E3 Saxo Classic 2025: The Route

Friday 28 March - A ten-day-long Flemish cycling bonanza kicks off with the E3 Saxo Classic. Covering 208.8 kilometres, the race features seventeen hills and five cobbled sectors.

The first half of the race gives the riders plenty of time to settle in. With just three climbs and three cobbled sectors, the route doesn’t pose much of a challenge yet. It’s more a matter of eagerly anticipating what’s to come.

Things heat up around the halfway mark when the riders crest the Oude Kruisberg. From there, the action really kicks off, with the Knokteberg, Hotondberg, Kortekeer, Taaienberg, Berg ten Stene, Boigneberg, Eikenberg, and Stationberg all packed into a 40-kilometre stretch (see ‘hills & cobbles’ in the slideshow below or technical details).

The riders rattle over the cobbles of the Mariaborrestraat before tackling the Kapelberg, and just 4 kilometres later, the Paterberg awaits. It’s only 400 metres long, but with cobbles pitching up to 12.9%, it’s a real test — especially with the Oude Kwaremont following shortly after.

From the top of the Oude Kwaremont, there are still 40 kilometres to race. Roughly 8 kilometres later, the riders hit the Karnemelkbeekstraat climb — 1,530 metres at 4.9% — before tackling the flat cobbles of the Varent and continuing onto the final climb of the day, the Tiegemberg: 750 metres at 5.6%. After summiting, it’s 21.6 kilometres to the finish line on the Stasegemsesteenweg in Harelbeke.

In 2024, the race was decided on the Paterberg. As Mathieu van der Poel launched an attack, his biggest rival, Wout van Aert, crashed. The rest of the E3 turned into a chase. At first, Van Aert was closing in, but in the end, Van der Poel took the win with a comfortable margin.

Fancy taking on the route yourself? Download GPX E3 Saxo Classic.

Another interesting read: results and start list 2025 E3 Saxo Classic.