Dwars door Vlaanderen - live coverage

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Dwars door Vlaanderen, the final warm-up race ahead of Sunday's Tour of Flanders.

45 minutes to the start of today's race and it should be a big one with Mathieu van der Poel making his return to the cobbles and Tadej Pogačar taking to the cobbles for the first time ahead of the Tour of Flanders!

Riders are taking to the stage in Roeselare as we speak to sign-on ahead of the race.

There are several star names missing from the start list today – Wout van Aert, Biniam Girmay, Matej Mohorič, Kasper Asgreen, Peter Sagan, and Christophe Laporte included – but today's race will still be a hotly contested one with plenty of big names taking part.

Pidcock, Van Baarle, Philipsen, Trentin, Lampaert, Jakobsen, Benoot, Van Avermaet, Naesen, Moscon, Campenaerts, Pedersen, Simmons, Küng, Vanmarcke, Bennett, Kristoff, Bettiol, Coquard, Groenewegen, Turgis, Terpstra, Degenkolb are all lining up alongside Van der Poel and Pogačar.

The women's race has just started, meanwhile. Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) is the defending champion and race favourite there.

A look at the map of today's race

Van der Poel is racing his first cobbled Classic of the year so far today. He made an early return to racing following rehabilitation from his long-standing back issues at Milan-San Remo, where he finished third. Last week he won a stage at the Settimana Coppi e Bartali. Speaking ahead of today's race, he said that this has been among his best preparations for Flanders.

Van der Poel: I could prepare the way I wanted for Tour of Flanders

Over in the women's race, the first break of the day has formed.

Nina Kessler, Katia Ragusa, Anastasia Carbonari, Zsofia Szabo, and Eline van Rooijen are out front after 15km of racing.

15 minutes to the start of the men's race. Riders still going through the team presentation in Roeselare.

Here's what Alexander Kristoff had to say ahead of the start...

"I think shape is OK. I felt ok on Sunday and today is a new day. I hope to be good.

"It's difficult to say. It's hard during the race but a bit easier during the final. It can break apart but it can also come back together. I guess there will be a sprint of some sort but how big the group is is hard to predict.

"I will try to win but there are many riders who will want to break it apart so we'll see if I have the legs to follow in the climbs."

Mathieu van der Poel speaks ahead of the start...

"Good. I think I had a good preparation, a nice week racing in Coppi as well. Mentally I look forward to racing in Belgium

"For sure it's the last big test for me [ahead of Flanders]. It's a bit of the same race just a little bit less cobbled climbs. I think there's some good Classic riders here today so it will be interesting.

"I think the course suits racing pretty well. It's not really a long race and there's a lot of climbs following up each other. It stays narrow on the roads as well so I think it can be a race from far."

Yves Lampaert speaks ahead of the start...

"The form is still needs to improve a bit. At Gent-Wevelgem I was already quite happy with my feeling. It wasn't easy but I was in the first peloton so I can be happy with that.

"Expectation? I think it'll be a hard and fast race. I hope I can be in the first group again and I can race also, not just follow."

The women's race has hit the first cobbles of the day at Mariaborrestraat, meanwhile.

Enter Pogačar and Van der Poel: Dwars door Vlaanderen preview

The countdown to De Ronde truly begins

Ominous words from Pogačar...

The men are rolling out to start the race now.

92km to go for the women and it's all back together after the break was caught.

Big names at the front on the start line. Van der Poel, Pogačar, Lampaert, Van Baarle all up there.

Five non-starters today include Jonathan Milan (Bahrain Victorious), Jenthe Biermans, Guillaume Boivin (Israel-Premier Tech), Jordi Warlop (B&B Hotels-KTM), Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X).

That means that Israel start with just three riders today. Sep Vanmarcke, Hugo Houle, and Taj Jones race for them today.

Victorie Guilman and Svenja Betz go on the attack in the women's race. 88km to go.

184km to go

The race has officially started as the riders reach the end of the neutral zone!

Oliver Naesen speaks ahead of the start...

"Tadej Pogačar doesn't know these roads, but Biniam Girmay has proven that it doesn't matter. If I were him, I would attack as soon as possible. Normally, almost no one can follow.

"The big riders will attack halfway through the race. If you have to start even earlier, you'd actually end up with the early break."

179km to go

Mathias Norsgaard (Movistar) was among the first attackers of the day but the move has been brought back quickly.

Punctures for Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Soudal) and Stefan Bissegger (EF-EasyPost) early on.

At 79km to go in the women's race, things are all back together after the two attackers were caught. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig gets a bike change.

Several more riders try to get away but the move is quickly snuffed out. In the peloton, there's a crash involving several riders – including those from UAE Team Emirates, Astana, Bora-Hansgrohe.

168km to go

Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) and Lukas Pöstlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe) are out of the race after that early crash.

Leah Kirchmann (DSM) leads the attacks in the women's race as the riders hit the Berg Ten Houte climb with 72km to go.

A small group is away at the head of the race with Kirchmann.

68km to go for the women. DSM have Kirchmann and Liane Lippert in the move.

Shari Bossuyt (Canyon-Sram), Lucinda Brand (Trek-Segafredo), Georgia Baker (BikeExchange-Jayco), Jelena Eric (Movistar), Julie De Wilde (Plantur-Pura), Anastasia Carbonari (Valcar-Travel & Service), Maaike Boogaard (UAE Team ADQ), Mie Ottestad (Uno-X) are also in the move.

Still no move in the men's race as riders continue attacking to try and make the breakaway.

Carbonari drops from the breakaway group in the women's race.

On Kanarieberg, several riders from the peloton have made it across to the breakaway group. Annemiek van Vleuten and Elisa Longo Borghini are among them and a reduced peloton follows. More attacks go at the front.

So basically all together again in the women's race, though a much-reduced peloton.

It's still all together in the men's race, too.

Brodie Chapman (FDJ-Nouvelle Acquitaine-Futuroscope) on the attack now in the women's race. 57km to go.

148km to go

Five riders have gone clear at the head of the race across the flat roads early on.

Johan Jacobs (Movistar), Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe), Kelland O'Brien (BikeExchange-Jayco), Mathijs Paasschens (Bingoal-Pauwels Sauces-WB), Aaron Verwilst (Sport Flanders-Baloise) are out front.

With 54km to go for the women, Chapman has a 35-second lead.

141km to go

An hour gone and the breakaway has 3:50 on the peloton. Those five men are our move of the day.

Chapman has 40 seconds on the chase now as the women hit the final 50km.

The women take the Hotond.

Van Vleuten, Longo Borghini, Lippert, Uttrup Ludwig nip out the front of the peloton but are quickly brought back.

A shot of the men's peloton during the early stages of the race.

Alpecin-Fenix work at the head of the peloton for team leader Mathieu van der Poel and sprinter Jasper Philipsen.

55 seconds for Chapman now with 43km to go for the women.

The men are approaching their first cobbled sector of the day at the Varentstraat.

Meanwhile, Chapman hits the Mariaborrestraat. DSM lead the chase behind her.

Canyon-Sram join DSM at the front. Now just 20 seconds to Chapman after that cobbled sector. 40km to go for the women.

Juliette Labous (DSM) and Georgia Baker (BikeExchange-Jayco) attack the peloton in pursuit of Chapman. The women are about to hit the Ladeuze climb.

131km to go

Little change in the men's race. 5:15 to the breakaway.

Labous and Baker catch Chapman just after the top of the climb. 37km to go.

Just 15 seconds for the three leaders in the women's race. 33km to go.

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127km to go

Julien Vermote (Alpecin-Fenix) leads the peloton as his squad seeks to keep the gap to the break under control.

29km to go in the women's race and Trek-Segafredo are active at the head of the peloton with Longo Borghini, Van Dijk, Brand.

Trek-Segafredo drive it over the Doorn cobbled sector in the women's race. The gap to the break falls to 10 seconds as a result.

123km to go

The riders are about to reach the Nieuwe Kwaremont, the first climb of the day. 4:55 for the break.

In the women's race it's all back together with 25km to go following accelerations from Van Vleuten and Longo Borghini.

Floortje Mackaij (DSM) goes on the attack. Chapman is back out there with her. Only a few seconds back to the peloton.

Here's what Tom Pidcock said at the start today...

"I feel good. Racing again, nice short race today. Today I'm looking forward to it, yeah.

"I think I'm in need of racing at the moment. All these races are perfect. The short race I think is good for me at the moment. Today I think I can race but who knows? Gent-Wevelgem I was super strong and then I was not at all so we'll see how it goes.

"I hope that I can follow today. Also maybe I'll attack. Who knows?"

With 21km to go, Mackaij and Chapman have 25 seconds on the peloton.

A crash in the men's peloton sees Imanol Erviti (Movistar) hit the ground.

Only around 15 riders left in the 'peloton' behind the two leaders in the women's race. Lucinda Brand leads the group.

107km to go

The men are almost at the Knokteberg now as the climbs keep on coming.

10 seconds from the breakaway duo to the peloton with 16km to go for the women.

Five minutes still for that breakaway group in the men's race.

Van Dijk leading the chase behind the two leaders. 15 seconds is the gap.

96km to go

Alpecin-Fenix, Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert and AG2R Citroen lead the peloton. Still five minutes to the breakaway.

10km to go for the women. Another short cobbled sector and the chase group closes in by another couple of seconds.

Attack from Elisa Longo Borghini now. Trek-Segafredo have been very active in the women's race.

92km to go

Alpecin-Fenix push the pace on the Stooktestraat climb, taking 30 seconds out of the break in short order.

It's over for the break in the women's race. 9km to go.

90km to go

Van der Poel pushes on at the front but it's not a long or serious attack. 4:20 to the break.

Alpecin-Fenix want a hard race. Philipsen gives it a push now.

Still all together in the women's race with 7km to go.

Olivier Le Gac (Groupama-FDJ) tries a move in the men's race. Kristoff stops for a bike change. Kortekeer coming up next.

86km to go

Le Gac brought back now. A number of riders trying to counter at the front.

No moves in the women's race as they head into the final 5km.

Movistar and Trek lead the peloton in the women's race.

3km to go for the women. Van Dijk takes it up at the front as they race to the finish at a high pace.

84km to go

Jacobs, Politt, O'Brien, Paasschens, Verwilst hit the Kortekeer climb. They're four minutes up on the peloton.

1km to go in the women's race. Van Dijk leads it into the final stretch.

Mackaij leads it onto the final straight. Bastianelli behind her.

The sprint is launched with 150 metres to go!

Chiara Consonni hits the front of the group.

The Italian takes the win! The 22-year-old Italian has won Dwars door Vlaanderen Women.

Consonni beat 19-year-old Julie De Wilde (Plantur-Pura) and Elise Chabbey (Canyon-Sram) in that final sprint.

82km to go

Moves going off the front of the peloton on the Kortekeer. Mick van Dijke (Jumbo-Visma) is up there.

He's among six men with a few seconds on the peloton over the top.

Here's the shot of Consonni taking the win in the women's race.

78km to go

3:25 to the break now as the peloton speeds up onto the Mariaborrestraat cobbled sector.

Aranburu, Connor Swift, Teunissen, and Turner were up with Van Dijke but they're about to be caught now.

Stefan Küng heads to the front of the peloton on the cobbles.

A handful of riders jump off the front following the cobbled sector.

75km to go

Brent Van Moer (Lotto Soudal), Connor Swift (Arkéa-Samsic), Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) are off the front of the peloton.

Three minutes up to the breakaway.

QuickStep-AlphaVinyl at the head of the peloton.

Crash in the peloton. Jens Debusschere (B&B Hotels-KTM) comes off the worst. Tobias Ludvigsson (Groupama-FDJ) also affected. A few more riders too, but they got going quickly.

72km to go

Askey, Van Moer, and Swift have 20 seconds on the peloton.

Küng and Turner lead the way on the Mariaborrestraat earlier on.

Crash in the peloton. Michael Gogl, Alexys Brunel, Mick van Dijke, Florian Vermeersch all caught up.

70km to go

Kim Heiduk leads the way in the peloton for Ineos as they approach the Berg Ten Houte climb.

Sam Bennett out the back of the peloton just before the climb, which includes a cobbles on the way up.

Ben Turner and Tom Pidcock on the move at the front as the attacking trio of Van Moer, Askey, Swift are caught.

Van der Poel and Campenaerts just behind the Ineos duo.

2:15 up to the breakaway.

Now Van der Poel is driving it as a small group has split off the front of the peloton.

Turner, Pidcock, Benoot, Küng, and Campenaerts are with him.

No QuickStep riders up there...

65km to go

20 seconds for that attack group.

The break starts the Kanarieberg.

Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert lead the chase in the peloton.

Mads Pedersen and Tadej Pogačar also at the front of the peloton.

Zdenek Stybar makes a move at the front of the peloton now. Pogačar follows.

25 seconds between the peloton and the attackers. Greg Van Avermaet pushing at the front now.

63km to go

Pogačar jumps at the top of the Kanarieberg. He's solo in the chase.

10 seconds between the attack and Pogačar, another 10 back to the peloton.

61km to go

The breakaway are just 1:20 up on all this now, by the way.

The attack group with Van der Poel at the head.

Still 10 seconds back to Pogačar.

Pogačar not making enough headway here, seemingly.

20 seconds from the attackers to Pogačar. No time gap for the rest of the peloton.

50 seconds between the attackers and the breakaway. 

Pogačar is 1:20 behind the break.

54km to go

Pogačar is about to get brought back by the peloton.

Crash in the peloton. Alexander Edmondson (BikeExchange-Jayco), Oliver Naesen (AG2R Citroën), and Frederik Frison (Lotto Soudal) caught up.

52km to go

40 seconds from the break to the attackers as they hit the Knokteberg. Another 40 seconds to the peloton.

UAE Team Emirates lead the peloton.

Cofidis and Bahrain also up there.

The break crosses the top of the Knokteberg 20 seconds up on the attackers.

Jan Tratnik leads the front of the peloton. Several riders have split off the front up the climb. 

Van Avermaet and Pogačar are in the Tratnik group. Coquard, Madouas and Kragh Andersen also there.

Van der Poel's group is 10 seconds behind the break. The Pogačar group is a further 15 seconds back. The peloton is around 10-15 seconds back.

48km to go

Now the attackers have caught the breakaway.

Campenaerts makes a move off the front.

25 seconds back to the Pogačar-Van Avermaet group.

43km to go

The caught breakaway riders are still pulling through at the front of this lead group.

Still 25 seconds back to the chase.

The chase group are not making any headway into that lead.

Kragh Andersen leading the way in the chase at the moment. 30 seconds to the leaders.

Küng and Benoot lead it up the climb of Ladeuze. Riders from the break fall out the back of the group.

37km to go

Politt and O'Brien hang on to the group. 

40 seconds back to the chasers.

Here's our report on the women's race earlier on today

This is what's left of the front group now...

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Ben Turner, Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Soudal), Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe), Kelland O'Brien (BikeExchange-Jayco)

32km to go

45 seconds back to the chase. No real progress being made behind.

Everybody still rolling through at the front, even the two men who stuck it out from the early breakaway. 

The leaders hit the 900-metre cobbled sector of Doorn.

No moves in that front group on the cobbles. Still all together. Pogačar leads the chase group on the sector. 42 seconds back.

26km to go

Van Avermaet has punctured out of the chase.

Pogačar, Tratnik, Madouas have split away from the chase group. Madouas has Küng up the road so he likely won't help with the workload.

Still nobody shirking turns in the front group. 36 seconds back to the Pogačar trio. The Nokereberg awaits.

Pogačar, Tratnik, and Madouas are shaving a few seconds off here.

21km to go

The riders close in on the Nokereberg.

Van der Poel pushes on at the front up the climb! Turner and Pidcock on his wheel.

O'Brien, Küng, Benoot, Campenaerts, Politt manage to hang on. Still all together.

Campenaerts pushes on down the descent.

19km to go

Campenaerts has a few seconds but the group will come back to him.

No moves at the front yet after Campenaerts is brought back. 45 seconds back to the chasers.

16km to go

Van der Poel, Pidcock, Turner, Benoot, Campenaerts, Küng, Politt, O'Brien still in that lead group.

As the only men with a teammate in the lead group, Turner and Pidcock can play some tactics in this final. We'll see what they come up with on this run-in.

The likes of Benoot, Politt, Küng, and Campenaerts won't be looking forward to a sprint here, so expect some attacks from them.

Van der Poel, Pidcock, and O'Brien are the quicker finishers in the group.

Pogačar, Tratnik, and Madouas are still plugging away at 45 seconds down.

11km to go

The riders head into a cobbled sector – the 800-metre Herlegemstraat.

Not hard enough for any splits in that lead group. 

It's a waiting game now. The chase group aren't coming back. Nobody up front is making a move yet.

Van der Poel leads the way over most of the cobbled sector. Benoot and Küng take over at the end.

10km to go

47 seconds back to the chasers.

The final climb of the day is left to come. The Holstraat is only 1km long with an average of 4.6 per cent, though.

9km to go

Here's the Holstraat.

No attacks on the climb. Van der Poel and Pidcock lead the way.

Pogačar leads the chase but they're not making any time. Madouas still sitting on the back of the trio.

Küng gives it a push near the top but he can't get a gap. Still all together over the climb.

8km to go

Campenaerts jumps on the way down. Pidcock chases.

Touching 80kph on the way down.

Pidcock can't close the gap and drops back to the group. Now Van der Poel takes over along with O'Brien.

7km to go

Campenaerts has a few seconds here...

Now Turner gets on the front to chase.

Politt misses a turn and tries to jump away before sitting up.

Maybe only five seconds between Campenaerts and the rest here.

6km to go

Van der Poel gets on the front and pushes. Benoot and Pidcock counter.

Pidcock follows Benoot's wheel and they're away!

Politt responds. Benoot and Pidcock make it across to Campenaerts!

Campenaerts, Benoot, Pidcock up front. Only a few seconds in it, though.

Van der Poel leads the chase.

Acceleration by Van der Poel. Politt and the rest struggle to keep up.

Van der Poel jumps across to the lead trio.

Politt eventually makes it back. Turner, O'Brien and Küng struggling more.

4km to go

Campenaerts counters!

Benoot chases. The rest are together behind.

Now Küng goes off in pursuit of the duo.

3km to go

Benoot and Campenaerts with just a few seconds once again.

Turner trying to get across to Küng.

Pidcock goes now.

Küng back in the group. They're coming back to Benoot and Campenaerts.

2km to go

All back together yet again!

Pidcock attacks!

Campenaerts and Benoot lead the chase and get back to him.

Now Benoot jumps!

Van der Poel goes with him.

What a finale this is.

1km to go

Into the final kilometre and it's Van der Poel and Benoot off the front. They have a decent gap here.

Turner on the front of the chase. Can anyone get across?

The lead duo working together.

500m to go

Final run to the line!

Van der Poel leads it out.

He starts the sprint early at over 200 to go!

Benoot can't respond.

Mathieu van der Poel wins Dwars door Vlaanderen!

Benoot second and it looked like Pidcock won the sprint for third.

Campenaerts fourth and Politt fifth.

What a hectic final that was.

Only now is Pogačar's chasing trio coming home. Over two minutes down...

Here's what Van der Poel said after the finish...

"[I went] pretty deep. I felt good but for sure not the strongest  in the leading group. I had to close gap a few times and it really hurt, but I think I rode a perfect final. I already saw that Tiesj was really strong and he deserves to be second as well.

"We went away on Berg Ten Houte and the co-operation was really good. We were all really strong guys and it was almost impossible to catch us."

Here's the top 10...

1 Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix
2 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
3 Thomas Pidcock (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
4 Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Lotto Soudal
5 Nils Politt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
7 Kelland O’Brien (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
8 Ben Turner (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
9 Jan Tratnik (Slo) Bahrain Victorious
10 Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates

Here's what Tom Pidcock (left) had to say after taking third place in the sprint...

"It's just cat and mouse in the end and i think that was just the last move where the elastic snapped, you know? Every other move somebody closed it, and I just that time I think Stefan [Küng] hesitated a bit. He was the guy who 'should' have gone, I guess. That was it. Ben [Turner] pulled and I got the sprint. I'm happy. A podium is a massive improvement on Sunday.

"I think [Flanders] is a very different race. Well, similar in that it'll be full gas like this but with another 100km added on. It'll be a long hard day, but hopefully if I had legs like today then I'd be happy with that."

Once again it was a race to forget for QuickStep-AlphaVinyl. Their best placing today was Jannik Steimle in 14th, some 3:48 down on Van der Poel.

The Belgian squad's best result of the past few weeks in Belgium has been Kasper Asgreen's 10th place at the E3 Saxo Bank Classic.

AG2R Citroën's Greg Van Avermaet finished 16th today, the best result he and teammate Oliver Naesen had scored in the cobbled Classics over the past few weeks.

Elsewhere, Trek-Segafredo took fourth at Gent-Wevelgem with Jasper Stuyven but they couldn't affect the race today either. Edward Theuns was their best finisher in 54th.

Check out our report on today's action here

Another shot of the finish. Big celebration for Van der Poel as he takes his second win in just seven days of racing so far in 2022. Next up, the Tour of Flanders.

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A look back at the finish of the women's race today...

And a look at the men's finish, too...

We'll have news and interviews coming in from our men on the ground Patrick Fletcher and Barry Ryan. Look out for Van der Poel, Pogačar, Benoot, Küng, Campenaerts, Pidcock and QuickStep through the late afternoon and evening. 

Today's final podium.