Tadej Pogacar achieved a remarkable feat on Sunday by securing his third Tour of Flanders title, matching the record, after outpacing his closest competitor, Mathieu van der Poel, with 18 kilometers remaining in the race.
Van der Poel was also in pursuit of his own record, aiming for a fourth triumph in this prestigious one-day classic. However, Pogacar’s victory marks his second consecutive win in a Monument event this season, following his success at Milan-San Remo last month.
With this latest win, Pogacar now boasts a total of 12 Monument victories, placing him second on the all-time list, trailing only Eddy Merckx, who holds 19 titles. This year, Pogacar has participated in three races and emerged victorious in all of them. If he triumphs at Paris-Roubaix next weekend, he will join an exclusive group, becoming just the fourth cyclist to win all five Monuments, alongside Merckx and Belgian legends Rik Van Looy and Roger De Vlaeminck.
“Today’s race was incredibly intense; it was difficult from an early point,” Pogacar expressed in an interview with Belgian television. “I don’t compete frequently, so there’s pressure to win when I do. Everything has gone perfectly so far, and I couldn’t be happier. As I head to Roubaix next week, I’ll be motivated, but I also want to enjoy the cobbled roads.”
Last year, during his debut at Roubaix, Pogacar finished in second place behind Van der Poel, who secured his third consecutive victory at that event.
In the 278-kilometer race, double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel claimed third place, finishing ahead of fellow Belgian Wout van Aert after more than six hours of racing in the challenging Flanders terrain, characterized by steep climbs and cobbled sections.
The event was anticipated as a showdown among four of cycling’s elite, and Pogacar demonstrated his superiority once again, although Van der Poel, renowned for his skills on cobblestones, pushed him to the limit.
Pogacar made a decisive move on the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, leaving all competitors behind except Van der Poel and Evenepoel with 57 kilometers to go. Evenepoel was dropped shortly thereafter on the Paterberg climb, and although he initially remained close, he gradually fell behind, finishing over a minute later than Pogacar.
The two riders remained together for nearly 40 kilometers until Pogacar unleashed his decisive acceleration on the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont. He reached the top with a six-second lead, and Van der Poel’s ability to keep pace diminished from that point onward, resulting in increasing time loss as he approached the finish line.
In the women’s race, European champion Demi Vollering executed a move similar to Pogacar’s, distancing herself from her competitors and reaching the top of the Oude Kwaremont with a 19-second advantage over Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Puck Pieterse.
Vollering maintained her lead and completed the 164-kilometer race with a 45-second margin over Ferrand-Prévot, who narrowly defeated Pieterse in the sprint for second place. This victory marks the third Monument title for the 2023 Tour de France Femmes champion, who previously won Liège-Bastogne-Liège twice. Record three-time winner Lotte Kopecky finished in fourth place.
