2026 E3 Saxo Classic Race Preview
The details of this year's 2026 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 kicks off for real on Friday with the 68th edition of the E3 Saxo Classic, a 208.5-kilometre test that traditionally serves as the dress rehearsal for the Tour of Flanders, and the opening salvo of the ten-day Flemish Cycling Week.
On paper, the early kilometres offer a false sense of calm. The first half of the race features just three climbs and three cobbled sectors, giving the peloton time to settle before the real selection begins. But once the riders crest the Oude Kruisberg just past the midway point, the tone shifts dramatically.
What follows is a relentless sequence of Flemish staples. Within roughly 40 kilometres, the route stacks the E3-Col, Oude Kwaremont, Hotondberg, Kortekeer, Taaienberg, Boigneberg and Eikenberg in rapid succession, the kind of terrain that fractures the field and exposes any weakness. After a brief lull, the race sharpens again with the Kapelberg, quickly followed by the brutally steep cobbles of the Paterberg. At just under 400 metres but averaging 12.9%, it is short and savage, especially with the Oude Kwaremont looming immediately after.
From the summit of the Kwaremont, 38 kilometres remain, more than enough road for attacks, regroupings and tactical gambles. The E3-Col returns 6.5 kilometres later, its ramps kicking up to 18%, before the final obstacles: the flat cobbles of the Varent and the Tiegemberg, the latter cresting with 19.2 kilometres still to race. From there, it is a fast run-in to the finish on the Stasegemsesteenweg in Harelbeke, where positioning and residual strength decide the outcome.
Recent history suggests the decisive move may come from distance. Mathieu van der Poel has dominated the last two editions, most memorably in 2025 when he attacked on the Oude Kwaremont and rode clear for a commanding solo victory, finishing more than a minute ahead of Mads Pedersen, with Filippo Ganna rounding out the podium. The Dutchman’s ability to turn this race into a one-man show has made him the benchmark on this terrain.
He returns again as the rider to beat, leading an Alpecin–Deceuninck squad that also includes Tibor Del Grosso and Oscar Riesebeek. But the start list is deep with contenders capable of animating the race. Matej Mohorič and Attila Valter headline Bahrain Victorious, while EF Education–EasyPost brings former winner Kasper Asgreen alongside Michael Valgren and rising American Luke Lamperti.
INEOS Grenadiers fields time trial powerhouse Joshua Tarling, and Lidl–Trek lines up Søren Kragh Andersen, Mathias Vacek and Toms Skujins. Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe has a versatile group, including Jan Tratnik and Laurence Pithie, while Soudal–QuickStep looks to Jasper Stuyven and Dylan van Baarle for firepower on the cobbles. Christophe Laporte leads Visma | Lease a Bike, with support from Axel Zingle and Timo Kielich.
Further depth comes from riders like Valentin Madouas, Romain Grégoire and Fred Wright, while Uno-X Mobility’s Jonas Abrahamsen and Tudor’s Rick Pluimers add to the attacking options in what is typically one of the most aggressive races of the spring.
First held in 1958, the race, formerly known as E3 Harelbeke, has long been a key barometer ahead of De Ronde. Tom Boonen remains the record holder with five victories, while Rick Van Looy won four times in an earlier era. Among active riders, van der Poel and Wout van Aert share the distinction of multiple wins, underlining the race’s status as a proving ground for the sport’s biggest Classics stars.
The race rolls out at 12:45 local time and is expected to finish around 17:30, kicking off a block of racing that also includes Gent-Wevelgem, Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Flanders.
If recent editions are any indication, expect fireworks well before the finish, and don’t be surprised if the winning move comes on the Kwaremont, long before Harelbeke comes into view.
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