Van der Poel's amazing performance to defend victory in the E3 Saxo Bank Classic

He started as the main favorite to repeat the victory achieved last year in the E3 Saxo Bank Classic and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) took care of fulfilling the predictions by demonstrating his superiority in a race unanimously considered as the dress rehearsal for the Tour of Flanders. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Filippo Ganna (Ineos-Grenadiers) completed the podium in Harelbeke.

Van der Poel claimed the E3 Saxo Bank Classic

The truth is that the Flemish race, one of the best classics on the international calendar, just one step below the five monuments, did not start well for the interests of Van der Poel. A massive crash caused a split in the peloton leaving a group of about forty units at the front, in which neither the leader of Alpecin-Deceuninck nor Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) nor Filippo Ganna (Ineos-Grenadiers) nor Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) were present.

However, the team of the cyclocross world champion managed to save a dangerous situation, returning their leader to the front before the decisive last 80 km of the E3 Saxo Bank Classic. Ineos-Grenadiers, with the British Ben Turner as the lead-out man, shook up and led the group before the Taaienberg, the climb that Tom Boonen made his own, separated the wheat from the chaff.

Mads Pedersen took the initiative at the Taaienberg

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Suffering from health problems, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) could not confirm the exceptional form he showed in Paris-Nice at Milan-San Remo. Brave, perhaps wanting to prove himself as one of the important riders for this type of race, the Dane took charge at the distant Taaienberg with a sudden attack, not caring who he dragged along, only Van der Poel and, more gradually, Filippo Ganna were able to respond.

Right after the section, the trio caught up with Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step) and Aimé de Gendt (Cofidis), who were leading with a slight advantage over the rest, a tactic that sometimes pays off very well in this type of one-day races. The five quickly started taking turns to increase the gap over a sextet in which Tim Wellens (UAE Emirates), Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike), Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ), Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling), Joshua Tarling (Ineos-Grenadiers) and Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) were present. Respecting their leaders, the last two simply followed the pace of their four companions. Van Aert, very poorly positioned throughout the approach section until that Taaienberg, was dropped in a third and larger main peloton.

The Oude Kwaremont settled the fight for victory

The combination of Paterberg-Oude Kwaremont once again clarified the outcome of the Harelbeke classic. Although Pedersen took the lead again on the first climb, it was once again Van der Poel on the longer and more demanding Kwaremont who gradually dropped the members of the leading group with a violent change of pace that allowed him to return to the asphalt with a slight margin of 15" over the Lidl-Trek rider from Denmark. From there to the finish line, in a one-on-one battle for the three strongest men in the race, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider increased his lead over Pedersen while the latter did the same with Filippo Ganna.

La gran advertencia de @mathieuvdpoel para Flandes

Estacazo sensacional de MVDP en Oude Kwaremont para poner patas arriba la #E3SaxoClassic Harelbeke a casi 40 km del final#LaCasaDelCiclismo pic.twitter.com/egw4porsEZ

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) March 28, 2025

Initially, Van der Poel will not compete again until April 6 in De Ronde, where he will once again meet Tadej Pogacar, who today seems to be the only one capable of challenging the Dutchman's superiority in Flanders.

E3 Saxo Bank Classic Classification

1st Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 4h39'14"
2nd Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) +1'07"
3rd Filippo Ganna (Ineos-Grenadiers) +2'05"
4th Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step) +2'34"
5th Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) +2'34"
6th Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) +2'34"
7th Aimé de Gendt (Cofidis) +2'34"
8th Tim Wellens (UAE Emirates) +2'34"
9th Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike) +2'34"
10th Mike Teunissen (XDS Astana) at 2'45"