Final startlist E3 Saxo Classic 2026 | Riders: Mathieu van der Poel and Mads Pedersen lead the way; But no Pogacar or Van Aert
Cycling
On the 27th of March, the peloton takes on the E3 Saxo Classic, often nicknamed the 'mini Tour of Flanders'. With the peloton taking on the famous Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont, the race comes as the most similar event to the first cobbled monument and is a key part of most riders' spring campaign. We take a look at its startlist.
The race's first edition was back in 1958, won by Armand Desmet. Belgian legend Rik van Looy won it four times between 1964 and 1968 and right after Roger de Vlaeminck also left his mark in the race's history. E3 doesn't pack the palmarès of the Tour of Flanders, but isn't far behind, being so competitive that despite several attempts, Eddy Merckx has never managed to win it.
Some sprinters have also managed to leave their mark here, including Mario Cippolini in 1993 and of course Peter Sagan more recently. But the Flandrien legends were all present and winning throughout the generations: Johan Museeuw, Peter van Petegem, Tom Boonen (four consecutive wins from 2004 to 2007)... Fabian Cancellara won it three times; and the likes of Geraint Thomas, Michal Kwiatkowski, Greg van Avermaet, Niki Terpstra, Zdenek Stybar, Kasper Asgreen have also marked their names in the race.
In 2022 and 2023 Wout Van Aert won it, in the latter taking perhaps his best win over Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar directly. However in the last two years van der Poel took uncontested wins - in 2025 he won with a long-range solo attack, beating Mads Pedersen.
Read also
Download the startlist in A4. Tadej Pogacar is focusing on the Tour of Flanders exclusively when it comes to the Flandrien classics, whilst Wout Van Aert is limiting his racing schedule and not taking on the 'mini Flanders'.
Hence it will be a battle between Mathieu van der Poel - the man to beat and two-time defending champion; Mads Pedersen who has here his key test ahead of the cobbled monuments to learn his current form; and several other specialists.
Startlist E3 Saxo Classic 2026
| Alpecin - Premier Tech | |
| 1 | Poel, Mathieu van der |
| 2 | Bayer, Tobias |
| 3 | Del Grosso, Tibor |
| 4 | Dillier, Silvan |
| 5 | Gogl, Michael |
| 6 | Planckaert, Edward |
| 7 | Riesebeek, Oscar |
| Bahrain Victorious | |
| 11 | Mohorič, Matej |
| 12 | Eržen, Zak |
| 13 | Gradek, Kamil |
| 14 | Segaert, Alec |
| 15 | Skerl, Daniel |
| 16 | Stockwell, Oliver |
| 17 | Valter, Attila |
| Decathlon CMA CGM Team | |
| 21 | Naesen, Oliver |
| 22 | Pestel, Sander De |
| 23 | Bol, Cees |
| 24 | Gautherat, Pierre |
| 25 | Andresen, Tobias Lund |
| 26 | Dewulf, Stan |
| 27 | Hoole, Daan |
| EF Education - EasyPost | |
| 31 | Lamperti, Luke |
| 32 | Mihkels, Madis |
| 33 | Honoré, Mikkel |
| 34 | Walker, Max |
| 35 | Schwarzbacher, Matthias |
| 36 | Simmons, Colby |
| 37 | Valgren, Michael |
| Groupama - FDJ United | |
| 41 | Grégoire, Romain |
| 42 | Gruel, Thibaud |
| 43 | Huens, Axel |
| 44 | Jacobs, Johan |
| 45 | Madouas, Valentin |
| 46 | Russo, Clément |
| 47 | Tronchon, Bastien |
| INEOS Grenadiers | |
| 51 | Heiduk, Kim |
| 52 | Sheffield, Magnus |
| 53 | Shmidt, Artem |
| 54 | Swift, Connor |
| 55 | Tarling, Josh |
| 56 | Turner, Ben |
| 57 | Watson, Sam |
| Lidl - Trek | |
| 61 | Pedersen, Mads |
| 62 | Theuns, Edward |
| 63 | Norsgaard, Mathias |
| 64 | Teutenberg, Tim Torn |
| 65 | Walscheid, Max |
| 66 | Vacek, Mathias |
| 67 | Vergaerde, Otto |
| Lotto - Intermarché | |
| 71 | Berckmoes, Jenno |
| 72 | Braet, Vito |
| 73 | Grignard, Sébastien |
| 74 | Grisel, Matys |
| 75 | Rutsch, Jonas |
| 76 | Boven, Luca Van |
| 77 | Sintmaartensdijk, Roel van |
| Movistar Team | |
| 81 | García Cortina, Iván |
| 82 | Barrenetxea, Jon |
| 83 | Maciejuk, Filip |
| 84 | Canal, Carlos |
| 85 | Adrià, Roger |
| 86 | Serrano, Gonzalo |
| 87 | Torres, Albert |
| NSN Cycling Team | |
| 91 | Girmay, Biniam |
| 92 | Hofstetter, Hugo |
| 93 | Boivin, Guillaume |
| 94 | Louvel, Matîs |
| 95 | Raisberg, Nadav |
| 96 | Asbroeck, Tom Van |
| 97 | Tricht, Floris Van |
| Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe | |
| 101 | Vermeersch, Gianni |
| 102 | Drizners, Jarrad |
| 103 | Marit, Arne |
| 104 | Tratnik, Jan |
| 105 | Dijke, Mick van |
| 106 | Dijke, Tim van |
| 107 | Pithie, Laurence |
| Soudal - Quick-Step | |
| 111 | Stuyven, Jasper |
| 112 | Pedersen, Casper |
| 113 | Reinderink, Pepijn |
| 114 | Baarle, Dylan van |
| 115 | Gestel, Dries Van |
| 116 | Vervenne, Jonathan |
| 117 | Vangheluwe, Warre |
| Team Jayco AlUla | |
| 121 | Krijnsen, Jelte |
| 122 | O'Brien, Kelland |
| 123 | Bondt, Dries De |
| 124 | Pooter, Dries De |
| 125 | Donaldson, Robert |
| 126 | Durbridge, Luke |
| 127 | Sütterlin, Jasha |
| Team Picnic PostNL | |
| 131 | Jakobsen, Fabio |
| 132 | Biesterbos, Frits |
| 133 | Flynn, Sean |
| 134 | Koerdt, Bjoern |
| 135 | Peace, Oliver |
| 136 | Haquin, Henri-François |
| 137 | Broek, Frank van den |
| Team Visma - Lease a Bike | |
| 141 | Laporte, Christophe |
| 142 | Affini, Edoardo |
| 143 | Doull, Owain |
| 144 | Fiorelli, Filippo |
| 145 | Hagenes, Per Strand |
| 146 | Kielich, Timo |
| 147 | Zingle, Axel |
| UAE Team Emirates XRG | |
| 151 | Vermeersch, Florian |
| 152 | Oliveira, Rui |
| 153 | Bjerg, Mikkel |
| 154 | Johansen, Julius |
| 155 | Herregodts, Rune |
| 156 | Politt, Nils |
| 157 | Morgado, António |
| Uno-X Mobility | |
| 161 | Abrahamsen, Jonas |
| 162 | Bystrøm, Sven Erik |
| 163 | Blume Levy, William |
| 164 | Hoelgaard, Markus |
| 165 | Ingebrigtsen, Storm |
| 166 | Løland, Sakarias Koller |
| 167 | Tiller, Rasmus |
| XDS Astana Team | |
| 171 | Bettiol, Alberto |
| 172 | Fedorov, Yevgeniy |
| 173 | Livyns, Arjen |
| 174 | Romele, Alessandro |
| 175 | Syritsa, Gleb |
| 176 | Teunissen, Mike |
| 177 | Toneatti, Davide |
| Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | |
| 181 | Gendt, Aimé De |
| 182 | Frison, Frederik |
| 183 | Meurisse, Xandro |
| 184 | Małecki, Kamil |
| 185 | Moer, Brent Van |
| 186 | Wright, Fred |
| 187 | Zukowsky, Nick |
| Tudor Pro Cycling Team | |
| 191 | Trentin, Matteo |
| 192 | Froideveaux, Robin |
| 193 | Haller, Marco |
| 194 | Kluckers, Arthur |
| 195 | Lienhard, Fabian |
| 196 | Mikutis, Aivaras |
| 197 | Pluimers, Rick |
| Burgos Burpellet BH | |
| 201 | Alleno, Clément |
| 202 | Alvarez, Rodrigo |
| 203 | De La Calle, Hugo |
| 204 | Fagúndez, Eric |
| 205 | Kmínek, Vojtěch |
| 206 | Mayer, Alexandre |
| 207 | Bouglas, Georgios |
| Team Flanders - Baloise | |
| 211 | Deweirdt, Siebe |
| 212 | Lambrecht, Michiel |
| 213 | Lanhove, Milan |
| 214 | Maris, Elias |
| 215 | Thonnon, Senne |
| 216 | Hemelen, Vincent Van |
| 217 | Vandenstorme, Dylan |
| TotalEnergies | |
| 221 | Turgis, Anthony |
| 222 | Dujardin, Sandy |
| 223 | Boulahoite, Rayan |
| 224 | Brunel, Alexys |
| 225 | Marcerou, Nicola |
| 226 | Gachignard, Thomas |
| 227 | Vadic, Baptiste |
| Unibet Rose Rockets | |
| 231 | Augé, Ronan |
| 232 | Vries, Hartthijs de |
| 233 | Geleijn, Owen |
| 234 | Johannink, Jelle |
| 235 | Loockx, Lander |
| 236 | Meris, Sergio |
| 237 | Toupalík, Adam |

Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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