Preview: E3 Saxo Bank Classic. A mini Tour des Flandres will see the big guns battling on the cobbles

On the 25th of March the peloton will return to Flandres for another edition of the E3 Saxo Bank Classic. This is the race that resembles the most to the Tour des Flandres and will be the stage where the classics riders will be looking to confirm their form and their spot before the big targets.

With 205 kilometers on the menu it’s still a fairly long race. When the race hits 120 kilometers to go it will see an increase in activity as the peloton enter the bergs, and with 80 kilometers to go it will go through the Taaienberg which may be the first big point of selection in the peloton, in what is the most similar race to the Tour des Flandres, and will serve as a launchpad for those ambitioning strong results in the remainder of the classics.

The riders go up the Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont by this order, the first with 42.5 kilometers to go, the second with 37.5 kilometers to go. In very quick succession, these two ascents will be the platform for the main attacks from the race favourites who want to make their moves on the bergs. From there on there will be a couple of small bumps on the road, but nothing of similar toughness. The final half hour of racing allows for group organization, and it also allows for team strategy to kick in.

The final startlist has Greg van Avermaet, Oliver Naesen, Matej Mohoric, Rasmus Tiller, Sep Vanmarcke, Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven, Biniam Ghirmay, Dylan van Baarle, Jhonatan Narváez, Nils Politt, Michael Valgren, Soren Kragh Andersen, Victor Campenaerts, Wout van Aert, Tiesj Benoot, Christophe Laporte, Kasper Asgreen, Davide Ballerini, Florian Sénéchal, Zdenek Stybar, Stefan Küng, Alex Aranburu, Ivan Cortina, Peter Sagan and Anthony Turgis.

You will be able to keep up with the race here on CyclingUpToDate as we bring you the race report and interviews surrounding the race.