E3 Saxo Classic: 17 slip roads over 207 kilometres - everything about the route and TV coverage
Sebastian Lindner
· 20.03.2024
When a motorway was built across Belgium at the beginning of the 1970s, a name was quickly found for a cycle race that was held in this area. Previously named after its start and finish in Harelbeke, a small Belgian town, the number of the motorway, E3, seemed somehow more cosmopolitan to the organisers.
While the motorway has long been called E17, its original name has survived in the race. Whether E3 Preis, E3 Harelbeke or currently E3 Saxo Classic - the original name of the route, which is crossed twice during the course of the race, has endured.
E3 Saxo Classic 2024: the most important facts in brief
- Date: 22 March 2024, estimated arrival ~16:35 hrs
- Distance: 207 kilometres
- Start: Harelbeke, GoalHarelbeke
- Profilehilly
- UCI category: World Tour
- OrganiserKWC Hand in Hand
- Premiere1958, 66th edition
- Last year's winnerWout van Aert
- Favourites check & start list
- To the race report
The route of the E3 Saxo Classic
Not too much has changed on the route compared to last year. The last six slip roads are the same as last year, as are the first five. Here the route is almost unchanged. In the middle section, Hotendberg and Ellestraat are new to the programme, but Eikenberg is missing. In total, there are 17 hellingen on the programme, one more than last year. And more than at any time since 2015.
These are the bright rings of the E3 Saxo Classic 2024
- KM 30.0 - Katteberg
- KM 88.7 - La Houppe
- KM 94.9 - Kanarieberg
- KM 102.8 - Oude Kruisberg
- KM 110.6 - Knokteberg
- KM 114.5 - Hotendberg
- KM 121.6 - Kortekeer
- KM 126.3 - Taaienberg
- KM 134.3 - Berg Ten Stene
- KM 139.5 - Boigneberg
- KM 143.9 - Ellestraat
- KM 148.7 - Stationberg
- KM 159.6 - Kapelberg
- KM 163.7 - Paterberg
- KM 166.5 - Oude Kwaremont
- KM 174.3 - E3 Col Karnemelkbeekstraat
- KM 186.3 - Tiegemberg
From Harelbeke, the route starts at 11.45 a.m. via Waregem to Oudenaarde. Not much happens up to this point. Rolling in is the order of the day. In Oudenaarde, the first slipway awaits with the Katteberg and a bit of cobblestones. It's just a first taste, because up to kilometre 80 it remains relatively quiet otherwise. Even in Geraardsbergen. The route does go uphill there, but not up the Muur.
La Houppe is reached shortly before Ronse. The second slipway marks the start of a constant up and down. Twelve kilometres without a slipway are the highest of emotions until the traditionally last one, the Tiegemberg. Kanarieberg (max. 14 per cent), Kortekeer (max. 17 per cent), the cobbled Taaienberg (max. 16 per cent) and Kapelberg (max. 14 per cent) are the bigger difficulties until the Paterberg gets in the way around 44 kilometres before the finish.
Cobblestones and a maximum gradient of 20.3 per cent repeatedly ensure a preliminary decision before Oude Kwaremont (max. 11.6 per cent and cobbles), Karnemelbeekstraat (max. 18 per cent) and Tiegemberg (max. 9 per cent) await.
After a short detour to Wallonia, the route then heads back to Harelbeke. The finish in Harelbeke is reached via Vichte - and the E17. The last 15 kilometres or so are flat, and small gaps may still be closed here before either a final sprint or a solo winner can be seen on the Stasegemsesteenweg after 207 kilometres.
E3 Saxo Classic 2024 - TV broadcast and live stream
The E3 Prize 2024 will be broadcast live on TV and streamed on Friday. On Eurosport 2 the race will run from 2 p.m. as well as on the paid streaming service from discovery+.
