After Milan-San Remo Mathieu van der Poel also wins the E3 Saxo Classic 2025, underlining his role as favourite for the upcoming Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix monuments. After 208.8 kilometres around Harelbeke, the 30-year-old triumphed solo in the cobbled classic ahead of Mads Pedersen (Lidl - Trek). Third place went to Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers).

Results E3 Saxo Classic 2025

That was a very difficult race. I have to thank my team for their exceptional work today. I was very motivated to finish the job - Mathieu van der Poel

It is van der Poel's second consecutive victory at the E3 Harelbeke after 2024. This year, the decision was made on the Oude Kwaremont around 40 kilometres before the finish, when van der Poel attacked from a five-rider lead group and shortly afterwards dropped his last companion, Mads Pedersen. Pedersen had initiated the group with him, van der Poel, Filippo Ganna and the two breakaway riders Aimé De Gendt (Cofidis) and Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step), who had previously been at the front, on the Taienberg a good 80 kilometres before the finish. There, many of the favourites missed the post breakaway - including Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), who had nothing to do with the outcome of the race.

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How the E3 Saxo Classic 2025 went

Like Bruges-De Panne on Wednesday, the E3 Prize was also characterised by a number of crashes. There were several crashes in the early stages. The Soudal Quick-Step team was particularly hard hit, losing three riders. The race was initially very confusing. There were two fields. In the second peloton were the two top favourites Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin - Deceuninck) and Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike). The gap between the two groups was around two minutes at one point. Even before the first peloton, there was a trio at the front of the race: Julius van den Berg (Team Picnic PostNL), Dries De Bondt (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) and Rory Townsend (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team). This trio was caught again around 135 kilometres before the finish. Groupama - FDJ put the pressure on in the first peloton, with Alpecin - Deceuninck riding behind in the second group and finally bringing the two fields together.

Before the finale, two riders, Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step) and Aimé De Gendt (Cofidis), pulled away by a minute. However, this was only a brief interlude. Because 80 kilometres before the finish, Mads Pedersen (Lidl - Trek) attacked on the Taienberg with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin - Deceuninck) on his rear wheel. Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) closed the gap to the two after a slight delay. The trio caught up with Casper Pedersen and De Gendt by stepping up the pace. That left five riders at the front. Visma | Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates - XRG were left behind, as both Wout van Aert and Tim Wellens had missed the post breakaway on the Taienberg. While Wellens rode in the first chasing group, van Aert found himself in the third group.

The leading quintet quickly pulled out a one-minute lead on the six-man chasing group around Wellens. The van Aert group even gained more than two minutes. On the Paterberg, Mads Pedersen pushed the pace again 43 kilometres before the finish, but the Dane was unable to get rid of any of his four rivals. On the Oude Kwaremont, van der Poel then turned the tables and went on the offensive himself. Initially, only Mads Pedersen was able to follow, but the Dane also had to let go after a few hundred metres, meaning that van der Poel rode alone towards the finish over the remaining 38 kilometres. The Dutchman had to overcome a scary moment around 25 kilometres before the finish when he skidded on a roundabout on a wet road, but managed to get his Canyon bike under control again. In the end, van der Poel finished more than a minute ahead of Pedersen. Ganna finished a good minute behind in third place. Behind him, Casper Pedersen sprinted to fourth place, ahead of Jasper Stuyven (Lidl - Trek).