The first half of the race gives the riders plenty of time to settle in. With just three climbs and three cobbled sectors, the route doesn’t pose much of a challenge yet. It’s more a matter of eagerly anticipating what’s to come.
Things heat up around the halfway mark when the riders crest the Oude Kruisberg. From there, the action really kicks off, with the Knokteberg, Hotondberg, Kortekeer, Taaienberg, Berg ten Stene, Boigneberg, Eikenberg, and Stationberg all packed into a 40-kilometre stretch (see ‘hills &cobbles’ in the slideshow below or technical details).
The riders rattle over the cobbles of the Mariaborrestraat before tackling the Kapelberg, and just 4 kilometres later, the Paterberg awaits. It’s only 400 metres long, but with cobbles pitching up to 12.9%, it’s a real test—especially with the Oude Kwaremont following shortly after.
From the top of the Oude Kwaremont, there are still 40 kilometres to race. Roughly 8 kilometres later, the riders hit the Karnemelkbeekstraat climb — 1,530 metres at 4.9% — before tackling the flat cobbles of the Varent and continuing onto the final climb of the day, the Tiegemberg: 750 metres at 5.6%. After summiting, it’s 21.6 kilometres to the finish line on the Stasegemsesteenweg in Harelbeke.
In 2024, the race was decided on the Paterberg. As Mathieu van der Poel launched an attack, his biggest rival, Wout van Aert, crashed. The rest of the E3 turned into a chase. At first, Van Aert was closing in, but in the end, Van der Poel took the win with a comfortable margin.
This year, Tadej Pogačar joins the mix, just like he did two years ago, so we’re in for extra spectacle with the three best Classics riders in the world. Back then, it came down to a three-up sprint on the Stasegemsesteenweg, with Van Aert taking the win.
Fancy taking on the route yourself? Download GPX E3 Saxo Classic.
The E3 Saxo Classic starts at 12:45 and the race is expected to finish around 17:30 – both time are local (CET). Check out the ‘scheduled times’ in the slideshow below or details.
E3 Saxo Classic 2025: route, profiles, videos
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