Good Friday might still be a week away, but as far as the cycling season is concerned Holy Week is about to get underway.
Coming just two days after the Ronde van Brugges, the E3 Saxo Classic has traditionally been seen as the most important race in the run-in to the headline event at the start of Holy Week: the Tour of Flanders. Of all these races, it’s the closest approximation to that route, and includes the pivotal climbs of Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont that define that race.
A good result here had been seen as essential for those wanting to win the Tour of Flanders, until Tadej Pogačar bucked the trend by claiming victory at De Ronde despite having skipped E3 last year. Pogačar will again miss this year’s race, but the start list is still full of the great and the good of Classics racing.
CONTENDERS
MATHIEU VAN DER POEL
With Tadej Pogačar sitting this one out, there’s no doubt who the overwhelming favourite for the victory at E3 is. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is on a remarkable run of winning six of the last eight cobbled classics since spring 2024, including the last two E3 titles, and a comfortable victory at Omloop Nieuwsblad last month suggests he remains as strong as ever. However, there is now a question mark hovering over his form: how well has he recovered from the injury he sustained crashing at Milan-Sanremo? It evidently affected him that day, as he faded to eighth place at the finish, and any lingering effects could, for once, give his rivals hope of challenging him.
Read more: The star and the cyclist: How Van der Poel balances fame and focus
Van der Poel dominated the 2025 edition of the E3 Saxo Classic (Image: Zac Williams / SWpix.com)
MADS PEDERSEN
Less than a week ago, it would have felt like wishful thinking to include Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) on a list of E3 Saxo Classic containers, considering the severity of the crash that forced him out of racing for the best part of two months. But upon his return to racing at Milan-Sanremo last weekend, he looked at his best already, staying in the pack over the climb and then winning the sprint for fourth place. He’s yet to be tested post-injury on the cobbles, and so the E3 presents a whole new challenge, but at his best Pedersen is undoubtedly the man on the start list who can push Van der Poel the closest - as was clear last year, when he was the only man to finish within two minutes of him.
Pedersen was second at last year's E3 Saxo Classic (Image: Zac Williams / SWpix.com)
CHRISTOPHE LAPORTE
In the absence of two-time winner Wout van Aert, who’s targeting Gent-Wevelgem instead, Christophe Laporte gets a chance to lead the Visma-Lease a Bike squad. Laporte played an instrumental role in Van Aert’s first victory here in 2022, when he managed to complete a one-two for the team at the finish, and has started this season starting to show signs of that form, following up a stage win at the Ruta del Sol with fourth at Omloop Nieuwsblad. Though his superior sprint is less of a relevant weapon in a race as selective as this, he still excels on the cobbled climbs, and could be the man most likely to capitalise if the top favourites aren’t fully fit.
Laporte at Omloop Nieuwsblad in February (Image: Getty Images)
JASPER STUYVEN
Signed by Soudal-QuickStep to lead the classics line-up and rejuvenate the squad post-Remco Evenepoel, this will be the first test on the cobbles for Jasper Stuyven. The Belgian has already shown promising form by placing seventh at Milan-Sanremo, but it’s these home Flemish races where his team will be desperate for him to perform. Despite never having won here, Stuyven has great pedigree at this race, making the top six on four occasions, including second-place just two years ago, and, at the age of 33, doesn’t appear to be slowing down yet.
Read more: Back on the Wolf Tracks: Will Soudal Quick-Step regain their cobbled Classics crown?
Jasper Stuyven at Paris-Nice in his new colours of Soudal Quick-Step (Image: Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP via Getty Images)
TIM VAN DIJKE
Picking a leader in a Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe line-up that also includes Gianni Vermeersch, Laurence Pithie, Jan Tratnik and Mick van Dijke is tricky, but, on current form, Mick’s brother Tim van Dijke might be that man. Although he is used to being a domestique, the 26-year-old excelled with the freedom he was given at Omloop Nieuwsblad to finish second, then rode a sublime race in tough conditions to finish third at the decisive stage of Paris-Nice. He’s an outsider, but could be a genuine contender for the victory if backed by his team.
Read more: Are Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe closing the gap to UAE and Visma?
Tim van Dijke has made an impressive start to the 2026 season (Image: David Pintens / Belga / AFP via Getty Images)
OTHER CONTENDERS
Though there is a strong list of sprinters taking part on Friday, including Biniam Girmay (NSN), Luke Lamperti (EF Education-EasyPost) and Tobias Lund Andresen (Picnic-PostNL), the tough nature of the parcours makes this a race that tends to be decided by attacks rather than sprints
It should be a race that suits Florian Vermeersch, who will lead UAE Team Emirates-RG) in the absence of Tadej Pogačar, and started the classics campaign in great nick with third place at Omloop Nieuwsblad.
Ineos Grenadiers will be a team to watch, with Ben Turner providing a fast finish, Magnus Sheffield a big engine and time trial specialist Josh Tarling a wildcard option.
Read more: New name, new backers, new era of success? Optimism is returning to Ineos Grenadiers
While this is familiar territory for old-timers like Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling), Matej Mohorič (Bahrain-Victorious), Dylan Van Baarle (Soudal-QuickStep), all of whom we can expect to see up there, it will be fascinating to see how Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) handles himself on the cobbles.
PREDICTION
Despite his injury doubts, it’d take a brave punter to back anyone other than Mathieu van der Poel. Even at something less than 100%, he has the raw power to defeat everyone in this field.
Cover Image: Dario Belingheri/Getty Images
