wins that hurt the most,” Van der Poel said with a smile.