The Wolfpack is ready to take on the 67th edition of the prestigious Belgian one-day race.
E3 Saxo Classic, which our team has won eight times, is the next Classic on the calendar. Taking place on Friday, it’s not just one of the most important one-day races of the season, but also one of the hardest, many of the climbs that the peloton will tackle being regular features on the course of De Ronde.
The first difficulty of the day will be the Katteberg, coming after 31 kilometers, but the race is expected to open up much later, around 80 kilometers from home, when the riders will take on the Taaienberg. As history has shown, the iconic combo of Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont should be decisive in the fight for victory, especially as the bunch will barely have a moment of respite between the two. The last hill of the day is the Tiegemberg, from whose top only 20 kilometers remain until the finish line in Harelbeke.
Soudal Quick-Step will be at the start with a young and motivated team consisting of Gil Gelders, Luke Lamperti, Casper Pedersen, Pepijn Reinderink, Dries Van Gestel, Louis Vervaeke – who will race his first ever cobblestone spring classic – and Jordi Warlop.
“E3 is one of the hardest races of the spring. You don’t have time to recover in the last 80 kilometers with all those climbs that come in quick succession. We have a nice team, comprising young guys but also some more experienced riders. It will be interesting to see Louis on the cobbles, he usually does the Ardennes, but he lives not far from the course and we are confident he can do a good race. As we said, it’s one of the most difficult one-day races of the season, but we hope to feature deep in the finale and be in the mix for a nice result”, said sports director Tom Steels.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
