The first Van der Poel vs Van Aert takes place today: how to watch the E3 Saxo Classic 2024

We delve into the heart of the cobblestone campaign with one of the tests that has given us the best cycling in recent seasons: The E3 Saxo Classic, a true simulation of the Tour of Flanders in which Van der Poel will try to redeem himself for not being able to achieve a better result in San Remo and Van Aert will begin to see if the change in his preparation strategy yields the desired results.

Van der Poel and Van Aert challenge each other on the cobblestones of the E3 Saxo Classic 2024

In the weeks leading up to it, with Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, Nice, and Tirreno seemingly leaving the Opening Weekend far behind, we seem to have forgotten that we are in the midst of the cobblestone campaign, races in Belgian and French lands that have not stopped giving us good cycling with some minor classics like GP Le Samyn, Nokere Koerse, or GP Denain.

Now, the main cobblestone races return with an intense weekend that starts with this E3 Saxo Classic and ends with the Gent-Wevelgem, races that anticipate what we will experience next week in the Tour of Flanders the second monument of the season after the Milan-San Remo.

Favorites to win E3 Saxo Classic 2024

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Being one of the most important classics of the cobblestone season, the great specialists in these races have to be present in what are the last simulations before the big day in the Tour of Flanders and, of course, when talking about big names, it is essential to focus on Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel who already gave us, along with Tadej Pogacar, absent in this edition as he is competing in the Volta a Catalunya, perhaps the best classic of the season in last year's edition.

Wout van Aert returns to competition after being a protagonist of the opening weekend, in which he managed to win the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and after withdrawing in recent weeks to concentrate on the heights of Teide, a circumstance, the lack of competition and having recently descended from altitude, that could condition his performance in the E3 Saxo Classic, although that is just theory since in the end his level is such that he will surely be a protagonist and it is inevitable to include him among the list of contenders for victory. In any case, Visma-Lease a Bike has a lineup full of potential winners like Tiesj Benoot, Matteo Jorgenson, or Dylan van Baarle.

He will face a Mathieu van der Poel who, despite not winning in Milan-San Remo as he intended, was essential in the Italian race for Alpecin-Deceuninck to once again achieve victory in the Classicissima, this time with Jasper Philipsen. The Dutchman does not have to prove that his form is optimal and now his ideal terrain arrives.

With them being the clear favorites, we then have to establish a second tier of potential winners in which we will start by including a Julian Alaphilippe who, every day that passes, shows more signs of recovering his best form and, after finishing in the group that played for victory in San Remo, becomes a candidate to be at the front in this E3 Saxo Classic.

We also have to include in this second tier a Matej Mohoric who was also at the front and whom only Van der Poel's sacrifice prevented from what would have been his second victory in the Milan-San Remo.

Mads Pedersen could also be included among these contenders to challenge the two monsters. Like with the previous ones, his excellent performance in Milan-San Remo, where he did everything perfectly except finish in the final sprint, suggests that he should be at the front in Harelbeke.

Then, we could establish a third tier of favorites who, if the day and the race development favor them, could also be competing for victory. The first of them is the last hope of Spanish cycling for the classics such as Oier Lazkano who is endorsed by the great race he gave us in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. A list in which names like Arnaud de Lie must also be included, who has exceptional conditions but does not seem to be at the front; An Tim Wellens in excellent form but the years seem to have taken away some of the spark he used to offer; or an Alberto Bettiol who seemed to have disappeared but, a few days ago, gave us a fantastic exhibition in the Milan-Turin in addition to a commendable Top5 in San Remo.

Route of E3 Saxo Classic 2024

A classic route in this edition of the E3 Saxo Classic which, with its 207 km and the 17 climbs that are ascended, is a true simulation of what will be, in a little over a week, the Tour of Flanders.

The race starts and finishes in the city of Harelbeke, in fact, traditionally, until the entry of Saxo as a sponsor, this race has been known as E3 Harelbeke. A town located next to Kortrijk, the epicenter of cycling activity throughout the month of classics and where many teams establish real headquarters and even some have a fixed structure throughout the year.

The design of the race focuses solely on the territory of the hills of the Flemish Ardennes where the main climbs are located, so almost from the beginning, the E3 Saxo Classic offers us broken terrain that before the halfway point becomes an endless succession of ascents among which we can highlight some key points such as the Kararieberg and the Kruisberg, the third and fourth climbs of the day; The Taienberg, always demanding although in this race it usually does not have barriers that limit riding on the side that allows avoiding the very hard cobblestone; Stationberg, which has the curiosity of being the only cobblestone climb that in the Tour of Flanders is done downhill and in E3 shows how its stones grip.

However, the culminating moments of the race await us in such iconic names as Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont, which in this race, on the way back to Harelbeke, are faced in the opposite order to the Tour of Flanders, first the steepest and most explosive climb and then the longest and most sustained, in any case, a guaranteed spectacle.

How to watch E3 Saxo Classic 2024

As is usual for Belgian classics, the only way to watch the race live will be thanks to the coverage offered by Eurosport, which will start its broadcast through the Eurosport 2 channel and on its online application from 14:00 and will extend until approximately 16:30 when the finish is scheduled.