Tadej Pogacar delivered another outstanding performance to win the Tour of Flanders for a third time, matching the record for most victories in the race.
The defending champion made his decisive move 18km from the finish, dropping Mathieu van der Poel on the final climb of the Oude Kwaremont. From there, Pogacar rode solo to the line, sealing a dominant win.
Strong Start to the Season
The 27-year-old has now won both Monument races held this year, adding this victory to his earlier success at Milan-San Remo.
With three Tour of Flanders titles, Pogacar joins an elite group of riders at the top of the race’s history. He also reached 12 Monument wins in total, placing him second on the all-time list behind Eddy Merckx.
How the Race Played Out
The key moment came with about 57km remaining when Pogacar, Van der Poel, and Remco Evenepoel broke away from the peloton.
Evenepoel lost contact on the Paterberg climb, leaving Pogacar and Van der Poel alone at the front. After riding together for several kilometers, Pogacar launched a powerful attack on the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont.
He quickly opened a gap and extended his lead to deny Van der Poel a record fourth victory. Evenepoel later secured third place, finishing ahead of Wout van Aert.
Focus Turns to Paris-Roubaix
Pogacar has now won all three races he has entered this season and will head into Paris-Roubaix full of confidence.
A win there would place him among cycling greats such as Rik van Looy and Roger de Vlaeminck as one of the few riders to claim all five Monument races.
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