E3 Saxo Classic LIVE: Mathieu van der Poel back in action on the cobbles of Flanders

Mathieu van der Poel made his highly anticipated return to the cobbled Classics today at the E3 Saxo Classic, marking his first appearance on the Flemish cobbles since his cyclocross world championship victory. The Alpecin-Deceuninck leader, renowned for his explosive power, is a key favourite for this demanding 207.6km race, often dubbed the 'mini Tour of Flanders', featuring 17 Hellingen and several cobbled sectors. His participation signals the true start of the serious spring campaign.

This return is crucial for Van der Poel, who bypassed Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo to focus squarely on the cobbled monuments, particularly the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. His absence from those early-season tests has left rivals like Wout van Aert and Mads Pedersen with early wins, setting a high bar. E3 offers a vital opportunity to gauge his form against top competition and fine-tune his race craft on terrain that perfectly mimics the upcoming main events, providing essential data for his team.

Van der Poel's presence elevates E3 from a warm-up to a true battleground. The peloton now knows the king of the cobbles is back, and the spring Classics just got a lot more interesting.