Mathieu van der Poel Claims Third Consecutive E3 Saxo Classic Victory After Solo Attack

Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Premier Tech won the 68th edition of the E3 Saxo Classic on Friday in Harelbeke, Belgium, claiming his third consecutive victory in the event after a dramatic solo effort of 42 kilometers that nearly unraveled in the final 900 meters. The 31-year-old Dutchman attacked on the Paterberg climb with 42 kilometers remaining, built a lead of over one minute, then watched that advantage evaporate to just seconds before a moment of hesitation among his four pursuers allowed him to surge clear again and cross the line alone. Per Strand Hagenes of Visma-Lease a Bike won the sprint of the chasing group to finish second, with Florian Vermeersch of UAE Team Emirates-XRG completing the podium in third. Stan Dewulf of Decathlon CMA CGM and Jonas Abrahamsen of Uno-X Mobility rounded out the top five. The race covered 208.5 kilometers, beginning and ending in Harelbeke in the Belgian region of Flanders.

Van der Poel's lead nearly gone with 900 meters left The race unfolded in several distinct phases before its nerve-shredding conclusion. Van der Poel made his first significant move 68 kilometers from the finish on the cobbled Taaienberg, where only Tim van Dijke of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe could initially follow before also being dropped. Van der Poel then tracked down a six-man breakaway group that included Dewulf, Michiel Lambrecht, Sven Erik Bystrom, Luke Durbridge, Nickolas Zukowsky, and Bastien Tronchon, closing a gap of more than one minute with what sources described as disconcerting ease around 45 kilometers from the finish. He shed that group on the Paterberg — a climb of just 400 meters but averaging 13 percent gradient — and set off alone. A quartet of Hagenes, Abrahamsen, Vermeersch, and Dewulf then organized a chase behind him, cutting his lead to 10 seconds with five kilometers remaining and reaching his wheel at 900 meters from the line. When no rider in the group was willing to lead the sprint and expose themselves to the others, the chase collapsed, and Van der Poel accelerated once more to win alone.

Third straight win puts Van der Poel in elite company With the victory, Van der Poel joins compatriot Jan Raas and Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara as three-time winners of the E3 Classic, a distinction that places him among the most decorated riders in the race's history. Only Tom Boonen, the outright record holder with five victories, and Rik Van Looy with four wins stand ahead of him in the all-time rankings. The win also brought Van der Poel's career professional victory total to 60, and his fourth win of the 2026 season, following the Circuit Het Nieuwsblad and two stage victories at Tirreno-Adriatico. 60 (career victories) — Van der Poel's total professional wins after Harelbeke

The E3 Classic, first held in 1958, has long served as one of the most important dress rehearsals for the Tour of Flanders, taking place one week before the Ronde van Vlaanderen. The race starts and finishes in Harelbeke and winds through the Flemish Ardennes, featuring many of the same climbs and cobbled sectors that define the Spring Classics season. Van der Poel had previously won the event in 2024 and 2025, and his 2026 victory gives him three consecutive editions. Tom Boonen holds the all-time record with five victories, while Rik Van Looy won the race four times.

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Pogacar looms large as Tour of Flanders approaches The result carries significant weight heading into the Tour of Flanders on April 5, where Van der Poel will face a markedly different challenge. Tadej Pogacar, who beat Van der Poel at Milan-San Remo the previous Sunday, is targeting five Monument victories in the same season and will be present in the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Van der Poel's performance in Harelbeke, while ultimately victorious, revealed that he was not entirely dominant — the near-catch by the chasing group in the final kilometer demonstrated that rivals will have opportunities if he is forced into a long solo effort again. The absence of Pogacar and Wout van Aert from Friday's race meant Van der Poel faced a reduced field of top-tier opposition, a factor that will not apply at the Tour of Flanders. Van der Poel's win nonetheless confirmed his form and his ability to read a race under pressure, qualities that will be tested again in nine days on the roads of Flanders.