E3 Saxo Classic reveals tougher finale with double ascent of Oude Kwaremont

The E3 Saxo Classic will have a considerably more demanding route in 2026 with the race now set to tackle double ascents of both the Oude Kwaremont and the Karnemelkbeekstraat in the finale.

In keeping with recent tradition, the first ascent of the Kwaremont will be preceded by the Paterberg, but the second time around, riders will tackle the smooth ascent of the Keuzelingsstraat before they hit the climb.

Each ascent of the Oude Kwaremont will be followed by the wickedly steep Karnemelkbeekstraat, which has become so synonymous with the race as to be dubbed the E3 Col.

The alteration means the route will now feature some 3,000m of total altitude gain, and the quintessential dress rehearsal for the Tour of Flanders now looks ever more tailored towards the strongmen most likely to triumph at the Ronde a week later.

“For us, the decision can be made there,” the organisation told Sporza of the Keuzelingsstraat-Kwaremont combination. “But it could certainly also be on Karnemelkbeekstraat. A few years ago, we renamed that climb the E3 Col, and we’ll also be riding it twice in the finale.”

The E3 Saxo Classic has increasingly pitched itself as a warm-up for the Tour of Flanders over the years, and Mathieu van der Poel has completed the Harelbeke-Ronde double for each of the past two seasons. On his lone E3 appearance in 2023, Tadej Pogacar placed third behind Wout van Aert and Van der Poel before winning his first Tour of Flanders the following week.

The E3 Saxo Classic takes place on Friday, March 27, starting and finishing in Harelbeke.