E3 Saxo Bank Classic 2021: Asgreen wins with double solo

foto: Cor VosKasper Asgreen goes solo with 70 kilometres left. Van der Poel, Van Avermaet, Stybar, Naesen, Sénéchal and Van Baarle bring him back in the finale before the Dane goes again inside the last 5 kilometres. This time he solos to triumph. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results E3 Saxo Bank Classic 2021

1. Kasper Asgreen (den)
2. Florian Sénéchal (fra) + 0.32
3. Mathieu van der Poel (nld) s.t.
4. Oliver Naesen (bel) s.t.
5. Zdenek Stybar (cze) s.t.
6. Greg Van Avermaet (bel) s.t.
7. Dylan van Baarle (nld) s.t.
8. Markus Hoelgaard (nor) + 1.28
9. Gianni Vermeersch (bel) + 1.30
10. Marco Haller (aut) s.t.

Race report
In a fast opening it takes a while before a lead group takes shape, but eventually Haller, Milan, Brunel, Jacobs, Mas, Van der Hoorn and Tiller manage to jump off the front before Wallays, De Vylder and Van den Berg track them down. Greipel and Terpstra also bridge across. The twelve race to a maximum lead of 3 minutes.

Quinn Simmons goes after the leaders on the Kortekeer, with roughly 85 kilometres remaining. Moments later the big favourites Van Aert and Van der Poel open fire. Title defender Stybar, Trentin, Asgreen, Lampaert, Sénéchal, Stuyven and Matthews follow the move.

Van Aert punctures and winds up in a chasing group with the likes of Van Avermaet, while the group Van der Poel tracks down the twelve leaders.

Shortly Asgreen heads out alone – with still 70 kilometres remaining Van Aert makes it back with a small peloton in his wheel.

Following a lot of movement Turgis, Naesen, Sénéchal, Haller, Gianni Vermeersch and Hoelgaard go after the Dane with 55 kilometres left. Van Aert, Van der Poel, Van Averaet and Stybar strike on the Paterberg to rejoin the six chasers.

Asgreen enters the last 20 kilometres with a lead of 30 seconds. Then Van Aert strikes on the Tiegemberg and Van der Poel takes over. Van Avermaet, Stybar, Naesen and Sénechal go with the Dutchman, while Van Aert misses the punch to join them. Van Baarle bridges across to the chase group.

The six catch Asgreen with 12 kilometres left to race.

The Dane strikes again inside the last 5 kilometres and this its for the win. His teammate Sénéchal sprints to second place ahead of Mathieu van der Poel.

Another interesting read: route 2021 E3 Saxo Bank Classic.