A 'communication error' - Isaac del Toro looked like he was going to start the E3 Saxo Classic; but there will be no cobbled classic on his schedule

The provisional startlist for the E3 Saxo Classic initially included Isaac del Toro, which briefly led to actual questions being raised on whether the Mexican was going to make his debut in the big-time cobbled classics. However it is a false alarm, an error from the organizers, who have now confirmed the UAE Team Emirates - XRG will not be at the start in Harelbeke this Friday.

This Monday afternoon, Dutch news outlet Wielerflits reported that Del Toro could potentially be at the start line of the Belgian race. This would come as major news, taking into consideration Del Toro's talent. With Tadej Pogacar absent, the team had room for Del Toro to experiment himself racing a spring classic, which would make sense taking into consideration his versatility, the evolution of his team leader, and also due to the race's difficulty and how its decided on a very difficult set of climbs including the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg - the same climbs as in the Tour of Flanders.

However, that is not the case, as this morning, race organizer Jacques Coussens confirmed this was a communication error. The Emirati team had Florian Vermeersch, Nils Politt, Rui Oliveira, Julius Johansen and Rune Herregodts set for the race as CyclingUpToDate initially accessed; but the startlist has been updated with the names of António Morgado and Luca Giaimi in the meantime.

Tadej Pogacar is not going to be present, whilst at the time being, all signs point towards Wout Van Aert and Filippo Ganna's absence as well from the 'mini Tour of Flanders'. However, the race will feature Mathieu van der Poel as the top attraction, whilst Lidl-Trek's Mads Pedersen will have a major test of form ahead of the cobbled monuments following his return to racing this past weekend. The race will take place this Friday, between the Tour of Bruges and Middelkerke - Wevelgem in the World Tour calendar.

While fans were eager to see if Del Toro’s light frame and explosive power could translate to the Harelbeke bergs, UAE Team Emirates’ decision to stick to the original plan is a testament to their long-term management of the 22-year-old. After a grueling early season where he won two WorldTour stage races, throwing him into the 'Mini Tour of Flanders'—a race known for high-stress positioning and bone-jarring cobbles—would be a high-risk gamble. By keeping him on the path toward Itzulia Basque Country, the team is prioritizing his metabolic recovery and his quest for a historic third consecutive WorldTour stage race victory in 2026.