E3 Prijs Harelbeke podium history | 1971 edition | 1973 edition

Hubert Hutsebaut beats Eddy Merckx and Walter Godefroot to the line.

The race: Walter Godefroot, one of the finest classics racers of the era, was desperate to win this E3 as he had so far not yet won a race in 1972.

Godefroot took off and soon thereafter Hubert Hutsebaut's manager drove up next to him and told him to give chase. He took Eddy Merckx with him and by the time the pair got up to Godefroot, Godefroot was tiring.

Merckx led out Godefroot but Hutsebaut was able to come around the pair to get the biggest win of his career.

Health problems forced Hutsebaut to retire later that year.

Complete results:

226 kilometers raced at an average speed of 39.950 km/hr

An unknown number of starters and 36 classified finishers

1	Hubert Hutsebaut	Goldor-Ijsboerke	5hr 39min 25sec
2	Eddy Merckx	Molteni	s.t.
3	Walter Godefroot	Peugeot-BP	s.t.
4	Noël Van Thyghem	Novy-Double Bubble	@ 1min 14sec
5	Frans Verbeeck	Watney-Avia	s.t.
6	Ronny Van de Vijver	Goldor-Ijsboerke	s.t.
7	André Dierickx	Flandria-Beaulieu	s.t.
8	Roger Rosiers	BIC	s.t.
9	Ronald De Witte	Peugeot-BP	s.t.
10	Johan De Muynck	Flandria-Beaulieu	s.t.
11	Eddy Cael	Novy-Double Bubble	s.t.
12	Alfons De Bal	Goldor-Ijsboerke	s.t.
13	Hervé Vermeeren	Hertekamp	s.t.
14	Frans Mintjens	Molteni	s.t.
15	Ronny Van Marcke	Flandria-Beaulieu	s.t.
16	Leif Mortensen	BIC	s.t.
17	Herman Vrijders	Goldor-Ijsboerke	3'05"
18	Daniel Verplancke	Flandria-Beaulieu	s.t.
19	Maurice Eyers	Flandria-Beaulieu	s.t.
20	Tony Gakens	Goldor-Ijsboerke	s.t.
21	Erik Wyckaert	Novy-Double Bubble	s.t.
22	Willy Van Neste	Flandria-Beaulieu	3'17"
23	Maurice Dury	Hertekamp	s.t.
24	Frans Verhaegen	Hertekamp	3'35"
25	Jacques De Boever	BIC	s.t.
26	Gérard David	Flandria-Beaulieu	3'49"
27	Willy Planckaert	Goldor-Ijsboerke	4'05"
28	André Peirsman	Hertekamp	s.t.
29	Johny Schlek	BIC	s.t.
30	Frans Brandts	Goldor-Ijsboerke	s.t.
31	Etienne Antheunis	Watney-Avia	s.t.
32	Georges Claes - Kerkom	Goldor-Ijsboerke	s.t.
33	Joseph Huysmans	Molteni	s.t.
34	Eric Leman	BIC	s.t.
35	Wilfried David	Peugeot-BP	s.t.
36	Willy In't Ven	Molteni	s.t.