{"id":1848182,"date":"2026-03-26T05:32:50","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T02:32:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1848182"},"modified":"2026-03-26T05:32:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T02:32:50","slug":"no-pogacar-new-course-will-e3-saxo-classic-be-better-without-cyclings-biggest-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1848182","title":{"rendered":"No Poga\u010dar, New Course: Will E3 Saxo Classic Be Better Without Cycling’s Biggest Star?"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/horzinotalmvpd.jpg”]<\/p>\n

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Andrew Hood<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Updated March 26, 2026 07:25AM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Mathieu van der Poel lines up Friday at E3 Saxo Classic as the undisputed favorite on a redesigned, harder-than-ever course without Tadej Poga\u010dar at the start line.<\/p>\n

This \u201cmini-Flanders\u201d is the first major cobbled race that counts in the spring campaign and the last big hit-out before the Ronde van Vlaanderen on April 5.<\/p>\n

This is cycling\u2019s March Madness, and the stakes couldn\u2019t be higher for the peloton\u2019s cobble-eaters.<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar\u2019s absence comes days after his Milan-San Remo masterclass, and his trademark long-range attacks will be missing in this telling teaser to cycling\u2019s Holy Week.<\/p>\n

Friday also offers an interesting control sample inside the men\u2019s peloton.<\/p>\n

Is the racing more interesting without Poga\u010dar, or does his disruptor style make any race better?<\/p>\n

Van der Poel won\u2019t mind if Poga\u010dar or eternal rival Wout van Aert aren\u2019t there, because he always races to win, no matter who shows up.<\/p>\n

Others lining up know this could be their best chance to win or at least hit the podium, perhaps all spring.<\/p>\n

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A harder E3 for 2026<\/h2>\n
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The E3 Saxo Classic kicks things off.<\/span> (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

E3 Saxo Classic organizers have turned up the dial with a brutal course makeover that will push men\u2019s field to the limit.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not quite monument-level suffering in the 68th edition, but it\u2019s close.<\/p>\n

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The new 2026 route stretches to 208.5km and pushes above 3,000 meters of climbing to make the already demanding E3 even more explosive.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing \u201cmini\u201d about this Flanders cousin.<\/p>\n

A double passage of the Oude Kwaremont headlines the overhaul.<\/p>\n

The first comes early at 121km, with the steep, paved Keuzelingstraat added as an early punch, a new addition making its E3 debut.<\/p>\n

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The second passage arrives in the final 40km, paired up again with the Paterberg to break the race for good.<\/p>\n

The Karnemelkbeekstraat, the so-called E3 Col, also returns twice for additional selection. The Muur is gone.<\/p>\n

Taaienberg, Boigneberg, Kapelberg, Paterberg, and Tiegemberg are all packed into the final 70 kilometers, an endless string of climbs for riders looking to crack the bunch.<\/p>\n

The Tiegemberg, the 16th and final climb, tops out with 19km to go before the run-in to the finish at the Forestier Stadium in Harelbeke.<\/p>\n

The changes make the finale \u201cjust a little more tougher,\u201d as the E3 Saxo Classic organizers put it.<\/p>\n

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No Poga\u010dar or Van Aert<\/h2>\n
The race is even more selective in 2026.<\/span> (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With marquee names like Van Aert or Poga\u010dar sitting this one out, the race could become a one-man MVDP show.<\/p>\n

Without Pog, there won\u2019t be thermonuclear solo attacks from 80km out. And without Van Aert, there won\u2019t be a diesel motor to grind it back.<\/p>\n

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Their absences will change the race dynamics, but perhaps not the outcome.<\/p>\n

All eyes will be on Van der Poel, the two-time defending champion, looking to win this third crown. Tom Boonen still owns the outright record with five wins.<\/p>\n

After a crash at San Remo took him out of the hunt, the Alpecin-Premier Tech star will be wanting to wreak his revenge.<\/p>\n

This new-look course delivers the perfect setting for him to blow things up on climbs like the Taaienberg or the Kwaremont.<\/p>\n

Van der Poel will also want to win to reconfirm the five-star duel with Poga\u010dar looming at Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.<\/p>\n

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Others in with a shot?<\/h2>\n
Can anyone stop this from happening?<\/span> (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But if Van der Poel cannot smash this harder, meaner E3 without Poga\u010dar or Van Aert, then who is going to stop Poga\u010dar a week later at Flanders?<\/p>\n

If MVDP falters on Friday, rivals might see a ray of\u00a0hope.<\/p>\n

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Riders like Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step), Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling), or Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM) could be in with a chance.<\/p>\n

A strong showing from anyone\u00a0else could hint at bigger things to come this spring.<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar changes any race, whether he\u2019s there or not.<\/p>\n

The Slovenian superstar\u2019s only raced here once, with third in 2023 when he was making his first big push into the cobblestoned classics.<\/p>\n

Since then, he and Van der Poel have dominated the major one-day classics and monuments in what\u2019s emerged as a modern-day rivalry for the ages.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s more exciting? With or without Poga\u010dar?<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll get part of that answer on Friday.<\/p>\n

A large group hasn\u2019t contested the win in the past 14 years, so expect fireworks early and often.<\/p>\n

The race starts and finishes in Harelbeke, with the flag dropping at 12:45 p.m. and the expected finish around 17:30 (CET).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Andrew Hood<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Updated March 26, 2026 07:25AM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/horzinotalmvpd.jpg”] Andrew Hood Updated March 26, 2026 07:25AM Mathieu van der Poel lines up Friday at E3 Saxo Classic as the undisputed favorite on a redesigned, harder-than-ever course without Tadej Poga\u010dar at the start line. This \u201cmini-Flanders\u201d is the first major cobbled race that counts in the spring campaign and the last big […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,71],"class_list":["post-1848182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-velo-outsideonline-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1848182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1848182"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1848182\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1848182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1848182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1848182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}