On the 28th March the riders will take on the single best warm-up race ahead of the Tour of Flanders. The E3 Saxo Classic has gained a reputation of it's own as one of the toughest one-day races in the World Tour calendar, and this year it will once again be the only race where Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert will meet ahead of Flanders. We take a look at it's profile.
This race is what I consider the main warm up for the Tour des Flanders. It features an hour less of racing in comparison to the second monument of the season, however the profile is very similar and the race is to be decided on a very similar set of climbs.
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With 209 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 81 kilometers to go it will go through the Taaienberg which may be the first big point of selection in the peloton.
Afterwards, a series of paved climbs and the Stationsberg which comes with 58Km to go, these can be points of attack for those looking to anticipate the big climbs which will follow.
The order is the opposite of Flanders here, as the Paterberg/Oude Kwaremont combo sees the short ascent first, and it comes with 43.5 kilometers to go, still quite far away from the finish but with it’s toughness it will inevitably cause damage in the peloton.
With 38 kilometers to go comes the Oude Kwaremont. 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. With 31.5 and 20.5 kilometers to go there are some small bergs, and a cobbled sector as well with 23Km to go. These won’t be as hard, however after a hard race they can be used to create further damage, however it is more expected that groups will try to consolidate their gaps.
The final 20 kilometers will be essentially pan-flat, and it is possible to organize a chase with the goal of catching smaller groups or an eventual solo rider that may be in front. This flat section will force a lot of tactical decisions, and should be crucial for the outcome.
They are roads where you can put on a chase, but simultaneously big splits are frequent in E3. Those racing for victory and starting the flat section in the lead have the advantage.
HELDEN!!!
— E3 Saxo Classic (@E3SaxoClassic) December 5, 2024
We hebben heel veel HELDEN op E3 Saxo Classic
Onze vrijwilligers, de kern en de basis van onze wielerwedstrijd.#E3SaxoClassic#dagvandevrijwilliger pic.twitter.com/2qnJY5XfkQ
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- I love listening to Geraint Thomas, he is such a great sportsman.awp26-03-2025
- Liege or Amstel are a little different. Only he knows what really works for him. I'm a bit disappointed that he is not going to focus on any other races potentially until the Dauphine. If you don't have race days in the legs no matter how good you are it generally gives a negative result. I had argued that he knew what works for him the other day but he seems to have maybe a mental block or is still a bit gun shy from last year's crash, which to be honest, was pretty bad. He might be in his last season or two. I hope not because he can still do quite a bit of winning if he gets his head right.awp26-03-2025
- Do you need a tissue since I seem to have offended you with my comment?frieders326-03-2025
- You mean Liege or Amstel or Flech doesn't play to his abilities ? That's a cop out !frieders326-03-2025
- He beat a field of second rate sprinters....yawn!frieders326-03-2025
- He didn't beat any top class sprinters in this race so slow the roll!frieders326-03-2025
- I think, sometimes, women's races are more interesting because of their unpredictability due to their silly mistakes. The most recent ones seem to always involve Demi Vollering against SD Worx. 11% is way too discriminative. Is there no guardrail in EU laws that prevent this sort of discrimination?
KerisVroom26-03-2025 - Good for him but not exactly the most competitive field, though better than what Froome would try ;-) Let’s wait and see if he can keep things up over time.Mistermaumau25-03-2025
- Huh? So when the men’s is boring and the women’s isn’t should they transfer money or how do you suggest to do things. Last I heard, it’s a bunch of mostly ageing chubby men who set the criteria for women’s races (and in most sports it’s still rather like how religions are run). Don’t think the girls are particularly against doing the same races as the men. Anyway, there’s a huge unjustified gap between 11% of and a difference of 11%. Doubt this happens at the Olympics.Mistermaumau25-03-2025
- C’mon, nobody has ever spoken of Ganna in the same breath as those two until a few months ago and he showed how close a thing it can be when he’s on form, nobody can know in advance what form Remco will have, his Olympic form would cause even Tadej problems, and Wout, well, we’ll just have to wait and see but you can’t really write him off in advance.Mistermaumau25-03-2025