Van der Poel three‑peat
Mathieu van der Poel completed a third consecutive E3 Saxo Classic after a long‑range solo attack that held off a fast‑closing four‑man chase — a win that puts him alongside Rik Van Looy, Jan Raas and Tom Boonen as three‑peaters. He rode for Alpecin‑Premier Tech despite a hand injury and the revised route featured a double ascent of the Kwaremont, adding tactical teeth to the finale. (cyclinguptodate.com) (cyclingnews.com)
The 68th edition took place on March 27, 2026 over roughly 208.5 kilometres and featured sixteen climbs on the Harelbeke circuit. (cyclingnews.com) Van der Poel launched the decisive move on the Paterberg with approximately 40–41 km remaining and rode solo to the finish after that attack. (velo.outsideonline.com) Race radio showed his advantage at about 50 seconds with 20 km to go before a committed four‑man group whittled the gap down to single digits under the red kite; the official winning margin was five seconds. (france24.com) The late chase comprised Per Strand Hagenes (Visma | Lease a Bike), Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates‑XRG), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno‑X Mobility) and Stan Dewulf (Decathlon CMA CGM), with Hagenes taking second ahead of Vermeersch in the sprint for the podium. (cyclingnews.com) Cyclingnews and other reports highlighted a critical lapse in cooperation in the final kilometre—Vermeersch sat up looking for a helper while the others hesitated, a moment that sealed the chase’s failure. (cyclingnews.com) Team and media coverage before the race noted Van der Poel was still riding through a cut and bleeding on his left hand sustained in a crash at Milan‑San Remo, an issue he and his teammates said was painful during course recon earlier in the week. (msn.com) Organisers altered the 2026 parcours by inserting a second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont from a different direction and adding an ‘E3‑Col’, changes that increased the finale’s tactical difficulty. (cyclist.co.uk)
