Friday March 27th 2026 - E3 Saxo Classic: Harelbeke - Harelbeke (208.5 km) 

E3 Saxo Classic presents itself this year more than ever as a compact version of the Tour of Flanders, with a succession of short, steep climbs and cobbled sections. The organisers have further sharpened the profile with extra elevation gain and double passages over some of the most important climbs.

Between start and finish in Harelbeke, the riders face a loop of just over two hundred kilometres through the Flemish Ardennes, with around seventeen climbs and roughly thirteen kilometres of cobbles spread over about ten sectors. Compared to previous years, the total elevation has been increased from roughly 2800 to about 3000 metres, which should make the war of attrition in the finale even harder.

After a relatively calm opening phase, the second half of the race brings an almost uninterrupted series of climbs, including Katteberg, La Houppe, Berg ten Stene and the Kruisberg, which gradually split the peloton. The key phase begins around the E3-col and the first passage of the Oude Kwaremont, where the course becomes clearly selective for the first time. Then come classics such as Hotondberg, Kortekeer, Taaienberg, Boigneberg and Eikenberg, often linked by narrow roads and cobbled sectors that make positioning crucial. In the final phase, Kapelberg, Paterberg, a second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont and another passage over the E3-col form the decisive sequence, after which the Tiegemberg is traditionally included as the last climb on the way to Harelbeke.

An important change is that both the E3-col and the Oude Kwaremont are tackled twice, approached from two different sides, including a new, non-cobbled but steep side that has not previously been used in major races. The passage over the Muur van Geraardsbergen has been scrapped to avoid conflicts with a junior race; instead, the route heads via the Paddenstraat and La Houppe deeper into the hilly zone. Because of the accumulation of climbs and cobbled sectors in the last 90 kilometres, an early selection is expected, with small lead groups aiming to make the difference on the Kwaremont–Paterberg combination and on the return to the E3-col.

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