A race motorbike just ahead of the three-man breakaway at E3 Saxo Classic today crashed on the Oude Kwaremont and then slid into spectators standing by the roadside waiting for the leaders to pass.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Wout van Aert (Jumbo) were just behind the motorbike but were able to weave their way around it.
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Indeed, the minor delay it caused appeared to offer some respite for Van Aert, who was struggling off the back of his fellow escapees with 38km to go. In the end, Van Aert took victory in a sprint from the three-man group into Harelbeke after 204km of racing.
He overpowered Van der Poel in the sprint, just six days after finishing 3rd to the Dutchman at Milan-Sanremo. Today Pogačar was well-beaten by his two rivals in the final dash to the line and had to settle for 3rd.
Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar Team) placed 4th at 33 seconds; the young American now really coming into his own this season. The 23-year-old won a stage and the overall at Tour of Oman last month before placing 8th overall at Paris-Nice two weeks ago.
