E3 Saxo Classic 2027

The 2026 race started and finished in Harelbeke on Friday, March 27. Just before the Boigneberg, 64 kilometers from the finish, Mathieu van der Poel and Tim van Dijke joined a small group ahead of the peloton, and on the climb Van der Poel put that group under pressure. With 45 kilometers to go he was across to the front group, and on the Paterberg he rode away from it alone.

It nearly went wrong. Stan Dewulf chased first and was joined by Per Strand Hagenes, Florian Vermeersch and Jonas Abrahamsen, and the four kept taking time out of his lead and nearly caught him in the last kilometer. "I gave up, actually, because they were so close," Van der Poel said. Then, suddenly, the four hesitated, each waiting for another to lead, and Van der Poel had the race won, three seconds ahead of them. Hagenes was second and Vermeersch third, and the next group, with Mads Pedersen in it, finished 24 seconds back. It was Van der Poel's third E3 in a row.