- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 427,102
- Reaction score
- 44
You must be registered for see images attach
Tadej Pogacar crosses the finish line to win the 2025 Tour of Flanders - AP/Geert Vanden Wijngaert
Tadej Pogacar showed his strength, claiming his second Tour of Flanders title with a powerful solo victory on Sunday.
After illuminating the race with a slew of attacks, the Slovenian made his decisive move on the penultimate climb, the Oude Kwaremont, with 19 kilometres to go.
Danish rider Mads Pedersen sprinted to second place from a small chasing group ahead of Mathieu Van der Poel. The defending champion was involved in a mid-race crash, forcing him to fight back to the front group. “I was lucky to not have more damage after,” Van der Poel said post-race.
The much-anticipated duel between Van der Poel and Tour de France winner Pogacar came to fruition. The Dutchman tracked Pogacar’s brutal first attack on the Oude Kwaremont, 60 kilometres from the finish, which whittled down the group of contenders.
Van der Poel made his own move minutes later on the Paterberg. However, Pogacar followed and pushed the pace again over the Koppenberg; initially, only Van der Poel and Pedersen could follow. Using the race’s sixteen, steep hellingen climbsto his advantage, he put in more punishing digs over the Taaienberg and the Oude Kruisberg, where the Dane dropped back.
Behind, challengers Wout van Aert and Jasper Stuyven chased hard with Pedersen to create a five-man lead group.
Despite the back and forth of his breakaway bids being caught, UAE Team Emirates leader Pogacar would not be denied an eighth Monument win. On the Oude Kwaremont, he accelerated again at the foot of the cobbled climb and his rivals had no response.
You must be registered for see images attach
Pogacar escapes to victory on the Oude Kwaremont, cheered on by hundreds of cycling fans - AFP/Dirk Waem
The 26-year-old broke away and extended his lead to 30 seconds over the race’s final hill, the Paterberg, as a resurgent Van Aert did much of the chasing.
Though the four pursuers had more manpower, they lacked cohesion and Pogacar had strength in reserve. He extended his lead riding into the wind to the finish line in Oudenaarde, where he could savour the winning moment.
“The goal was to win, but in the end, it is hard to realise it. We did it and I cannot be more proud of the team and how we raced today, even though we had some bad luck,” Pogacar said after the finish. “In the end, all was good. I qm just so happy to win this race in this [rainbow] jersey.”
Pogacar’s UAE Emirates team-mates were caught up in falls late in the race, damaging their pre-race plan. “We lost Jhony [Narvaez], Tim [Wellens] and Florian [Vermeersch],” Pogacar said. “But Florian somehow was chasing back all the race more or less, and made it just in time to lead out on the Kwaremont. Chapeau to him. We never gave up.”
1 minute 1 seconds behind, Pedersen sprinted to second place ahead of Van der Poel and Van Aert after being led out by his Lidl-Trek team-mate Jasper Stuyven. Fred Wright was the highest-placed British finisher, sprinting to 23rd place in the chasing peloton, 2:17 behind Pogacar.
No race seems to be beyond the versatile, voracious cycling champion. Next for him is a debut on the flat cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix on April 13.
“It is a completely different race but I will accept the challenge and try to do my best,” Pogacar said. “Flanders suits me a bit better, but you never know: Roubaix is also a very hard race and with this shape I have now, I should give it a try.”
Meanwhile, world champion Lotte Kopecky of Belgium delighted home fans by taking a record-breaking third title in the women’s Tour of Flanders.
The SD Worx-Protime leader outsprinted Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Liane Lippert and Kasia Niewiadoma after the quartet broke away on the Oude Kwaremont.
05:05 PM BST
Thanks for reading
Phew, that’s it from me after two great races. Join me next week for live coverage of Paris-Roubaix on Telegraph Sport.
04:57 PM BST
The top three finishers
04:56 PM BST
Kopecky: “I was pretty confident”
04:47 PM BST
Lotte Kopecky wins the women’s Tour of Flanders
Joy for Belgian fans as world champion Lotte Kopecky makes history with a third title. She led out the sprint and finished comfortably ahead of Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Liane Lippert. Niewiadoma was fourth.
A nice symmetry: two world champions have won the Tour of Flanders today.
04:46 PM BST
Niewiadoma attacks with 800 metres to go
Nothing doing. Kopecky jumps straight on her, but the Pole drops bac to follow the Belgian world champion. The sprint begins.
04:45 PM BST
Final kilometre...
It’s a long straight road to the finish. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot leads Kopecky and Niewiadoma and Lippert. Who can hold their nerve? Who has the most in reserve?
Kopecky goes to the front and turns to keep an eye on her adversaries.
04:41 PM BST
3km to go in the women’s Tour of Flanders
Four riders in front, none of them have won a race yet in 2025. If Kopecky takes glory, she will become the race’s first three-time winner. So far, they have not started attacking one another yet but I reckon the cohesion will soon be shattered...
42 seconds back to the chasers. The title is between these four.
04:36 PM BST
7km to go
The four leaders have turned into the wind, they lead seven chasers by 33 seconds. It is in their hands. Kopecky will be the favourite with her fast finish and endurance, but Lippert can kick decently.
If noted non-sprinter Niewiadoma wants to win, she surely has to attack. As for Ferrand-Prevot, a recent convert onto the road after years of dominating cross-country mountain-biking, who knows?
04:28 PM BST
Pain on the Paterberg
Kasia Niewiadoma grasps the nettle on the race’s final hill, setting the pace. The lead foursome have a lead of 20 seconds as they go over the top of the Paterberg. No attempted accelerations there.
04:22 PM BST
Kopecky pulls quartet away over Kwaremont
Two-time winner Lotte Kopecky makes the running on the pentulimate climb, bringing Liane Lippert (Movistar), Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-sram zondacrypto) with her.
Anna Henderson is in the chase group, just ten seconds down. Hemel Hempstead’s finest is still in contention.
04:15 PM BST
20km to go in the women’s Tour of Flanders
We’re heading to the denouement, that vicious Oude Kwaremont-Paterberg finale. Just 17 riders in the lead group, including world champion Lotte Kopecky, Tour de France Femmes winner Kasia Niewiadoma and Britain’s Olympic time-trial silver medallist Anna Henderson.
03:57 PM BST
Ferguson’s thwarted bid
Britain’s Cat Ferguson attacks in the women’s Tour of Flanders, with 34km to go, though the peloton chases her down. An impressive showing on her debut from the teenager so far, nevertheless.
03:39 PM BST
The top three in the men’s race
03:38 PM BST
Kopecky could make it two world champions winning
There could be two winners in the rainbow jersey at the Tour of Flanders this afternoon. Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky is riding strongly in the women’s Tour of Flanders, about to enter its final 40 kilometres.
03:27 PM BST
“We never gave up”: Tadej Pogacar post-race reaction
Next up in a week’s time is Paris-Roubaix on the cobblestones of northern France.
03:19 PM BST
Pedersen and Van der Poel on the podium
It is second place for Mads Pedersen in the sprint, third for Mathieu van der Poel, fourth for Van Aert. Stuyven trails over the line fifth.
Tiesj Benoot sprints to sixth place ahead of Stefan Kueng. Filippo Ganna wins the bunch sprint for eighth, 2:17 down on Pogacar. The average speed was 45km/h, that is some going.
03:16 PM BST
Tadej Pogacar wins the 2025 Tour of Flanders
He looks down the long main road and punches the air with his right fist, then shakes his head. The fans in Oudenaarde bang the advertising hoardings.
With 50 metres to go, he sits up and raises his hands to the sky as he crosses the line. Tadej Pogacar has won the 2025 Tour of Flanders in some style, with a 19km solo attack. That is his second title here after triumphing in 2023.
03:15 PM BST
It is over for the chasers
Their thoughts will turn for second place. Lidl-Trek have Jasper Stuyven and Mads Pedersen; whoever is fresher can lead out the other. Van Aert and Van der Poel will be hard to beat, with their finishing kick.
03:13 PM BST
3km to go: Pogacar leads by 51 seconds
Pogacar springs out of the saddle as a Belgian youngster tries to keep up with him on the bike path adjacent to the road. Good luck, jongen.
His upper body is rocking, but he is a few minutes from glory. This victory will take him to 8-7 against rival Mathieu van der Poel in the Monuments count. He has enough of an advantage to freewheel the last few hundred metres and take in the moment, if he desires.
03:09 PM BST
5km to go: Pogacar powers towards victory
Despite the tired chase, Pogacar is showing why he may just end up being the greatest cyclist in history. After putting in five or six meaningful attacks, the man in the rainbow jersey is still extending his advantage. He leads by 43 seconds. Barring a crash or mechnical mishap, he has Tour of Flanders victory in the bag.
What a finale. In the end, Pogacar broke the resolve of his rivals.
03:06 PM BST
8km to go: Pogacar 35 seconds up
Pogacar wipes his nose, hands on the hoods, and keeps turning the pedals hard. He looks focused and is turning a huge gear into the wind.
Behind, there is not the impetus in the pursuits and they freewheel momentarily. On the TNT Sports coverage, Adam Blythe suggests Van der Poel has blown.
03:03 PM BST
10km to go: 28-second lead for Pogacar
It looks like the chasers do not quite have the legs. They have been brutalised by all these Pogacar accelerations. This was how he had to race it, full-bore, to fatigue his rivals.
But has the UAE Team Emirates superstar got something in reserve as he turns into the cross-headwind on the way to Oudenaarde?
03:01 PM BST
A nail-biter of a finale
Pogacar rides the first hundred metres of the 400-metre Paterberg on the grass edge. He grimaces on the upper reaches, riding in the saddle, but still looks smooth. No more climbs on the menu, 13 kilometres to the finish in Oudenaarde.
His gap is 24 seconds.
Behind, Pedersen leads Van der Poel, Van Aert and Stuyven over the top, dust blowing in their face. If they work efficiently and share the job, they may well catch the world champion.
02:58 PM BST
15km to go: Pogacar’s advantage is 25 seconds
Pogacar is burning matches. The wind could play a big role: it is cross-headwind for the last nine kilometres. If cycling’s dominant force wants to win alone, he will have to give everything. One more climb coming: the Paterberg, with its 18% sectors. Ouch.
Van Aert leads the chase, while Pedersen skips a turn. Van der Poel and Stuyven pull through. They have not given up yet.
02:54 PM BST
Van Aert keeps Pogacar in sight
It is a painful, long climb. As the crowds, packed five-deep, scream their encouragement, the world champion extends his lead. His gap is about eight seconds.
Van Aert leads Van der Poel, with Stuyven and Pedersen following. Impressive riding from the Belgian, leading the pursuit. If they can stay together over this climb and chase cohesively, they may well get back to the Slovenian.
02:52 PM BST
Pogacar’s all-out attack on the Oude Kwaremont
Wout van Aert attacks at the foot of the Oude Kwaremont and he has a small gap. As they turn right onto the iconic climb, Pogacar does the work to peg him back and then hits the after-burners.
He has a bike length, two bike lengths over Van der Poel... it’s five. Van der Poel is slowing, Pogacar is moving away from him solo. This could be the winning move.
02:48 PM BST
20km to go: five in front
Stuyven, Pedersen and Van Aert catch up to the leading duo, and we have five in front. This is Stuyven or Pedersen’s chance to hit them and get ahead, otherwise they will lose ground on the two remaining climbs, the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg. But nobody goes on the front foot and there is a brief lull. No contender wants to commit or burn any more energy pointlessly.
Benoot, Jorgenson and Kueng are 25 seconds down, too far back to be a factor in this race.
The 2025 Tour of Flanders is about to be decided.
02:43 PM BST
25km to go
Pogacar and Van der Poel are not streets ahead. On a long, straight road that will take them closer to the Oude Kwaremont, they only lead Pedersen, Stuyven and Van Aert by 11 seconds.
02:40 PM BST
Van der Poel and Pogacar break away
Mads Pedersen cannot hold the lethal Pogacar pace and drops back to a group with his Lidl-Trek teammate Jasper Stuyven and Wout van Aert . Here is the battle many hoped for: defending champion Mathieu van der Pole versus 2023 winner Tadej Pogacar for one of cycling’s most prestigious race.
It could be death by a thousand cuts/acclerations for Van der Poel. That is how his rival will win: keep attacking and hurting his legs.
02:36 PM BST
30km to go: Visma-Lease a Bike trio chasing hard
The Van Aert group is only seven seconds in arrears. They can see their quarry and have organised a strong chase, but I reckon even if they bridge the gap, they will just be jettisoned when the next Pogacar acceleration comes.
Van der Poel and Pogacar are trading turns on the front as they turn onto the Oude Kruisberg and climb to the highest point in East Flanders.
02:29 PM BST
Another climb, another Pogacar move
Over the Taaienberg, Pogacar goes for it yet again and only Mathieu Van der Poel and Mads Pedersen can follow. 37km to go and they are 18 seconds ahead of a five-man group containing Visma-LAB trio Van Aert, Jorgenson and Benoot.
Three climbs left: the Kruisberg, the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg. Three climbs to decide the duel between Pogacar and Van der Poel. Or can Pedersen crash their party?
02:27 PM BST
Pogacar attacks again
On the Steenbeekdries, Pogacar gives another dig as the road drags uphill. Van der Poel comes from six wheels back to close the gap, followed by Wout van Aert. The Belgian hero seems to be getting better as the race goes on.
The Slovenian gives another dig on the flat, looks behind and sees Van der Poel following. These two still have energy left to burn.
02:22 PM BST
40km to go: the lead group reforms
This race situation keeps re-forming. Pogacar and Van der Poel’s group catch the few remaining leaders, but as the speed plateaus, their rivals catch up. About a dozen riders in front.
During a lull, Pedersen tries to catch them out with Van Aert following. Clever tactics, but Van der Poel (energy gel in his mouth) and Pogacar close the gap. That duo will be confident they have their number on the steep bergs.
02:17 PM BST
Pogacar hits the gas
Tadej Pogacar leads the chase group up the Koppenberg. Going fast in the saddle, only Van der Poel and Pedersen can follow. Then the Dane has to let the wheel go.
Stefan Kueng (Groupama-FDJ) leads Tiesj Benoot (Visma-Lease a Bike) over the top, but Pogacar and Van der Poel are only a few seconds back, swallowing up their fellow escapees.
02:14 PM BST
Onto the brutal Koppenberg
45km to go, an hour of racing. This horrible climb is only 600 metres long, but it has misshapen cobblestones and pitches at 22%. In the wet, the bunch often has to walk up pushing their bikes, such is the lack of traction.
The breakaway’s lead is only 33 seconds. Methinks they will soon be joined by Van der Poel and Pogacar.
02:12 PM BST
Strength over tactics?
Pedersen, Jorgensen, Van Aert and Stuyven fight to get onto their wheel. We could see this process again: attack, stalemate, regroup.
Visma-Lease a Bike and Lidl-Trek have numbers, with two riders there. But do they have the legs? For the rivals of Pogacar and Van der Poel, it is hurting mentally and physically to close the gap. Next time, the distancing might be definitive. So far, the two pre-race favourites look evenly-matched.
02:07 PM BST
50km to go: Van der Poel attacks on Paterberg
The tiring bunch gets back to the Pogacar quintet and it is status quo again - briefly.
Mathieu van der Poel gets out of the saddle and attacks up the Paterberg. Pogacar follows him doggedly, but the rest are distanced. They have about 100 metres’ lead: will they work together?
02:05 PM BST
Kueng leads breakaway onto the Paterberg
Pogacar has been setting the pace, but he swings off as if to say “I’m not doing everything” and the pace goes out of their chase. They may be wary that he will return their help with interest on the next climb. Van der Poel and Pogacar have a little chat.
The breakaway is down to seven riders. Kueng, Benoot, Trentin and Ganna are still in there.
02:02 PM BST
Pogacar attacks on Oude Kwaremont
As the cobbled section begins, Pogacar barrels down the grass verge and accelerates. Wout van Aert is on his wheel, Mathieu van der Poel is caught a little by surprise but, fighting his bike a little, joins the select lead group. Mads Pedersen is there too. Thousands of spectator by the road punch the air and roar.
He is leading four riders up the road: Visma-Lease a Bike pair Wout van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson, Mathieu van der Poel and Mads Pedersen. With one fell swoop, he has whittled down the race.
01:57 PM BST
The break starts Oude Kwaremont
Sketchy riding, bumping elbows and skirting centimetres away from road traffic on the rapid descent to the Oude Kwaremont. Pogacar is 15 riders back without a team-mate, Pedersen has to move up in the wind without a helper’s slipstream too.
The 13-man break hits the Oude Kwaremont. It’s 2.2km long, cobbled and I expect the lead group to be blow apart up here, let alone on the Paterberg.
01:54 PM BST
60km to go: Pogacar’s helpers push the pace
Nils Politt, the man with the whitest teeth in pro cycling, shows those iridescent gnashers as he rides on the front for Pogacar. He has pegged the Ganna group’s lead back to 1:04 over the Hotond (aka Nieuwe Kruisberg), as the riders jockey for position.
Connor Swift leads it onto the long descent towards the Oude Kwaremont. Will Pogacar launch his first attack there?
01:44 PM BST
70km to go
UAE Team Emirates are having to shoulder all the work in the bunch. Antonio Morgado’s head is rocking with the effort as he takes over from Florian Vermeersch on the front. The deficit is 1:16. Keep it within two minutes and Pogacar can do the rest after an explosive attack, I reckon.
We have the Hotond, then it is the beginning of the Tour of Flanders endgame: up the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg on the finishing circuit, then the feared and famed Koppenberg.
01:40 PM BST
Windmills and winces: latest photographs from the Tour of Flanders
You must be registered for see images attach
The Tour of Flanders bunch rolls past a windmill in a typically Flemish scene - Getty Images/Dario Belingheri
You must be registered for see images attach
Adrien Petit grimaces in pain after being involved in a crash during the Tour of Flanders - Velo/Jan de Meulenier
01:35 PM BST
Bottom rung of the bunch
Topsport rider Jules Hesters crashes on a bend as the bunch descends towards the Berg ten Houte, hill seven of sixteen. That looks a sore one.
He made a few headlines before Gent-Wevelgem last weekend when he got locked in his hotel room. The Belgian rider had to use a ladder to get out and make the start in time. Hopefully no such accommodation problems this morning.
01:28 PM BST
80km to go: Bike change for Mathieu van der Poel
Mathieu Van der Poel has a bike issue and he changes onto a pristine white Canyon. Not ideal, but with 10km until the Berg ten Houte climb, it’s a minor hiccup in the whole scheme of things. He is back in the pack in the blink of an eye, calmly moving to the front.
1:08 lead for the 13-man breakaway, which includes Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), Tiesj Benoot (Visma-Lease a Bike), Stefan Kueng (Groupama-FDJ), Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) and British duo Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers) and Sean Flynn (Picnic PostNL).
The latter pair will be feeling the distance in their legs after spending 150km up the road, and counting...
01:23 PM BST
Clever tactics from Pogacar’s rivals
Cramp for Alessandro Romele, who clutches his left thigh and drops out of the breakaway.
The gap is a minute. Ineos Grenadiers and Alpecin Deceuninck are waiting on the wheels. The onus is on UAE Team Emirates to do all the work, with Ganna and Hermans up the road. Pogacar will not have many men to help him in the finale. Well, does he need them?
01:17 PM BST
90km to go: two breakaways become one
Just before the Berendries, the Ganna, Benoot and Kung group has joined the day’s original breakaway. Canny veteran Matteo Trentin is also in there. Fourteen riders in front now.
The chase is on behind. Pogacar is just third wheel as his teammates whittle down the lead to 45 seconds.
01:11 PM BST
More cycling fans up in arms about the TNT Sports subscription price hike
Kevin Edwards writes in the comments: “I got rid of Sky when Eurosport ended. The free subscription to Discovery Plus was no use to me without the cycling. Perhaps UK cycling fans have had it good for a long time but I refuse to pay £30.99 just to watch one sport.
“TNT have no other sport I want to watch. The solution is easy: Warner need to do a TNT Sports “lite” package on the Discovery Plus app for the sports that used to be on Eurosport. I’d be happy to pay up to £9.99 a month for that.”
01:08 PM BST
It’s all about anticipating
As UAE Team Emirates set the pace, danger man Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) and Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck) are part of a four-man acceleration. The Tour of Flanders field know that Van der Poel and Pogacar are the men to beat. Go head-to-head and they will lose, so it is all about getting ahead earlier.
“It’s about anticipating in the smartest way possible, not spending too much,” former British champion Fred Wright told TNT Sports pre-race. “It’s a no-brainer for someone like me to get a result, I’ve got to start some of these later climbs ahead of Tadej and Van der Poel.”
Wright has been seventh and eighth here before. He is Great Britain’s best hope of a great ride.
You must be registered for see images attach
British contender Fred Wright (right) knows he has to make an earlier move to try to beat Pogacar and Van der Poel - Getty Images/Tim de Waele
01:01 PM BST
100km to go
The bunch crosses the long cobbled sector of the Paddestraat, heading for climb number five, the Berendries. Eritrea’s star sprinter Biniam Girmay has a bike change after an ill-timed puncture.
Tiesj Benoot, Vito Braet, Stefan Kueng and Davide Ballerini clipped off the front after the Molenberg and are making inroads into the breakaway’s lead, only one minute down and 45 seconds up on the bunch. Benoot (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Kueng (Groupama-FDJ) are classy riders, finishing in the top-five at the Tour of Flanders in the past.
12:52 PM BST
Break’s lead cut to two minutes
Over the Molenberg, the favourites are to the fore, being attentive. Van der Poel marks a move, with Mads Pedersen in his wheel followed by Tadej Pogacar.
The pace has shot up. Four climbs down, twelve to go. The gap to the breakaway, which contains British riders Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers) and Sean Flynn (Team Picnic PostNL), is two minutes.
A reminder: they are joined by Timo Roosen (Team Picnic PostNL), Marco Haller (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), Elmar Reinders (Team Jayco Alula), Rory Townsend (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), Alessandro Romele (XDS Astana Team) and Victor Vercouillie (Team Flanders-Baloise.)
12:46 PM BST
Degenkolb abandons race
Up front, the breakaway becomes six on the Molenberg as Roosen and Vercouillie struggle. Veteran Classics great John Degenkolb has abandoned the race after that fall.
Tim Wellens is still riding, but he is off the back in a group with teammate Florian Vermeersch. UAE Team Emirates have a few riders with Pogacar, but they could do with that manpower.
12:37 PM BST
120km to go: Van der Poel is back and near the front
Guided by Planckaert, Van der Poel makes his way towards the front on the Molenberg. He is making a stressful, tiring job look incredibly easy, passing dozens of rider like it is nothing.
For the rest of the Tour of Flanders, for wannabe winners, it is all about saving energy, avoiding falls and ideally having a few team-mates to help and protect you. The wind changes direction constantly as the route moves left and right around the Flemish Ardennes, adding another complication.
12:29 PM BST
Crash for Mathieu van der Poel!
The defending champion goes down in a high-speed fall involving several of his teammates, Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) and John Degenkolb (Picnic PostNL). About 20 riders involved, that was a nasty one. Several riders stay down, attended to by the race doctors.
As they hit the second climb, the Eikenberg, Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Edward Planckaert leads him back closer to the bunch. The effort to regain the group will take a small toll, but the question is also: how much has that crash affected or hurt him?
12:25 PM BST
More falls as bunch fights for position
Back from a quick lunch break. I doubt the riders will be having a tuna and cucumber sandwich and Wine Gums; if they do, they do not stand a chance of winning the Tour of Flanders.
Ineos Grenadiers leader Filippo Ganna had a puncture, with crashes for Jenno Beckmoes, bleeding from a head injury. He is conscious and moving, at least. A key teammate for Pogacar, Jhonatan Narvaez is also riding with torn shorts and cuts after being involved in a fall.
12:07 PM BST
Crashes break up the peloton
Two crashes in the peloton approaching the Kwaremont as they fight for position. One midway through the bunch, blocking the road, another seconds later right at the front of the bunch. Only about 20 riders got through unscathed.
Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates) is affected and will have to chase hard to regain the bunch. On the cobbled climb itself, Van der Poel is visible at the front, Pogacar is a few rows back as Lidl-Trek set the pace for Mads Pedersen. Seems like the two favourites got through it ok.
12:02 PM BST
Mathieu Van der Poel is bidding for a history-making fourth victory
A fourth Tour of Flanders win would befor Mathieu van der Poel.#RVVpic.twitter.com/zDKNcj3LRY
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) April 6, 2025
11:59 AM BST
The soaring cost of watching bike racing
Interesting comment from Que Belaza below:
“Used to be able to watch this on Eurosport. Still can in Europe but here it is now behind the TNT pay wall, as if the Sky pay wall wasn’t enough. Where is the value in Sky now? Warner Bros can go whistle. Only way to bring these US companies to heel is to not pay until they drop their prices.”
No more Eurosport, no more cheaper cycling broadcasting. The cost went up 300% from £6.99 a month to £30.99 a month in February for the premium TNT Sports package, which encompasses a fair few other sports. It’s fair to say the price hike has not been popular with many cycling fans, many of whom do not particularly care about watching other sports.
What do you think of it?
11:53 AM BST
150km to go: breakaway leads by four minutes
The Oude Kwaremont, the first of the race’s 16 climbs, will start in five kilometres time. After that, these leg-hurting hellingen come thick and fast until the finish. They will go up the Kwaremont three times today, as it makes up part of the decisive finishing circuit.
It is something of the good cop to the Paterberg’s bad cop: longer, more shallow, suited to long, searing accelerations. (Pogacar went up it at 40km/h during his recon ride, apparently.) Plus, plenty of space next to the road for beer tents. The Europop will be blaring in there, the pints being drunk quickly.
11:45 AM BST
Dillier narrowly dodges a phone-wielding spectator
It’s over for the escapees who were in the middle, Max Walker and Jens Reynders. They have been brought back by the peloton on that section of cobbles at Doorn.
At the front of the bunch, Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Silvan Dillier has to swerve left to avoid a bloke taking a photo on his phone. Smartly done, that was close. Dillier looks back and gives him a dirty look as they roll off the stones. Rightly so.
11:38 AM BST
Weather hotting up
It is 12 degrees out there. Still a bit of a wait for the race to get going, but Pogacar and Van der Poel are at the front of the bunch in short sleeves. Makes sense: all day long is a constant fight for position in the washing machine movement cycle of a big group. If you are far forward, you are on the front foot, can avoid crashes and respond to attacks. Simples, as that animated, advertising meerkat said.
The race is on the first cobbled section at Doorn, buffeted by a crosswind.
11:20 AM BST
175km to go
Huge turn-out from the Belgian fans on the route as the bunch shoots past, led by Mikkel Bjerg of UAE Team Emirates. They call this “holy week” in Belgium and this is their sacred, most worshipped race.
The bunch has to hastily shimmy around a high kerb and road furniture in the middle of their path. There will be a lot of that in this densely-populated country, which occasionally leads to a crash, especially in the race’s more frenetic moments.
11:11 AM BST
Walker goes walkabout
There are two riders caught in no man’s land. After the eight-man move got daylight, Jens Reynders (Wagner Bazin WB) made a late bid to get across, but did not have the legs.
Britain’s Max Walker (EF Education-EasyPost), making his Tour of Flanders debut, hared out of the bunch and joined him. But it is a bit of a fool’s errand, 1:35 down on the leaders but two or so minutes up on the bunch. They’re being hung out to dry, basically.
10:58 AM BST
Pre-race quotes from the favourites
Mathieu van der Poel expects the second time up the Oude Kwaremont, tackled with 55km to go, to be crucial. “UAE will break the race open there, although it can be earlier,” he said.
“If this doesn’t make you want to race, I don’t know what will. It’s still incredible to start the Tour of Flanders. If you’ve had to miss it a few times, you appreciate the support of the public here even more,” his rival Wout van Aert said after being cheered by thousands of fans by the start line in Bruges. He was absent in 2024 after breaking bones in a crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen.
“Everyone is looking at Mathieu and Tadej, they are clearly the two favourites. They are so good, and a tough race is to their advantage. But we have a strong team to counter that. I hope to try something as a team.”
Last but not least, Filippo Ganna: “I hope I am even better than in San Remo. I slept well, and I think I am even stronger than a few weeks ago. I’ve trained well.”
You must be registered for see images attach
Mathieu van der Poel talks to the podium presenters at the Tour of Flanders start - Getty Images/Dario Belingheri
10:47 AM BST
200km to go: Breakaway leads by almost four minutes
The day’s escape of eight, including Yorkshireman Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers) and Scotland’s Sean Flynn (Picnic PostNL), has an advantage of 3:40 over the bunch.
Rory Townsend (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) is also up there: he races for Ireland but is London-based, hailing from Kingston-upon-Thames.
They have little chance of making it all the way to the finish and winning. A teammate of Van der Poel and Pogacar is controlling the pace in the peloton, making sure they do not get a whopping advantage, which would prove harder to chase back later in the race.
You must be registered for see images attach
British challenger Connor Swift (second from the front) in the breakaway at the 2025 Tour of Flanders - Getty Images/Dario Belingheri
10:37 AM BST
A reminder of how Van der Poel won the 2024 Tour of Flanders
Twelve months ago on a rainier day, Mathieu van der Poel showed his pedigree, attacking solo on the Koppenberg with 45km to go and beating the rest by a smidge over a minute. It was an earlier move than many had anticipated.
This was the scene as he rode up the Oude Kwaremont, the race’s penultimate climb, with its passionate, well-oiled fans pouring out of the beer tents to cheer him on. Goosebump-inducing.
10:27 AM BST
Disorderly conduct in the bunch
Mikkel Bjerg, one of Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates helpers, moves to the front of the peloton and starts tapping out a steady pace. There are a few stubborn attacks, led by Arkea riders, lining out the bunch. A lot are off the back, returning from comfort breaks. Technically, attacking while many riders (including Pogacar) stop for a pee is very bad etiquette. Bjerg has a few choice words for them.
Besides, messieurs, you’ve missed the boat. They have no chance of bridging a 2:25 gap to the escapees.
It will be fast and flat for the race’s opening three hours. The first of the sixteen hellingen comes 129km into the race at the Oude Kwaremont.
10:15 AM BST
225km to go: Two Britons in the early breakaway
It looks like the breakaway of the day has formed. Eight men are up off the road, with two Britons among them: Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers) and Sean Flynn (Team Picnic PostNL).
They are accompanied by Timo Roosen (Team Picnic PostNL), Marco Haller (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), Elmar Reinders (Team Jayco Alula), Rory Townsend (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), Alessandro Romele (XDS Astana Team) and Victor Vercouillie (Team Flanders-Baloise.)
They lead the peloton by 85 seconds.
10:08 AM BST
Contenders to challenge the favourites
Will there be a third man crashing the Pogacar and Van der Poel party? Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) is the most likely candidate, showing his confidence and condition with a 50km lone escape to victory at Gent-Wevelgem earlier in the week. Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) could have a say, if the Milan-Sanremo runner-up is still on flying form.
Then, there is Wout van Aert and Visma-Lease a Bike, with their strength-in-depth and a possible small point to prove after their Dwars door Vlaanderen tactical debacle. Midweek, they did all the work and pulled off a coup, with three men in the lead against Neilson Powless... and got beaten by the American in the sprint. He’s got a good chance of a top ten too.
You must be registered for see images attach
Three against one, yet Neilson Powless (leading) prevailed at Dwars Door Vlaanderen - Getty Images/Jan Demeuleneire
10:00 AM BST
Can “MVDP” make it four from four today?
09:57 AM BST
Mathieu van der Poel ready for anything
Mathieu van der Poel showed his form at Sanremo and E3 Saxo Bank Classic, has won the Tour of Flanders three times and knows the route like the back of his hand. Plus, his cyclo-cross background makes him one of the deftest bike handlers in the bunch on the cobbles.
“We are prepared for whatever happens, good or bad,” Van der Poel said pre-race. “The key is to stay calm in all situations. As always, my teammates will do everything they can to put me in the best possible position. Then it’s up to me to try to win the race, although that is of course much easier said than done.”
He sees Pogacar as his big rival, unsurprisingly. Much like Milan-Sanremo, if he can stick to the Slovenian like glue and handle whatever he throws at him, he will probably beat him in a sprint.
You must be registered for see images attach
Mathieu Van der Poel celebrates winning the E3 Saxo Bank Classic midweek. Will there be more joy this afternoon? - Getty Images/Tim de Waele
09:50 AM BST
245km to go: Attacks galore, nothing sticking
It is sunny but cold on the Tour of Flanders route. There have been a fair few testing accelerations, but little daylight for any wannabe fugitives.
A former Liege-Bastogne-Liege winner, Bob Jungels (Ineos Grenadiers) has just rolled off up the road alone. He will hope a few more riders join him. Behind him, the first crash of the day. Lotto leader Lennert van Eeetvelt hits the deck, but he is up and on his bike sharpish.
With the nerves, fighting for position and narrow Flemish roads, there will be a few more falls, no doubt.
09:41 AM BST
Opportunity knocks for Pogacar
Tadej Pogacar won this race last time he competed, in 2023. The three-time Tour winner is best in the high mountains in a three-week grand tour where his recovery abilities come to the fore. But his willingness to take on all races, including those not ideally suited him, is epitomised by challenging for the Tour of Flanders, as well as his planned participation in Paris-Roubaix next weekend.
Cycling’s modern great just seems to be getting even hungrier and better. Fans love his enterprising racing style, full of long-range moves. Expect him to try several stinging attacks to whittle down the group of contenders. He knows that if it comes to a sprint against the fast-finishing Van der Poel, he will likely lose.
“I am here to race for the victory, so I will give my best to try and win,” he said in his press conference on Thursday. “We have a 250 kilometres-long race, why should I wait for sprint when you have 250km of opportunities and chances to go for the victory?”
“If you can go earlier and you’re in this safe place in the front, sometimes it is better. But sometimes it can be also not great. You see long-range attacks, short-range attacks, you see basically everything in this cycling now, and it is how it should be. I think it is just a normal way of racing.”
Normal if you are abnormally talented, perhaps. He is favourite with the bookies, incidentally.
You must be registered for see images attach
Tour of Flanders favourite Tadej Pogacar - AFP/John Thys
09:29 AM BST
Off we go
The flag was dropped by the race director from his car a few minutes ago and the race is on. There are 25 teams of seven riders competing; I expect the smaller Belgian teams to be active in the flat opening 100 kilometres. We’ve already seen a few half-hearted attacks, but nothing sticking.
This is the biggest race of their season. If their rider can get in the breakaway and get priceless TV time for the sponsor, it is a case of job done and even career made, sometimes.
09:18 AM BST
Sunday showdown between Pogacar and Van der Poel
The second Monument one-day race of the year is here, the Tour of Flanders. It is set to be a duel between defending champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates). What happens when an immoveable object comes up against an unstoppable force? We will know in about six hours’ time.
Van der Poel is the defending champion and looked in fearsome form as he rode everyone off his wheel to win the E3 Saxo Classic midweek. He is punchy, durable and fast in a sprint, as he also showed when he beat Pogacar at Milan-Sanremo a few weeks ago in the latest juicy battle between these stars.
Pogacar is the dominant force in professional cycling at the moment, able to challenge in any race, flat, hilly or mountainous. It will favour the reigning world champion to have his team-mates make the race as fast and hard as possible; the harder, the better for him. If he can get rid of three-time winner Van der Poel and company, as he has done so often in previous seasons, he will probably win this. Easier said than done.
There are in-form outsiders like Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) and Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike). British hopes rest on Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious), who has finished in the top-ten twice before here. They’ll do very well to contend; it looks like a two-man tussle.
The 168.9km women’s race, which finishes around 75 minutes after the men’s one, is set for a similar duel, with Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx-Protime) and Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) resuming their rivalry. British champion Pfeiffer Georgi has an outside chance at finishing on the podium.
Anyone who says Belgium is flat has never ridden the Tour of Flanders. Over 269 kilometres, the Ronde van Vlaanderen (to use its local name) heads south-east from the start in Brugge into the Flemish Ardennes and its proliferation of punchy, cobbled climbs (known as bergs), finishing in Oudenaarde.
There are 16 of those blighters on the route, but the race will likely be decided in the last 50km, with the wickedly-steep Koppenberg whittling the lead pack down befere the repetition of the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, with sections at 20 percent gradient, to finish off the race and its competitors.
This is like Grand National day meets Glastonbury in Belgium, a sporting event, a riotous party and cultural mainstay in one, with approximately a million Belgians cheering on the riders roadside. Many of them no doubt combining two of Belgium’s favourite national pasttimes: cycling and beer.
The race got underway a few minutes ago in Brugge, scheduled to finish at approximately 3.15 GMT. You can follow it all here; get those comments coming in.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Continue reading...
