E3 Saxo Bank Classic

E3 Saxo Bank Classic
Race details
DateLate March
RegionFlanders, Belgium
Local name(s)E3 Harelbeke (in Dutch)
Nickname(s)The little Tour of Flanders
DisciplineRoad
CompetitionUCI World Tour
TypeOne-day race
OrganiserHand in Hand VZW
Race directorPhilippe Vermeeren
Web sitewww.e3saxoclassic.be Edit this at Wikidata
History
First edition1958 (1958)
Editions66 (as of 2024)
First winner Armand Desmet (BEL)
Most wins Tom Boonen (BEL) (5 wins)
Most recent Mathieu van der Poel (NED)

E3 Saxo Bank Classic, previously known as E3 BinckBank Classic, E3 Harelbeke, Harelbeke–Antwerp–Harelbeke and E3-Prijs Vlaanderen, is an annual road cycling race in Flanders, Belgium. The race starts and finishes in Harelbeke, covering 203 kilometres,[1] mainly in the Flemish Ardennes.

First raced in 1958, it is one of the more recently founded one-day classics, but has developed into a prestigious and desirable event.[2] It is on the UCI World Tour calendar, as part of a series of cobbled classics in Belgium and Northern France in March and April.

Belgian Tom Boonen holds the record of victories with five wins, trailed by cycling icon Rik Van Looy who won four times.

  1. ^ "E3 gaat terug naar de roots en wordt korter en spannender, 26 november 2015". Sporza. Sporza staff. Archived from the original on 28 November 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  2. ^ "E3 Harelbeke". UCI. UCI staff. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2015.