Mayor Kluisbergen calls for action after huge crowds in E3: “It can’t be like this anymore”

In the E3 Saxo Classic, cycling enthusiasts were treated to a duel between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, but afterwards it was not just about this sporting battle. There was hardly any room for the drivers on the Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont last Friday. Philippe Willequet, the mayor of Kluisbergen, is sounding the alarm.

During the E3 Saxo Classic, Mathieu van der Poel was angry with the hundreds of supporters who stood on the roadway and the center conductors just after the Oude Kwaremont. What was also striking: there was hardly any room for the riders on the Kwaremont and Paterberg. It is a thorn in the side of Mayor Willequet. “It can’t be like this anymore,” he says The newspapaer.

“This is reminiscent of the Tour of Flanders, but twenty years ago. Completely occupy the road and only open it at the last minute. The riders could not advance on the Paterberg, because the audience remained standing. The organization will have to provide fences at crucial locations next year. The riders must have free passage.”

Safety compromised
“Their safety was compromised this year and that is really unacceptable,” the mayor continues. “It is also better for the supporters themselves. What if someone trips while pulling out of the way when a car is approaching? Or someone will make the leaders fall. We are going to invite the organizers for a conversation, we don’t want to see the conditions of last Friday again.”