"I hoped to follow those two, but I am simply too heavy for those climbs" - Filippo Ganna needs to adjust tactics after E3
Cycling
A podium at E3 Saxo Classic is more than acceptable result for Filippo Ganna. After all it's the 28-year-old's best result in a cobbled classic. However the INEOS Grenadiers star aims for more than that, especially at Paris-Roubaix which should suit him better without all those steep Belgian "Murs".
Today he tried to keep up with Mathieu van der Poel and Mads Pedersen, but Ganna quickly learnt that physics indeed do work on steep slopes of Oude Kwaremont when the two left Ganna far behind. "It cost me too much energy," he could still laugh a little in post-race interview.
"I hoped to follow those two, because you hope to do everything right in such a race, but I am simply too heavy for those climbs with those guys. That is why I am very happy with this performance. In the last kilometers I was deep in the red zone, but I had to keep riding…"
"I don’t know how to describe it," Ganna said about the pain he felt on the Kwaremont, where Van der Poel and Pedersen rode away from him. "My legs were on fire. And at the top I saw that it was still 30 kilometers. F*ck, I thought then, because I still had more than half an hour to go… It was very hard, but I’m happy, because my form is good. I’m not the best rider for those steep hills, but I mixed it up and showed myself."
Results of 2025 E3 Saxo Classic:
| Position | Rider | Team | Time |
| 01 | van der Poel Mathieu | Alpecin-Deceuninck | 04:38:11 |
| 02 | Pedersen Mads | Lidl-Trek | + 01:05 |
| 03 | Ganna Filippo | INEOS Grenadiers | + 02:04 |
| 04 | Pedersen Casper | Soudal Quick-Step | + 02:33 |
| 05 | Stuyven Jasper | Lidl-Trek | + 02:33 |
| 06 | Küng Stefan | Groupama-FDJ | + 02:33 |
| 07 | De Gendt Aimé | Cofidis | + 02:33 |
| 08 | Wellens Tim | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 02:35 |
| 09 | Jorgenson Matteo | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 02:38 |
| 10 | Teunissen Mike | XDS Astana Team | + 02:43 |
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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