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2025 E3 Saxo Bank Classic
(World Tour), Belgium

67th edition: Friday, March 28, 2025

E3 Saxo Bank Classic podium history | 2024 edition | Course map & profile | Start list

Harelbeke - Harelbeke, 208.8 km.

Mathieu van der Poel solos across the line more than a minute ahead of his nearest chaser.

James Witherell's book Bicycle History: A Chronological History of People, Races and Technology is available in both print and Kindle eBook formats. To get your copy just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Weather at the start/finish city of Harelbeke at 1:20 PM, local time: 13C (55F), cloudy, with the wind from the southwest at 13 km/hr (8 mph). There is an 8% chance of rain, rising to 60% at 4:00 PM.

The race: Alessandro Romele (XDS Astana) & Amaury Capiot (Arkea-B&B Hotels) did not start.

Early in the race four riders crashed and were taken to the hospital by ambulance: Gil Gelders , Jordi Warlop , Dries Van Gestel (All Soudal Quick-Step) & Kevin Vermaerke (Picnic-PostNL)

Here's the race report from fourth-place Casper Pedersen's Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Casper Pedersen took his best result in a cobbled classic at the end of the eventful, intense and rainy E3 Saxo Classic, the 208.8km race starting and finishing in Harelbeke. The Dane, our top finisher in Milano-Sanremo – the season’s first Monument – produced a brave ride on the tough course comprising a total of 17 hills before finishing a remarkable fourth.

The day didn’t get off to a good start for our team, who after just 20 kilometers had to continue with just four riders, following the abandons of Gil Gelders, Dries Van Gestel and Jordi Warlop, all of whom were involved in a big crash that split the peloton. Many riders, including Casper, found themselves in the second group, who had to erase a deficit of three minutes by the time they entered the last 100 kilometers, when they finally bridged across.

Pedersen didn’t stay there too long, cannily getting up the road together with Aime De Gendt (Cofidis) and opening a gap of 30 seconds by the time they took on the Taaienberg, Tom Boonen’s hill. Our rider and his companion made it over the top in the lead, and they were soon joined by three men, who had attacked on the steepest portion of the climb. The newly-formed quintet worked well together and forged out a one-minute advantage before the Oude Kwaremont, the longest obstacle of the day and the place where the group split following an attack of Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck).

While the former World Champion made his own race and embarked on a long solo effort, behind him, Casper joined hands with De Gendt to hold off the chasers, who were gradually reducing the gap. The catch was made ten kilometers from the line, but the powerful Dane remained very active in the group, taking long pulls as he knew that he had a good chance of getting in the top ten. As they entered the final kilometer, the peloton had them in their sight, but the group somehow managed to hold them off and fight for the remaining places in the top ten.

Despite the huge effort he had put in on what was one of the toughest races of the season and the weather conditions that worsened in the last 50 kilometers, Pedersen still found some energy to win the group’s sprint and take an impressive fourth place at the Belgian World Tour race.

The top three finishers, from left: Filippo Ganna (3rd), Mathieu van der Poel (1st) & Mads Pedersen (2nd)

“We started off by losing some guys in the crash, but we tried to remain calm and come back after we got caught in the split. As soon as that happened, I tried to anticipate a bit and went on the attack, which worked out great in the end. When the guys began attacking, I just tried to do my own race and not go into the red, because the first three guys were incredibly strong and in a league of their own. I rode my race together with Aime instead of emptying myself behind the three, found my pace and continued like that even after we got caught. In the sprint, I again tried to do my best and use whatever energy I had left, and I’m now delighted to get what is my best ever result in a cobbled classic”, a happy Casper said after E3 Saxo Classic.

Complete Results:

208.8 kilometers raced at an average speed of 44.886 km/hr

Course map & profile:

2025 E3 race map

2025 E3 race profile

Start list with back numbers, March 27, 2025: