Harelbeke will continue to serve as the start and finish location for the E3 Saxo Classic for a long time to come. The organizers behind the spring classic and the West Flanders city have signed a new agreement for the next six years. This was announced at a press conference on Wednesday, according to Het Nieuwsblad.
The first edition of Harelbeke-Antwerp-Harelbeke – as the race was called back then – was on the cycling calendar in 1958. Local hero Armand ‘Mantie’ Desmet from Waregem (just ten kilometers from Harelbeke) became the inaugural winner. Over the years, the race frequently changed its name, but Harelbeke has remained the consistent start and finish location.
Nowadays, the finish line is on the Stasegemsesteenweg. It was here this spring that Mathieu van der Poel triumphed once again. The Dutch classics specialist soloed impressively to victory in the latest edition of the E3 Saxo Classic, successfully building on his own legacy.
Van der Poel and Filippo Ganna in action during the E3 Saxo Classic - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
The next edition of the E3 Saxo Classic will take place on March 27, 2026, traditionally in the week between Milan-San Remo and Gent-Wevelgem.
The women’s race will not take place in Harelbeke and surrounding areas next year. After the first two editions in 2022 and 2023, the race was removed from the calendar again for sporting and economic reasons.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 |  Mathieu van der Poel |
| 2024 | Mathieu van der Poel |
| 2023 |  Wout van Aert |
| 2022 | Wout van Aert |
| 2021 |  Kasper Asgreen |
| 2019 |  Zdenek Stybar |
| 2018 | Niki Terpstra |
| 2017 | Greg Van Avermaet |
| 2016 |  Michal Kwiatkowski |
| 2015 |  Geraint Thomas |
