E3 Saxo Classic 2025, one day classic, March 28

[Samamba]

I think he is completely out of it sadly.

Has been for quite some time.

Didnt he get sick before opening weekend and then afterwards he was horrible and now he doesnt seem to find any form.

 

[tobydawq]

Here's the long awaited negative start list (riders who could have been aiming for a result here if they participated which they for various reasons don't or in some other way glimmer with their absence):
Tadej Pogacar
Christophe Laporte
Kasper Asgreen
Thomas Pidcock
Alberto Bettiol
Jasper Philipsen
Jhonatan Narváez (I really don't understand this one)
Dylan Teuns
Paul Magnier
Jan Tratnik
Marc Hirschi
Arnaud De Lie
Maxim Van Gils
Michael Valgren
Thibau Nys
Magnus Sheffield
Kaden Groves
Axel Zingle
Julian Alaphilippe
Michal Kwiatkowski
Roger Adrià
Søren Kragh
Mauro Schmid
Andreas Kron
Yves Lampaert
Laurenz Rex
Niklas Behrens
Davide Ballerini
Alexander Kristoff
Stan Dewulf
Benoît Cosnefroy
Timo Kielich
Mikkel Honoré
Romain Grégoire
Tibor del Grosso
Matthew Brennan
Alexey Lutsenko
Søren Wærenskjold
Alexis Renard
Nils Eekhoff

Honourable mention to Lukas Kubis whose team is not selected.

It can't be too often that both of the opening weekend winners are absent here, but that probably tells one all about the 'quality' of those races this year.

 

[Lequack]

"At the moment that is simply not an option" - Soudal - Quick-Step honest about Remco Evenepoel 2025 Classics involvement​

"At the moment that is simply not an option" - Soudal - Quick-Step honest about Remco Evenepoel 2025 Classics involvement

Across the season so far, we've already seen big performances from a number of the leading names in the peloton. One of the riders still notable yet to make a mark though, is Soudal - Quick-Step's dou...

cyclinguptodate.com

 

[QueenStagiaire]

The climb-filled section of this race from La Houppe to Karnemelkbeekstraat is so much more intense and technical than most of Flanders, quite remarkable, really. I guess the most brutal cobbled climbs near the end of 270 kilometers more than make up for that in Flanders, but topography-wise, the Flanders route only really gets tough at the second Kwaremont with 55 k to go. E3 has 17 Hellingen and Flanders only has 16.

 

[jono]

Alpecin add MSR locomotive Silvan Dillier and domestique par excellence Gianni Vermeersch to the startlist for E3. A couple of interesting additions, not sure who they are replacing.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I was talking about UAE domestiques.

I know, Pey, I'm just kidding.

 

[ingsve]

The climb-filled section of this race from La Houppe to Karnemelkbeekstraat is so much more intense and technical than most of Flanders, quite remarkable, really. I guess the most brutal cobbled climbs near the end of 270 kilometers more than make up for that in Flanders, but topography-wise, the Flanders route only really gets tough at the second Kwaremont with 55 k to go. E3 has 17 Hellingen and Flanders only has 16.

Ya, the difference is really that in E3 the hellingen come between km 90 to 190 and in De Ronde they come from km 155 to 255 or something like that. Racing over 250km is not for everyone.

 

[Pantani_lives]

This could come down to the individual class of MvdP vs. the collective strength of Visma. Pedersen and Ganna also have a chance. Others have to hope that the favorites neutralize each other.

It will be interesting to see what Van Aert's shape is like. He and Benoot returned from Teide, Tenerife only two days ago. He's often at his best after an altitude training camp, but not necessarily in his very first race yet. The plan is to be in top shape for Flanders and Roubaix, two races where he finished second, but that keep eluding him. Today is a kind of dress rehearsal for Visma as a team. Hopefully Van Aert will be spared of crashes and other bad luck this time, so he can at least prove what he's worth.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Soudal's lineup today: Lamperti, Vervaeke, Gelders, C. Pedersen, Reinderink, Warlop and Van Gestel. How the mighty have fallen...

 

[tobydawq]

Soudal's lineup today: Lamperti, Vervaeke, Gelders, C. Pedersen, Reinderink, Warlop and Van Gestel. How the mighty have fallen...

Yeah, Axelgaard didn't mention a single rider of their team until his team overview at the bottom. Yikes.

They are unfortunate with Magnier, though, who almost won Omloop for them and where they actually rode really well.

 

[Balthazar]

This could come down to the individual class of MvdP vs. the collective strength of Visma. Pedersen and Ganna also have a chance. Others have to hope that the favorites neutralize each other.

It will be interesting to see what Van Aert's shape is like. He and Benoot returned from Teide, Tenerife only two days ago. He's often at his best after an altitude training camp, but not necessarily in his very first race yet. The plan is to be in top shape for Flanders and Roubaix, two races where he finished second, but that keep eluding him. Today is a kind of dress rehearsal for Visma as a team. Hopefully Van Aert will be spared of crashes and other bad luck this time, so he can at least prove what he's worth.

Let’s cross our fingers that we don’t see a big crash today. I think the lack of races coupled with some hesitation positioning wise can make Wout more prone to crashing. Being careful or hesitant in racing doesn’t make you safer, quite often it’s the opposite.

 

[gavia88]

The climb-filled section of this race from La Houppe to Karnemelkbeekstraat is so much more intense and technical than most of Flanders, quite remarkable, really. I guess the most brutal cobbled climbs near the end of 270 kilometers more than make up for that in Flanders, but topography-wise, the Flanders route only really gets tough at the second Kwaremont with 55 k to go. E3 has 17 Hellingen and Flanders only has 16.

I think that really is the weakness of the current RVV route. It makes it a little bit more like a 'normal' hilly classic, in which only the last hour is important, while RVV and Roubaix are known for there long finals. We are lucky I think the last years the route over delivered

 

[gavia88]

Race will be difficult to follow on Dutch TV. No VTM here and Eurosport only starts 16.00. Any suggestions were to watch?

 

[Netserk]

Can't wait for the race to kick off on Kortekeer! The wind should make the climb even more crucial than usual.

 

[pelotonIQ]

MvDP vs WvA & Jorgenson

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Race will be difficult to follow on Dutch TV. No VTM here and Eurosport only starts 16.00. Any suggestions were to watch?

Stream starts at 14:00, it's only linear TV that starts late. You can also access VTM's free streaming service with a VPN so long as you're on a computer.

 

[Lequack]

Stream starts at 14:00, it's only linear TV that starts late. You can also access VTM's free streaming service with a VPN so long as you're on a computer.

Can't miss the all important snooker on linear TV.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Can't miss the all important snooker on linear TV.

Why have everyone woken up today and chosen violence against the beautiful game of snooker?

 

[Lequack]

Why have everyone woken up today and chosen violence against the beautiful game of snooker?

I do like snooker, in moderation.

 

[tobydawq]

Why have everyone woken up today and chosen violence against the beautiful game of snooker?

I hate snooker since the late noughties where it would always delay cycling coverage on Eurosport when a stupid frame dragged out.

 

[YavorD]

I hate snooker since the late noughties where it would always delay cycling coverage on Eurosport when a stupid frame dragged out.

Can't compare with Roland Garros delaying Giro's 3rd week key stages coverage because of some randon second round game dragging forever.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I hate snooker since the late noughties where it would always delay cycling coverage on Eurosport when a stupid frame dragged out.

I also used to be quite annoyed when snooker was always on when I turned on the TV, but then I decided to give it a proper chance during the 2010 Welsh Open and I got hooked. However now that I follow cycling a lot closer, I mostly just look at match results and watch highlights these days.

 

[Tim Cahill]

I do like snooker, in moderation.

There's no such thing as snooker in moderation.

 

[Lexman]

team presentation :

LIVE E3 SAXO CLASSIC (OP VTM en VTM GO). Kijk hier naar de ploegenvoorstelling, Ganna: “Het zal moeilijk worden om Van Aert en Van der Poel te volgen”

Tijd voor de E3 Saxo Classic! De prestigieuze en vaak spektakelrijke klassieker in Harelbeke is dit jaar ook het decor voor het eerste duel tussen Wout van Aert en titelverdediger Mathieu van der Poel. Tadej Pogacar is er niét bij, hij gooide zijn planning om in functie van Parijs-Roubaix. Volg...

www.hln.be

 

[Lexman]

Amaury Capiot DNS