E3 Saxo Classic 2026: Van der Poel at the start - confusion surrounding Del Toro

E3 Saxo Classic 2026: the most important facts in brief

• Date: 27 March 2026
• Distance208.5 kilometres
• Start: 12:52 pm, Harelbeke
• Goal: ~17:12-17:50, Harelbeke
• Profilehilly
• UCI category: WorldTour
• Premiere1958, 68th edition
• Last year's winnerMathieu van der Poel

The E3 Saxo Classic race, named after a motorway, is being held for the 68th time this year and has long served as preparation for the Tour of Flanders. Sections of the cycling monument, which is scheduled for 4 April, will be ridden again this year.

Route of the E3 Saxo Classic 2026

The route has changed in some places compared to last year. The Oude Kwaremont is now ridden twice and from different sides. A total of 16 short, tricky climbs (so-called hellingen) await the riders, one less than last year. As always, the first half is all about rolling in and saying goodbye to the day's breakaways. From around the halfway point, however, things really get going. One steep climb follows the next until the last kilometres in Harelbeke are flat again

These are the light rings of the E3 Saxo Classic 2026

1. KM 31.5 - Katteberg
2. KM 75.7 - La Houppe
3. KM 84.9 - Berg Ten Stene
4. KM 107.4 - Oude Kruisberg
5. KM 113.4 - E3 Col Karnemelkbeekstraat
6. KM 121.3 - Keuzelingsstraat - Oude Kwaremont
7. KM 125.7 - Hotendberg
8. KM 132.8 - Kortekeer
9. KM 137.6 - Taaienberg
10. KM 143.8 - Boigneberg
11. KM 148.2 - Eikenberg
12. KM 162.1 - Kapelberg
13. KM 166.2 - Paterberg
14. KM 169.0 - Oude Kwaremont
15. KM 176.8 - E3 Col Karnemelkbeekstraat
16. KM 188.5 - Tiegemberg

The starting signal is given in Harelbeke at 12:52. The route first leads towards Oudenaarde - a phase in which little usually happens because the peloton uses the kilometres to roll in. The first slip road awaits there with the Katteberg: a first foretaste, but by no means a real endurance test. Up to around kilometre 75, the race generally remains relatively calm, as the Katteberg is initially the only difficulty worth mentioning - even in the passage through Geraardsbergen, where the legendary Muur is not on the programme.

Things only start to get serious shortly before Ronse: La Houppe marks the start of an almost continuous up and down that characterises the race until the last traditional slip road, the Tiegemberg (around 20 kilometres before the finish). The Kortekeer (up to 17 per cent), the Taaienberg (up to 16 per cent) and the Kapelberg (up to 14 per cent) are particularly selective. Around 40 kilometres before the finish, a real key climb awaits with the Paterberg; the Kanarieberg, however, will not be ridden this year.

The combination of cobblestones and ramps of up to 20.3 per cent (Paterberg) often provides a preliminary decision in the E3 Saxo Classic. This is immediately followed by the Oude Kwaremont with up to 11.6 per cent and cobbled sections. This is followed by the E3-Col Karnemelbeekstraat (up to 18 per cent) and again the Tiegemberg (up to 9 per cent). From there, it is only around 20 kilometres to the finish in Harelbeke - often a final stage that is decided by a soloist or a small leading group.

The favourites for the E3 Saxo Classic 2026

Mathieu van der Poel starts as the absolute top favourite. The Dutchman won in 2024 and 2025, and the terrain around Harelbeke suits him. Despite a finger injury from Milan-Sanremo, the Dutchman should arrive at the E3 Saxo Classic with great confidence. While Wout van Aert will not contest the race and Christophe Laporte will take on the captain's role, Mads Pedersen is in his team's line-up. Pedersen was already able to make a surprise start at Milan-Sanremo after crashing on the first stage of the Tour of Valencia at the beginning of February. UAE Team Emirates-XRG will be led by Florian Vermeersch after a report about Isaac Del Toro turned out to be a communication error. News of the Mexican's start quickly made the rounds, but was just as quickly denied. The race organiser had mistaken Del Toro for the Dutchman Tibor del Grosso.

With Dylan van Baarle and Jasper Stuyven, Soudal Quick-Step is sending two experienced riders into the race. Van Baarle has already shown strong form in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Stuyven recently finished seventh in Sanremo. Other contenders are Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ), who is riding his first cobbled classic, as well as Matej Mohoric, Kasper Asgreen, Jenno Berckmoes and the brothers Mick and Tim van Dijke.

E3 Saxo Classic 2026: TV broadcast and live stream

In Germany, E3 Saxo Classic 2026 will be broadcast on Friday by 17:00-17:45 on Eurosport 1 and from 16:00-17:45 on Eurosport 2 to see. A live stream is available at Discovery Plus (subject to a charge) from 1:50 pm.