Pogacar burns off Van der Poel and Evenepoel to seal Tour of Flanders hat-trick

Another year, another duel with Mathieu van der Poel and another Tadej Pogačar victory at the Tour of Flanders. A spirited debut from Remco Evenepoel added more than a touch of intrigue to this edition of the Ronde, but the race would still follow its inevitable conclusion, with Pogačar soloing to a record-equalling third victory in Oudenaarde.

Like in 2023 and 2025, Pogačar dropped Van der Poel on the final time up the Oude Kwaremont with 18km to go. Once again, Van der Poel put up fierce resistance, but it seems there is simply nothing to be done against this iteration of Pogačar, who has not lost a race since he retained his world title in Rwanda last September.

Pogačar made light work of the following Paterberg, and he cruised home to win by 34 seconds from Van der Poel, while Evenepoel took third at 1:10 after riding alone for the final 50km of the race.

As is his wont, Pogačar looked to shape this race to his liking from distance. His UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad forced the first major selection on the Molenberg with more than 100km still to race, and then Pogačar himself triggered the winning move with a long, searing and seated acceleration on the Oude Kwaremont with 55km to go.

Only Van der Poel and Evenepoel could track that effort, and the Belgian dared to half wheel Pogačar on the following Paterberg. That seemed to serve only to provoke Pogačar, who pressed clear near the top, bringing Van der Poel with him.

Evenepoel chased gamely and shrank the gap every time he found smooth, flat roads. But Pogačar’s efforts on the Koppenberg, Maria Borre Straat and Kruisberg ensured Evenepoel was racing for third place, and the Ronde boiled down to its usual script.

After winning Milan-Sanremo last month, Pogačar's Monument count now stands at twelve, and he will see to complete the full set at Paris-Roubaix next week.

There was the usual carnival atmosphere at the start in Antwerp, and there was a typically fierce start to proceedings before the early break eventually forced its way clear after 20km. The headline was the presence of Van der Poel’s Alpecin-Premier Tech teammate Silvan Dillier in the 13-man break, which put the onus on Pogačar’s UAE squad to control the peloton.

Mikkel Bjerg assumed the position, but the break’s lead would stretch to five minutes after a curious incident at a level crossing with 213km to go. Although the front end of the peloton, including Pogačar, made it through the level crossing before the barriers came down, the commissaires ordered them to wait for the rest of the bunch.

The escapees remained more than five minutes clear come the first ascent of the Oude Kwaremont with 137km to race, but the succession of climbs would see the break’s lead contract steadily.

The first major move among the favourites would come on the exposed road before the Molenberg with 103km to go. Nils Politt’s work here split the peloton and Florian Vermeersch took over on the climb, dragging a small group clear that included Pogačar, Evenepoel and Van der Poel.

Van Aert and Mads Pedersen were among those to bridge back up over the other side, leaving a group of 17 riders to chase down the break and fight out the win with 100km still to race.

Evenepoel had teammates Tim van Dijke and Gianni Vermeersch for company in the move, and the Belgian could scarcely have asked for a better scenario, with the Ronde becoming a race of strength rather than positioning long before the key pinch points in the finale. 

Pogačar was notably generous in his efforts in the group of strongmen as it laboured beneath a heavy rain shower in pursuit of the leaders on the Berendries and Valkenberg. The junction to break came just as the rain stopped ahead of Berg ten Houte, with 76km to go, leaving a group of 30 riders in front.

That group would be whittled down by the following climbs, and there was some bluff and counterbluff now emerging among the contenders. Florian Vermeersch dragged a couple of riders clear on the Hotond before Van Aert stitched it back together over the other side, and it was clear the second ascent of the Kwaremont would be a key rendezvous.

Pogačar duly sprang into action at the foot of the climb with 57km to go, accelerating even before the cobbles began, with Van Aert immediately onto his wheel. Van der Poel and Evenepoel would bridge up in turn, while Pedersen was definitively distanced. Van Aert would pay for his effort in tracking Pogačar over the top of the climb, however, leaving the trio of Pogačar, Evenepoel and Van der Poel to forge clear.

On the first ascent of the Paterberg, Evenepoel went elbow to elbow with Pogačar, briefly nudging ahead of him, but that seemed only to poke the beast. Pogačar dialled up the pace as the gradient bit, and only Van der Poel could follow, while Evenepoel was forced into a time trial effort to try to stay in touch.

Evenepoel couldn’t quite close the gap before the Koppenberg, and that doomed his challenge. Pogačar forced on the pace on the steepest climb of the race, with Van der Poel hanging on, and by the summit, they had 20 seconds on Evenepoel and 52 on Van Aert and Pedersen.

A determined Evenepoel refused to lay down arms, closing to within sight of the leaders ahead of the cobbles of Maria Borrestraat. He couldn’t quite close the gap, however, with Pogačar pointedly pushing on the pace to ensure this would come down to a duel with his old rival Van der Poel.

Pogačar and Van der Poel broke even on the Taaienberg and the Kruisberg-Hotond, stretching their lead over Evenepoel and they readied themselves for the familiar duel on the Kwaremont – and the inevitable outcome.