Van der Poel wins Belgium’s E3 as Ayuso regains lead at Catalunya

Defending champion Mathieu van der Poel launched a solo attack on a cobbled climb 38km from the line and went on to win the E3 Classic on Friday.

The win is an achievement in itself for the Dutch master but also a warm-up for next Sunday’s similar, but longer, Tour of Flanders, where Van der Poel is also defending champion.

This is the 30-year-old’s third win from three races this season.

Now he will go on to tackle two ultra-long Monuments, the Tour of Flanders on April 6 and Paris-Roubaix a week later.

Danish rider Mads Pedersen was second at 1min 7sec, with Filippo Ganna third, another 58sec adrift, less than a week after he came second to Van der Poel in an epic struggle on the Milan-San Remo.

“He is so strong. When he attacks like that and you see him go, it is impossible to keep up with him. I am happy with second today,” said Pedersen

Belgian Wout van Aert, twice a winner of the race, was caught in an early split and appears a long way off the form needed to win either of the two upcoming Monuments.

The race Friday featured a nasty fall after just 3km with Paul Magnier, Martin Svrcek and Tim Merlier three of five riders taken to hospital.

Meanwhile, Juan Ayuso continued his close battle with Primoz Roglic of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, taking the upper hand in an intermediate sprint and reclaiming the leader’s jersey by a margin of just 1” heading into the final weekend of the Volta a Catalunya.

“The perfect scenario would have been for Roglič to have been behind but with such a good and strong rider like him, it is always hard,” Ayuso said, reflecting on the stage.

“I am happy I was in the front, I arrived safely. I got the bonus second, which is only one second but we don’t know on Sunday if that could be the deciding second to win or lose. I would prefer to have the second than not to have it!

“In any other race, one second would not be something to lose any energy on, but in this race we have seen many times that it can be decided by small margins.

“On paper tomorrow is the hardest stage, in my opinon. It has the hardest climb and it is the easiest to lose time or gain time. We will have to play it smartly because everything is super tight, but I have a strong team around me and I hope tomorrow I can still be in the jersey.”

Elsewhere at Coppi e Bartali, Igor Arrieta took a solid second place on stage 4 behind the solo arrival of Ben Tulett (Visma-Lease a Bike).

There was movement in the final 20km from veteran climber Rafał Majka who put in a strong attack on the penultimate climb of the day, taking with him the Belgian duo of Jarno Wildar (Lotto) and Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step). But as the steep Valico Rio Chiè climb approached, it was Arrieta who came to the fore. The Spaniard followed the right wheels and showed his strength as the slopes reached their toughest.

Crossing the line in second behind the day’s winner, Arrieta moves into fourth place in the general classification, just 23 down on the race lead of Tulett with a stage to go.

Arrieta: “It’s been quite a nervous race today, mostly because of the rain. The legs felt good and I tried to save a bit until the last climb to make a move. I pushed hard on the last section but Tulett was just too far ahead at that point and stronger. We’ll try again tomorrow.”

Over in Belgium, Tim Wellens produced a valiant display to finish among the the top 10 at the E3 Saxo Classic. The Belgian rouleur was well in the fight all afternoon and behind the solo displays of Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) - first, second, and third respectively - the UAE Team Emirates-XRG man was among the first chase group across the line.

Taking eighth place in Harelbeke, Wellens showed himself in a strong vein of form as the team looks towards another big opportunity at Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields on Sunday.