The E3 Saxo Classic is the mini Tour of Flanders, which is both good and bad for the race. Whilst it serves as the most identical preparation towards the Flandrien monument, at the same time it is a brutal race that is hard to recover from. Most likely for that reason, we should not see Wout Van Aert at the start line in Harelbeke this coming week.
The race is the only one in the calendar which also features (two) ascents of the Oude Kwaremont, and one of the Paterberg. It is a race that largely follows the same roads in its decisive sections, making it incredibly difficult and selective.
A lot of riders use it for specific preparation but at the very top, the main leaders such as Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel and other have their schedule tailor-made towards their needs. For this it is imperative to combine quality training, recons for the main races; but also avoid crashes and injuries as much as possible, as well as managing fatigue.
For some, it's a risk worth taking - it is also a highly prestigious World Tour race on its own. For others, it is an unnecessary step towards Flanders and Roubaix. Wout Van Aert was expected to lead Visma at the first of the main five cobbled classics in the late spring block, but according to Het Laatste Nieuws and Het Nieuwsblad, he will not.
Instead he will cut down on that race day for extra training, whilst keeping both Middelkerke - Wevelgem and Dwars door Vlaanderen in his schedule. This will be his specific preparation towards the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, in which he was fourth last year in both.
After finishing third at Milano-Sanremo, the Belgian is giving all the positive signs. This has come after three months in which he suffered an ankle fracture, had his season delayed due to illness and also saw him crash at a key moment of the Italian monument.
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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