Preview E3 Saxo Classic 2024 | Three times Van Aert, Van der Poel's first season victory, or...?

Looking at the recent honor roll of the E3 Saxo Classic, you will spot only the top riders in the world. In the early tens, Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara often shared the victories. With three-time world champion Peter Sagan (2014), Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas (2015), world champion Michal Kwiatkowski (2016), Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet (2017) and then classic specialists like Niki Terpstra, Kasper Asgreen, and in the last two years Wout van Aert, we see nothing but the greatest of talents.

Last season, the E3 Saxo Classic turned into a fantastic battle between Van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar. On the Oude Kwaremont, the Belgian seemed to struggle against his two rivals but ultimately finished it off beautifully in a three-way sprint. Afterwards came the famous "I don't have to do anything" roar into the camera.

2023 Wout van Aert
2022Wout van Aert
2021 Kasper Asgreen
2020 Not ridden
2019 Zdenek Stybar
2018 Niki Terpstra
2017 Greg Van Avermaet
2016 Michal Kwiatkowski
2015 Geraint Thomas
2014 Peter Sagan

The E3 Saxo Classic is also known as the little Tour of Flanders, largely due to the course. It spans 207 kilometers, about 63 kilometers shorter than the Tour of Flanders, but the Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont are typically where the decisive selections are made, just as in the Tour.

Starting and finishing in Harelbeke, the race mainly celebrates this town before heading towards the Flemish Ardennes for the famous climbs. The Katteberg is the first climb after thirty kilometers, but the pre-final really starts around eighty kilometers in, with La Houppe and the Kanarieberg, followed by rapid succession of climbs.

The Taaienberg, after approximately 125 kilometers, usually initiates a significant selection. In the Tom Boonen years, the Belgian consistently launched his first attack here, but the big names of today are equally familiar with this climb.

Just like in the Tour of Flanders, the Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont are crucial, tackled once in the E3 after more than 160 kilometers of racing, followed only by the Karnemelkbeekstraat and Tiegemberg in the forty kilometers towards Harelbeke.

Climbs
30.0 km: Katteberg (750 m at 6%)
88.7 km: La Houppe (1900 m at 4.8%)
94.9 km: Kanarieberg (1000 m at 7.7%)
102.8 km: Oude Kruisberg (800 m at 4.8%)
110.5 km: Knokteberg (1300 m at 7%)
114.5 km: Hotondberg (1200 m at 4%)
121.6 km: Kortekeer (1000 m at 6.4%)
126.3 km: Taaienberg (700 m at 6.3%)
134.4 km: Berg Ten Stene (1300 m at 5.2%)
138.5 km: Boigneberg (1000 m at 5.2%)
141.3 km: Ellestraat (1250 m at 6.2%)
148.7km: Stationberg (700 m at 3.2%)
159.6 km: Kapelberg (750m at 7.1%)
164.7km: Paterberg (400m at 12.9%)
166.5km: Oude Kwaremont (2200m at 4%)
174.3km: Karnemelkbeekstraat (1500m at 4.9%)
186.3km: Tiegemberg (750m at 5.6%)

Cobblestone lanes
30.5 km: Holleweg (1500 m)
42.5 km: Paddestraat (1500 m)
149.0 km: Mariaborrestraat (1000 m)
179.7 km: Varent (1200 m)

Weather
The weather this week in Belgium is dry, so racing conditions on Friday are relatively good, with temperatures around 13 degrees Celsius and a southeast wind of three on the Beaufort scale.

Times
Start: 11:52 AM
Finish: approximately 4:35 PM

Two of last year's three protagonists will participate again this year: Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel. Van Aert, the winner of the last two editions, is coming from his altitude training in Tenerife, alongside Jan Tratnik, Per Strand Hagenes and Tiesj Benoot. The Belgian opted for this approach, skipping Strade Bianche, Paris-Nice, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo, with the E3 Saxo Classic being the first test of this strategy.

Visma | Lease a Bike is bringing an impressive lineup to Harelbeke. Alongside Tratnik and Benoot, Matteo Jorgenson, Christophe Laporte and Dylan van Baarle will start. For Van Baarle, this marks the start of his main season period, while Jorgenson will be confident after his overall win in Paris-Nice. Laporte was ill for Milan-San Remo, so he remains a question mark.

Van der Poel leads a slightly less formidable team for Alpecin-Deceuninck but assumes the role of the outright leader. The Dutchman started his season last week in Milan-San Remo, where he assisted Jasper Philipsen to victory. With Philipsen absent in the E3, all focus is on the Dutch world champion. Soren Kragh Andersen is expected to be Van der Poel’s last man.

Others to watch include consistent performers in the major classics. Matej Mohoric was the last rider to hold onto the Big Three last year and is aiming for a strong finish again. Mads Pedersen and Jasper Stuyven showed their form in Milan-San Remo, where Julian Alaphilippe also made an appearance. Alaphilippe, along with Kasper Asgreen, leads Soudal Quick-Step, also featuring Yves Lampaert, Gianni Moscon and Casper Pedersen.

Michael Matthews (second for Jayco AlUla) and Alberto Bettiol (fifth for EF Education-EasyPost), both of whom were in Milan-San Remo’s top five, are also notable contenders. Arnaud De Lie, opting out of that race, showed his prowess in the GP Denain and Bredene-Koksijde Classic.

Stefan Küng and Valentin Madouas aim to repeat their previous E3 performances for Groupama-FDJ. INEOS Grenadiers is counting on Jhonatan Narváez and Magnus Sheffield, in the absence of Tom Pidcock and Filippo Ganna. UAE-Team Emirates, without Pogacar this time around, looks to Tim Wellens, Marc Hirschi and Nils Politt.

Other contenders include Biniam Girmay, Danny van Poppel, Oier Lazkano, Krists Neilands, Matteo Trentin, Rasmus Tiller, Oliver Naesen, Pierre Gautherat, Jannik Steimle and Axel Zingle. A top-ten finish would be a significant achievement for their teams.

Top favorites: Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Outsiders: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Matteo Jorgenson, Jan Tratnik (Visma | Lease a Bike), Tim Wellens (UAE-Team Emirates) and Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious)
Long shots: Christophe Laporte, Tiesj Benoot, Dylan van Baarle (Visma | Lease a Bike), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers), Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost), Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek), Julian Alaphilippe, Kasper Asgreen (Soudal Quick-Step), Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla) and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny)

To watch the E3 Saxo Classic live on Friday, tune in to Sporza (VRT 1) or Eurosport (main channel and online platforms) from 2:00 PM.