2024 E3 Saxo Classic Race Preview
The details of this year's 2024 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 Harelbeke. Coming just a week before the Tour of Flanders, this race has long served as one of the most reliable indicators of form heading into the biggest cobbled monument of the spring, and the 2024 edition promises to deliver another captivating afternoon of racing across the bergs and cobblestones of the Flemish Ardennes.
The race covers around 207 kilometres from Bruges to Harelbeke, packing in a formidable collection of climbs in its final third. The Taaienberg, Oude Kwaremont, and Paterberg all feature prominently, with the Kwaremont and Paterberg appearing twice in the closing kilometres, ensuring that only the strongest riders will survive with a realistic chance of contesting the finish. The parcours rewards those who can punch repeatedly over short, steep climbs while maintaining the kind of sustained power output that cobbled racing demands above all else.
Mathieu van der Poel arrives as the dominant force in this corner of the cycling calendar. The Alpecin-Deceuninck leader has been in sensational form and will be looking to stamp his authority on the race just as he has done so memorably in recent editions of the spring classics. His combination of raw power, technical skill on the roughest surfaces, and an almost preternatural ability to read a race makes him the obvious favourite, and his team will likely structure the day around putting him in the best possible position when the roads begin to rise sharply in the final hour.
Tadej Pogacar has made his intentions for the cobbled classics abundantly clear this spring and the UAE Team Emirates leader represents the most compelling threat to van der Poel's dominance. The Slovenian has shown remarkable versatility throughout his career and has been targeting these races with serious ambition, bringing with him a depth of form that suggests he should not be underestimated regardless of the terrain.
Wout van Aert and Visma Lease a Bike will be looking to bounce back after a complicated start to the classics season, and the Belgian is never anything less than dangerous on roads like these. His ability to suffer, sprint, and climb means he can win from a variety of situations, and the E3 has historically suited a rider of his considerable all-round abilities. The team around him is strong enough to set up the race in a way that plays to his strengths.
Mads Pedersen has matured into one of the most dependable performers in this part of the calendar and the Lidl-Trek rider will fancy his chances of being involved at the sharp end of affairs once again. His strength on the cobbles and his tactical intelligence make him a constant threat, particularly if a small group arrives together at the finish where his finishing speed becomes a decisive weapon.
Jasper Philipsen and the rest of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team will be supporting van der Poel while remaining threats in their own right, and riders like Tom Pidcock and Stefan Küng could emerge as dark horses if the race fragments in unexpected ways across the Flemish bergs.
The weather in Flanders at this time of year can play a significant role in how events unfold, and any wind or rain will add another layer of difficulty to an already brutal parcours. Expect the real race to ignite on the first passage of the Kwaremont, with the Paterberg serving as the crucible in which the winning move is most likely to be forged. A select group reaching Harelbeke together is possible, but the sheer quality of the favourites means an early attack from one of the big names trying to shred the peloton on the steepest gradients cannot be ruled out.
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