As it happened - Huge gaps in very selective E3 Saxo Classic

Hello and welcome to the 2025 E3 Saxo Classic!

This is the day where anticipation for the Tour of Flanders really hots up. Whereas the focus in the spring classics up until now had mostly been in Italy for Milan-San Remo and Strade Bianche, now the attention turns to Belgium, as most of the top contenders for the Ronde face off on the cobblestones.

The E3 Saxo Classic is also ideal preparation for the Tour of Flanders. It’s like a mini version of that race, not quite as long, but taking in many of the same bergs - including, most pertinent of all, the now famous Oude Kwaremont / Paterberg double.

Yet this race is no mere warm up to the Tour of Flanders, but one of great prestige on its own terms. Aside from Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo and possibly Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, it’s the biggest men’s classic of the season so far.

The stand out favourite for the win today is Mathieu van der Poel. The Dutchman triumphed here last year, just as he did at almost every cobbled classic he raced last Sprint, and already has two wins out of two in his first classics appearances of this spring - including last weekend's sensational Milan-San Remo.

The other leading contender for the win today is Wout van Aert, who won here in both 2023 and 2022. The Belgian's form has not been at the level of Van der Poel’s this year, but we can expect him to be improved as he returns following several weeks off racing to train. 

Van der Poel, Van Aert are in the neutralised one with the rest of the field, and will be racing properly imminently.

209KM TO GO

And they're off!

The first thing to report is that, contrary to weather forecasts, it’s not raining - at least for now.

We're a few kilometres into the race and no break has gone clear yet.

200KM TO GO

We've been racing for nearly 10km now but still no sign of a break forming.

The scene at the start - grey, but not rainy.

There’s been a crash in the peloton. Three Soudal QuickStep riders were involved - Gil Gelders, Jordi Warlop and Dries Van Gestel. Picnic PostNL’s Kevin Vermaerke was also down.

Here's the aftermath of that incident, with Gelders sat on the ground.

Jannik Steimle briefly had a small lead, but he's now been brought back by the peloton, that remains together. 

The aforementioned crash was brutal for Soudal-QuickStep - all three of their riders involved have abandoned.

There’s been a split in the peloton.

190KM TO GO

There's also a substantial gap between the two groups, of about 1-30.

The gap between the two groups has come down, to about 1 minute.

180KM TO GO

Now the gap between the two groups has grown again, to over two minutes. It could be that the race doesn't come back together. 

Oliver Knight of Cofidis did have a small lead at the front of the race, but has been brought back.

KATTEBERG

Time for the first cobbled climb of the race, the Katteberg.

They're over the Katteberg. This one's isolated from the others on the route, and the rest of the bergs will be tackled later in the race in closer succession.

It seems Van Aert is one of the riders caught out in the split, and stuck in the group behind!

This could already be potentially fatal news for Van Aert’s hopes of winning this race, as that group is still over 2 minutes adrift. 

Here's the peloton, being led by Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe.  They're not allowing the Van Aert group to come back. 

170KM TO GO

Still no sign of the gap between the two groups coming down yet. The pace is really on, with 40km completed already in just 45 minutes. 

It also transpires that Van der Poel was caught out too, and is in the Van Aert group!

These are some developments, that could make this a wildly unpredictable race.

It could be that Van der Poel and Van Aert simply have to throw in the towel. Their deficit is up to 3 minutes.

160KM TO GO

TThe road is flat without any cobblestones for the upcoming 40km, which means Van der Poel and Van Aert can’t rely on their superior power on this terrain to bring the gap down.

Despite the fast pace, a group of three has succeeded in breaking clear of the front peloton - Dries De Bondt, Rory Townsend and Julius Van den Berg.

That trio has a lead of about 30 seconds.

150KM TO GO

Van der Poel and Van Aert are now 2-10 down on the peloton, who are 43 seconds behind the three leaders. 

Groupama are leading the front peloton. They must sense an oppertinity for their man Stefan Küng today, given how things are developing.

Here's Van der Poel's Alpecin leading the second peloton. They are receiving help from Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe, so aren't being leant on to do all the work despite having the overwhelming race favourite.

Bad news for Townsend - he’s had a mechanical, meaning he drops out of the lead group.

The gap between the the two pelotons is coming down, now to beneath two minutes.

It's only really Groupama pushing in the front peloton. They have both  Küng and Madouas here, but other teams aren't so well-represented. We can spot Matteo Jorgenson, Jasper Stuyven and Matej Mohorič, but not many other of the top favourites. 

140KM TO GO

There's 25 seconds between the lead duo and the 1st peloton, and 1-20 between the 1st peloton and the 2nd peloton. This might yet all come back together. 

Interestingly, Visma-Lease a Bike are now helping Groupama set the pace, despite having Van Aert in the group behind. They must have assessed that this situation still suits them, with Jorgenson being in the first peloton.

De Bondt and Van den Berg have sat up and been caught by the front peloton.

The 2nd peloton is still travelling quicker than the 1st. The gap continues to come down, to 1-05.

The defecit's come down to beneath a minute. Groupama are still doing most of the work in the front peloton, with some help from Visma and Israel.

Red Bull and Alpecin are the two teams leading the chase group still.

130KM TO GO

The gap is no longer decreasing, and has stabilised at just under a minute.

It seems many of the riders in the category just beneath Van der Poel and Van Aert as favourites for the race are also caught in the 2nd peloton - including Mads Pedersen, Biniam Girmay and Tim Wellens. 

Here’s the now extinguished three-man break of Dries De Bondt, Rory Townsend and Julius van den Berg.

Filippo Ganna is another of the pre-race favourites who's in the 2nd peloton.

120KM TO GO

45 seconds between the two groups. This is some pursuit, though the dynamics might be about to change as we near the first climb for a long time.

Laurence Pithie has needed a bike change. He's one of the riders Red Bull are riding for in the 2nd peloton.

LA HOUPPE

We're entering a new phase of the race, with the climb of La Houppe. This is the first of 16 climb tackled inside the final 120km.

The gap between the 2 groups as they climb is down to 37 seconds.

La Houppe is a long climb compared to others on the menu today, at 2km. But it only averages 4.6%, and is tarmacked rather than cobbled.

Both groups crest the climb, with less than 30 seconds now separating them. The chasers can see the lead group up ahead. 

Van Aert is at his team car, just off the back of the 2nd peloton. He looks very calm, and must be expecting the groups to come back together.

KANARIEBERG

The lead group start the next climb, now only 17 seconds ahead.

The gap has been bridged on this climb, the two groups are back together. 

Jorgenson attacks over the Kanarieberg.

3 riders are with him.

Küng is one of those 3 riders, and is pushing on at the front.

110KM TO GO

They haven't quite managed to go clear though.

The peloton is togeter, but all strung out. Van der Poel and Van Aert must still be further back, with ground to make up having only recently closed the split.

There's a small split with 30 or so riders opening a gap of a few seconds over the rest of the peloton.

The gap has been closed, with Biniam Girmay dragging the trailing group up to the leaders.

OUDE KRUISBERG

Ineos lead the peloton onto the Oude Kruisberg.

Van der Poel appears at the front for the first time, and leads the race over the climb.

He's not attacking yet, though. In fact he looks very relaxed, casually taking off his jacket as he ascends the climb.

The peloton is still all together in the aftermath of that climb.

Well, not quite all together - it's thinned out, with some riders having been distanced.

Surprisingly, one of those riders is Matej Mohorič. The Slovenian still has found no form this spring.

100KM TO GO

We're almost halfway into the race, with 13 climbs still to come, starting with the Knokteberg in just a few kilometres.

KNOKTEBERG

The peloton is all bunched up for now, as they start the Knokteberg.

The pace is slow on this climb, which Aimé De Gendt has capitalised on to go clear.

De Gendt has been joined by a Soudal-QuickStep rider, with a PicnicPostNL rider chasing them.

Serrano of Movistar is also chasing, a little further behind.

Niklas Märkl is the Picnic rider chasing the leading duo.

Märkl has sat up and been caught by the peloton, Serrano also. 

Casper Pedersen is the Soudal rider with De Gendt at the front, and they lead the peloton by 40 seconds.

90KM TO GO

34 seconds is the gap, as Visma take control at the front of the peloton.

Van der Poel taking his jacket off as he climbed the Kanarieberg.

Lidl-Trek now take over, as they near the Kortekeer.

KORTEKEER

Lidl lead up the climb, with Ineos nearby.

Ineos accelerate over the top of the climb.

It's Turner who leads them. He's fully strung the peloton out.

No gaps have appeared, however.

Meanwhile De Gendt and Casper Pedersen are still clear, by 38 seconds.

The intensity’s up in the peloton, as they anticipate the next climb - the Taainberg, one of the hardest and often most important of the race.

Ineos are still pushing on, Turner leading with Tarling on his wheel, then their main man Ganna. Still the peloton is strung out, but still no gaps have developed. 

TAAINBERG

Mads Pedersen attacks on the climb!

Pedersen's gone clear with Van der Poel.

Ganna is behind them chasing.

Van der Poel's staying glued to Pedersen's wheel, but not taking any turns for now.

Ganna has bridged up to them on the descent.

80KM TO GO

So Pedersen, Van der Poel and Ganna are in front of the peloton. But where's Van Aert, and the other Visma riders?

That trio has just caught the duo of Casper Pedersen and De Gendt.

A chase group of about five are behind the leaders, but Van Aert isn't among them.

Tim Wellens and Matteo Jorgenson are, however.

Van Aert's been spotted, second wheel in what is still a large peloton.

In between the leading 5 and the peloton are 6 chasers - Wellens, Jorgenson, Tarling, Stuyven, Trentin and Küng.

Attacks are coming out of the peloton. There's no organised chase.

There are 22 seconds between the leading 5 and the chasing 6, and 44 second between the leading 5 and the peloton.

UAE's Florian Vermeersch is getting a bike change from the peloton.

BERG TEN STENE

The leaders are climbing again, albeit not on the cobbles.

Jorgenson is leading the chasers. There's no sign of Visma waiting up for Van Aert - it seems Jorgenson is their main man for today.

Van Aert is clearly not at his best - worrying signs with only 11 days to go until the Tour of Flanders.

Tarling and Stuyven are getting a free ride in the chase group, with their respective teammates Ganna and Pedersen up the road.

70KM TO GO

This is looking good for the lead group. Their lead over the chasers is up to 32 second, and just under a minute to the peloton.

BOIGENBERG

They're climbing again now. How long can De Gendt and Casper Pedersen hang on to the pace set by the three favourites?

Here's De Gendt and Pedersen, before they were joined by the other three.

It's still advantage the 5 leaders. They're lead is 44 seconds on the chasers, and 1-15 on the peloton.

It's all very messy in the peloton, where the likes of Van Aert, Matthews, Girmay and Pithie are all present. Lots of attacks being made, and there's no cohesion.

It’s looking increasingly likely that the winner will come from this group of five - and, more specifically, one of Van der Poel,Pedersen or Ganna.

EIKENBERG

They're climbing the cobblestones of the Eikenberg now, their lead 50 seconds.

It could be a fascinating showdown between this trio. It’s only 6 days since Van der Poel and Ganna took part in an epic battle at Milan-San Remo, where the latter stubbornly refused to give up the host despite being constantly dropped. As for Pedesen, he was the last man to get the better of Van der Poel in a cobbled classic, when he defeated him in the sprint to decide last year’s Gent-Wevelgem.

The leading quintet's advantage has grown to almost a minute after that climb.

60KM TO GO

Meanwhile the peloton containing Van Aert is a minute behind even the chasers. 

There are two more climbs (Stationsberg and Kapelberg) before the famous 2, the Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont, done in reverse order than at the Tour of Flanders. After that just 2 remain, Karnemelkbeekstraat and Tiegemberg, before the flat run-in to the finish.

STATIONSBERG

We're on the first of those 6 now.

A few drops of rain are falling. This could complicate matters. 

Matthews is leading the peloton as they climb the Stationsberg, 2 minutes behind the leaders.

The pace in the peloton has seen about 15 riders go clear, including Matthews, Van Aert and Pithie.

Surely the winner today will be one of these five riders, now clear by 1-15 over the chasers.

There’s a bit of a pause in the climbing until the net berg, the Kapelberg, which they won’t climb for another 5km.

50KM TO GO

1-20 back to the chase group from the leaders, and 2-20 back to the peloton.

KAPELBERG

They're climbing again, up the Kapelberg.

The threat of rain hasn't quite materialised. It's still very grey, but the heavens haven’t opened. 

Here was the decisive break forming earlier in the day, Ganna making it up to the other 2 just after the Taainberg. 

We're approaching the Paterbeg, where we can expect a big attack. Will Mads Pedersen take the initiative again, or is this Van der Poel's moment?

PATERBERG

They're on the climb.

Pedersen leads.

Pedersen accelerates.

Van der Poel and Ganna follows, but the others are being distenced.

Casper Pedersen rejoins just before the top, and De Gendt's only a little way behind and should also rejoin on the descent.

Jorgenson is leading the chase group.

Jorgenson leads them over the top of the Paterberg, Küng following him. Wellens is struggling to keep up, while Tarling has been dropped.

De Gendt is back with the leaders.

Jorgenon, Küng and Stuyven have gone clear of Trentin, Wellens and Tarling.

OUDE KWAREMONT

Ganna leads the front group as they start the Oude Kwaremont.

Van der Poel takes over as they reach the cobbled section of the climb.

He's upping the pace.

He's dropped them all, apart from Pedersen.

This is Van der Poel's big move!

Pedersen is losing the wheel...

Pedersen's been dropped.

Van der Poel's got a big gap already.

Behind, Ganna is still with Casper Pedersen and De Gendt.

Van der Poel's crested the climb, and he's out of sight.

Mads Pedersen is 17 seconds behind Van der Poel, while Ganna and De Gendt are 32 seconds behind. Casper Pedersen has been distenced.

Van der Poel isn't running away with this yet. Pedersen has him pegged at 15 seconds still.

Ganna also still has something left in the tank. He's jut 14 seconds behind Pedersen. This flat section should suit him and his power time trialling ability.

Behind, Jorgenson, Stuyven and Küng have been joined by Wellens. They're 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th on the road.

KARNEMELKBEEKSTRAAT

Van der Poel's started the penultimate climb of the race, Pedersen 16 seconds behind him, and Ganna at 25 seconds.

The rain's starting to fall again.

30KM TO GO

Van der Poel's grown his lead a bit on that climb, to 18 seconds on Pedersen and 39 seconds on Ganna. This isn't over yet, though.

Meanwhile the four-man Jorgenson group is 2-15 behind, with De Gendt and Casper Pedersen somewhere in between.

This is swinging back in Van der Poel's favour. His lead to Pedersen's grown to 25 seconds; to Ganna, 45 seconds.

A dodgy moment for Van der Poel, who nearly lost his balence going around the corner. The rain is wetting the roads, and is making them more treachrorus.

That incident hasn’t compromised his lead though - it’s still at 33 seconds over Pedersen. 

He is taking things very cautiously though, taking the corners of the flat (and now wet) cobbled section he’s currently riding very carefully.

Van der Poel out front on his own.

TIEGEMBERG

Final climb now for Van der Poel, who's lead is up to 45 seconds on Pedersen.

20KM TO GO

Big crowds gathered here to cheer Van der Poel as he crests the top of the climb, 47 seconds ahead of Pedersen. Was this is ever really in doubt?

Pedersen is at least looking good for second-place. He reaches the top of the climb over 30 seconds before Ganna does. 

If Van der Poel is going to lose this, it'll probably be down to a crash. He's still taking the corners very carefully on these damp roads.

De Gendt and Casper Pedersen are the next riders to crest the climb. They're on for some exceptional results, having cannily got up the road before the attacks by the favourites.

Mads Pedersen, who's been a long in 2nd place for a while. Though he'll have wanted the win, and rode on the front foot, this will still be a ver good result for the Dane.

Van der Poel's lead as he enters the final 15km is 1-00. He doesn't look set to top last year's winning margin here of 1-31, but this is still another domineering performance. 

Beind, the Jorgenson / Wellens / Küng / Stuyven group has just caught Casper Pedersen and Aimé De Gendt.

10KM TO GO

The gaps as they stand from Van der Poel in the lead are 1-04 to Pedersen, 1-50 to Ganna, and 2-51 to the chasing 6. 

Ganna should be good for 3rd place, but he does have the 6-man group chasing behind him, now only 50 seconds behind. 

5KM TO GO

Just 5km to go for Van der Poel. His gap's gone up, to 1-15. Maybe he can top last year's winning margin after all?

Just 2km to go for Van der Poel. He's about to take his third win of the season, maintaining his 100% record in the classics this year.

1KM TO GO

Van der Poel's under the flamme rouge.

He's giving a thumbs up to the moto TV camera.

VAN DER POEL WINS

Another victory for Mathieu van der Poel!

Here comes Pedersen for 2nd place. This will be his highest finish at this particular classic.

And now Ganna arrives to complete the podium. This is his best ever result in a Flemish classics, and proof that he can do it on the cobbled climbs as well as Milan-SanRemo's Poggio and Cipressa.

Now there's a fight for 4th place, in the 6-man chase group.

Casper Pedersen pips Stuyven for 4th, with Küng in 6th.

The peloton nearly caught that chase group before the line, and had them in sight on the finishing straight, but didn't quite manage to.

Ultimately, Van der Poel's winning margin was 1-07 over Mads Pedersen.

Chapeau to Pedersen though, who himself finished 58 seconds ahead of the next best rider, Filippo Ganna. Were it not for Van der Poel’s presence, we’d be talking about a spectacular long-range victory from the Dane instead.

There will surely be an inquest in the Belgian press as to how their riders performed - their highest placed rider was Jasper Stuyven in 5th, making this their worst showing at the E3 since 2016.

In particular, Wout van Aert is bound to be scrutinised. Just what’s up with him? As a rider so consistently strong, it’s very unusual to see him as off the pace as he was today and during Opening Weekend. Right now, he doesn’t look capable of achieving his main season goals of winning either the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix.

With 2 E3 titles to add to his 3 at the Tour of Flanders, 2 at Paris-Roubaix and 2 at Dwars door Vlaanderen, Van der Poel now has a total of 9 Flemish Week victories on his palmares.

That sees him draw level with Fabian Cancellara in those same races - but he’s still a long way off Tom Boonen, who has 16.

Thanks for joining us today. As domineering as Van der Poel was today, he’s unlikely to find matters quite so straightforward over the rest of the spring, as he’ll be joined again by a certain Tadej Pogačar for his next two races: the big ones, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix. The stage is set for some thrilling showdowns.

First up though it’s Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday, which always promises to be one of the most unpredictable and exciting of the spring. Be sure to join us once more!