2022 E3 Saxo Classic Race Preview
The details of this year's 2022 E3 Saxo Classic are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The cobbled classics season reaches one of its most eagerly anticipated moments as the peloton descends on the roads of West Flanders for the E3 Saxo Bank Classic. This one-day race has long served as a reliable indicator of form heading into the Tour of Flanders the following weekend, and the 2022 edition promises to be no different, with a field packed full of the sport's finest classics specialists ready to do battle over the brutal bergs of the Flemish Ardennes.
The parcours presents riders with a demanding challenge that suits the pure classics men. The Taaienberg, Kortekeer and the fearsome Paterberg all feature, with the Kwaremont also on the menu. The closing kilometres around Harelbeke demand both explosive power and the tactical intelligence to position correctly in the frantic finale.
Mathieu van der Poel arrives at the race as one of the most compelling figures in the field. The Alpecin-Fenix leader has shown flashes of his enormous talent during the early spring and will be eager to lay down a marker before his assault on the Tour of Flanders, a race he won in stunning fashion in 2020.
Wout van Aert is the man most likely to match him. The Jumbo-Visma all-rounder is coming off a remarkable Milan-San Remo victory and has looked sharp and confident throughout the spring. His ability to combine raw power with tactical awareness makes him exceptionally dangerous on these roads.
Trek-Segafredo will look to Mads Pedersen, a former world champion who thrives in these conditions. Jasper Stuyven is another option for the team. Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, as ever, arrive with a formidable squad and will be difficult to discount, with Kasper Asgreen and Yves Lampaert both capable of featuring prominently. Dylan van Baarle of Ineos Grenadiers is a rider capable of causing an upset, having shown strong form in the spring classics previously.
The weather in Flanders at this time of year can be unpredictable, and if wind and rain arrive they could split the peloton and create an even more aggressive race than usual. Expect a brutal encounter from the first ascent of the Taaienberg onwards, with teams trying to isolate rivals and set up their leaders. The race typically comes alive on the Paterberg and Kwaremont, where the gradient demands absolute commitment and exposes any weakness in the legs.
Van Aert and van der Poel are the two names that dominate the conversation, and there is a genuine excitement about seeing these two rivals contest another chapter in what has become one of the great rivalries in modern cycling. The road to Harelbeke is set to deliver another memorable afternoon of cobbled classics racing.
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