Mini-Takeaways: E3 Saxo Classic & Volta Catalunya

Quickly breaking down today's Mathieu van der Poel showdown with top Classics rivals at a key pre-Tour of Flanders preparation race & the thrilling GC showdown brewing at Volta Catalunya

Mathieu van der Poel stormed to yet another dominant victory today at the E3 Saxo Classic over the cobbled climbs of Flanders to take his second consecutive win at the traditional Tour of Flanders dress rehearsal. Behind, Mads Pedersen and Filippo Ganna, both perhaps on the best form of their careers, could only watch as Van der Poel marked their early moves that created an elite front group, which he sat in patiently, before riding clear on the hardest remaining climb in the race, the Oude Kwaremont before building up a massive lead before rolling over the finish line.

Meanwhile, at the Volta Catalunya, 35-year-old veteran Primož Roglič and 22-year-old wunderkind Juan Ayuso are locked in an absurdly tight GC race. With just a single second separating them and two difficult stages remaining over the weekend, a thrilling battle for the overall title is set up.

Check out a few key highlights and takeaways below:

E3 Saxo Classic 2025 Top Ten
1) Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0
2) Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) +1’05
3) Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) +2’04
4) Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step) +2’33
5) Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) +2’33
6) Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) +2’33
7) Aimé De Gendt (Cofidis) +2’33
8) Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +2’35
9) Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike) +2’38
10) Mike Teunissen (XDS Astana) +2’43

Race Notebook

136.7km-to-go: After an early crash splits the peloton, and catches out most of the pre-race favorites, like Mathieu van der Poel, the front group, which includes Visma’s Matteo Jorgenson, is driven by Stefan Küng’s Groupama-FDJ team.

135.4km: However, behind, Van der Poel’s Alpecin team has things under control and is able to reverse the multi-minute deficit.

81km: As the now all-together peloton approaches the key climb of the Taaienberg, Ineos and Lidl-Trek are at the front pushing the pace, hoping to split the peloton on, or even before, the climb. Wout van Aert and his Visma team are buried deep in the group behind.

80.9km: Off his teammate's hard pace, Mads Pedersen attacks on the climb, with Van der Poel the only one both in position and with the legs to respond.

80.2km-79.4km: After Pedersen and Van der Poel get over the climb, Filippo Ganna bridges up from the peloton, and the trio quickly catch the two riders up the road. Despite knowing how dangerous Van der Poel is at the moment, both Ganna and Pedersen take generous pulls with Van der Poel to extend their lead on the peloton.

39km: When they hit the hardest remaining climb, the Oude Kwaremont, Van der Poel launches a perfectly-timed attack when he lifts the pace and drops his breakaway companions, including both Ganna and Pedersen.

37.8km: On the paved false flat over the top of the climb, Van der Poel, looking incredibly smooth and powerful, extends his lead over Pedersen, who is pedaling squares a few seconds back, with Ganna a further 12 seconds in arrears. While it may have looked tempting for Pedersen to sit up and wait for Ganna here, Pedersen pushes on, likely thinking that he can hold off Ganna to secure second, and that Ganna, who looked like he was cracking on the previous climbs, would be more a hindrance than help in pursuing Van der Poel.

12.5km- Finish: After dangling just a few seconds in front of Pedersen, Van der Poel’s consistently high pace allows him to put over a minute into the Dane, and over two into Ganna as he rides clear to the finish line to secure his second consecutive victory at this race.

Key Takeaways

Mathieu van der Poel Might Be Unbeatable Right Now: After this terrifying exhibition, there is little question that the defending Flanders and Roubaix champion is on world-beating Classics form. His barnstorming efforts mirror what he did last year at the same point in time, but unfortunately for his rivals, he might look even slightly better in 2025 compared to 2024, meaning it could be difficult for anyone, even Tadej Pogačar, to beat him through the rest of the cobbled calendar.