The E3 Harelbeke race organizers have announced today seven teams, which were granted a wildcard invitations to this years edition of an event.

Without any surprise, MTN Qhubeka received an invitation, after once exceptionally promising German Gerald Ciolek clinched a victory for the African Pro Continental squad at Milan-San Remo last season, while IAM Cycling was most likely granted a wildcard thanks to signing the always competitive Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel.

MTN-Qhubeka and UnitedHealthcare are joined by Belgian squads Wanty-Groupe Gobert and Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise, as well as IAM Cycling, Cofidis and Androni-Venezuela.

The first among the Belgium’s one day events, considered as a for race for Tour of Flanders, will take place on Friday, March 28 this year, and will be followed by Gent-Wavelgem held on Sunday, March 30.

Even though the route of E3 Harelbeke is shorter - covering about 210 kilometers in total, still many of the climbs well known from Tour of Flanders race are tackled. The conditions are also comparable as cobbles, wind and climbs decimate the bunch. The route takes a large lap around East Flanders including 12 hills

The race starts from Harelbeke's Grote Markt and travels east, the first 110 km flat with cobbles around Oudenaarde and Zottegem. The riders reach the most easterly point at Ninove after 85 km and after swinging west and going through Geraardsbergen and Brakel, the tough part begins with a succession of short, sharp climbs some of which are cobbled as the race loops between Ronse and Oudenaarde.

The 12 hills in order are La Houppe, Berg Stene, Boigneberg, Eikenberg, Stationsberg, Taaienberg, Oude Kruikens, Kapelberg, Patersberg, Oude Kwaremont, Knokteberg and Tiegemberg.

The two final climbs of the Tour of Flanders, the Kwaremont and Paterberg, both feature in the closing 36 kilometres of E3 Harelbeke, albeit in reverse order. The final of the race’s 15 climbs remains the Tiegemberg, which comes 17 kilometres from the finish in Harelbeke.

Fabian Cancellara is the E3 Harelbeke most recent winner, while Belgian Tom Boonen – having 5 victories in the event in his palmares, has to be considered the most successful rider of its 56 years-long history. Even though those riders, in most cases thanks to some unfortunate accidents, were changing turns in reaching for glory in the spring Classics last seasons, this year a close encounter between them is highly anticipated.

Wildcard invitations for races organized by RCS sport are expected to be announced by the end of this week.