As it happened: Solo attack triumphs in thrilling Tour of Flanders

Hello and welcome to the 2025 Tour of Flanders!

It’s the one we’ve all been waiting for. After a spring full of drama and excitement, the Tour of Flanders is the climax of the Belgian classics, and promises to be one of the events of the whole season.

The Ronde is always a special race, but promises to be even more so this year thanks to the great rivalry between Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar

Part one was won by Van der Poel at Milan-Sanremo, when Pogačar proved unable to drop him despite multiple blistering attacks, and today will be their meeting on the cobblestones. They’ve both been unstoppable when they’ve raced apart - but today, something will have to give, and only one can win.

In cycling history, having two such decorated riders race against each of in as big a race as this at the very peak of their powers is a rarity. They both go into the race on seven career monuments, seeking an 8th to go joint-sith on the all-time list.

The riders are on the move in Bruges, making their way through the neutralised one. Excitement is building!

Though the pair of Van der Poel and Pogačar have attracted all the hype, this isn’t quite a two-man show, and many of the world’s best are here to play a starring role. Mads Pedersen has been brilliant all spring, and won Gent-Wevelgem with an attack even more far out than the other two; Filippo Ganna is in the classics form of his life and Wout van Aert has the class, if the form.

The riders at the start, greeted by blue skies. It does not appear rain will affect this year's Tour of Flanders.

OFFICIAL START

And we're off!

Lots of movement at the front of the bunch, but no gaps yet. 

A Wagner Bazin WB rider is the first of the day's early attackers to get a gap of more than just a few bike-lengths.

Jelle Vermoote is that Wagner Bazin WB rider. 

260KM TO GO

Vermoote has been brought back, and the peloton is all together. 

No rider has managed to get a gap since Vermoote. There are lots of riders trying, but too many for an appropriate break to form.

The likes of EF Education-EasyPost, Picnic PostNL, Intermarché - Wanty and Wagner Bazin WB are particularly prominent at the front, wanting to be a part of the break that will eventually form.

Tadej Pogačar is happy to hover around the back for now. The only riders massed at the front are those trying to make sure they're part of the break.

250KM TO GO

Almost 20km into the race, and still no break. It's strangely subdued - the pace is high, and lots of teams want to get into the break, but most are chasing rather than trying to take the initiative and form the move.

A group of about 15 has just become the first for a while to get a small gap of a few seconds, but has been reabsorbed too.

Bob Jungels has a gap of a few seconds. 

This must be the biggest gap we’ve seen so far, approaching ten seconds. Jungels is all out on his own though.

Crash in the peloton, the first of the day - Carlos Canal and Lennert Van Eetvelt are invlolved.

Jungels has eased up and been caught, and now two counter-attackers have passed him to lead the race - a Wagner Bazin WB rider and one from Flanders - Baloise.

The Wagner Bazin WB has sat up, for unclear reasons. The Flanders - Baloise rider, Jules Hesters, is continuing on though. 

240KM TO GO

Hesters has been caught. Still no break has formed, after nearly 40 minutes of racing. 

A Q36.5 rider is the latest to get a small gap, but, once again, has no company. 

He's brought back, as is a group of about 10 that briefly had a few seconds. There are too many wanting to get into the break for anybody to be happy with whatever group threatens to form.

This move looks promising - it contains about 8 riders, and they've been allowed 10 seconds. 

Riders at the front of the peloton are spreading across the road, to try and discourage any more attacks. This might be our break of the day.

230KM TO GO

Almost 30 seconds now for the break. It appears this will indeed be the break.

Or will it? More attacks are coming out of the peloton. There are still riders not happy.

Here are the 8 riders in the break:

Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers)

Elmar Reinders (Jayco-AlUla)

Alessandro Romele (XDS Astana Team)

Sean Flynn (Picnic PostNL)

Timo Roosen (Picnic PostNL)

Rory Townsend (Q36.5)

Victor Vercouillie (Flanders - Baloise)

Marco Haller (Tudor)

Jens Reynders is behind trying to join them. His Wagner Bazin WB have missed the move, despite being one of the most active teams at the start.

Reynders has now been caught. That'll be a serious disappointment to the team, as ensuring they were represented in the break would have been their main goal of the day.

Some riders still haven't given up, as EF's Max Walker jumps out of the peloton. But with 1-20 between himself and the break, he's appears to be on a hiding to nothing.

Correction - Reynders hasn't been caught by the peloton, and is about to be joined by Walker. There's still hope for Wagner Bazin WB, albeit it a slim one.

220KM TO GO

The 8 leaders are 1-40 ahead of the peloton, but the chasing duo have only about 10 or 15 seconds. 

The pace is off in the peloton, with Pogačar among many to take the opportunity for a comfort break.

Despite the comfort break, a couple of Arkéa - B&B Hotels attempted to attack. They're clearly desperate having failed to make the break, but it's an unpopular, etiquette-breaking move in the peloton.

Yet more attacks out of the peloton, again initiated by two Arkéa - B&B Hotels riders. They have a whole 2-30 to close - a tall order. 

Those attacks came to nothing. 

The peloton is reorganising itself, as those who stopped for comfort breaks gradually make their way back to the peloton. The two main protagonists have also taken control at the front - Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Van der Poel’s Alpecin-Deceuninck.

210KM TO GO

Over three minutes for the 8 leaders. It's unclear where Walker and Reynders are - we haven't had a sight of them for a while. 

Here are the eight riders up the road. They'll all be happy to be there - it's a real honor to spend the Tour of Flanders at the front of the race. 

And here are Reynders and Walker, still stranded somewhere in between in no-man's land.

200KM TO GO

The gap from the break to the peloton continues to grow, now up to 3-45. This is the quiet phase of the race, after the break has formed, and before the climbs begin.

Mechanical for Kelland O'Brien in the peloton. The pace is slow enough for him to just change the rear wheel, rather than the whole bike.

While we wait for the action to kick off, have a read of some pre-race quotes from the big favourites. 

Van der Poel says this race is "tailor-made" for him, Pogačar that it’s the “way of racing and the atmosphere of the race” rather than the cobbles that attracts him to this race, and Wout van Aert said that, despite his recent form, he’s still “going for the win”.

190KM TO GO

The gap's grown to four minutes. This is a long enough race for the peloton to allow them a big lead - there are still about 50km until the first cobbled climb.

Today, Mathieu van der Poel has the chance to make history, and become the rider with the outright record of most Tour of Flanders victories. Though many have won this race three times, a fourth win has always proven to be elusive. 

The Dutchman says he isn’t obsessed with the record, and doesn’t “actively think about [it] during the race,” but as a man who has achieved just about everything he set out to, it is an obvious thing for him to target.

One of the many lions of Flanders out on the roadside today.

180KM TO GO

The race is in a holding pattern, the gap between the leaders and peloton now steadied at four minutes. Somewhere in between, Walker and Reynders are still trying to bridge to the leaders.

Mechanical for Tim Van Dijke, who’s having his rear wheel changed. His Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe team have struggled for results this classics campaign, one of the many who admit they’re riding for the minor placings behind the unstoppable duo.

The only time in the last five years that Van der Poel has not made it to the finishing straight at the Tour of Flanders either in the lead on his own or in a small select group was in 2023, when Pogačar succeeded in dropping him on the Oude Kwaremont. 

Whether or not Pogačar manages to drop him either there on the Paterberg may be the decisive factor on who triumphs today, and the data posted from his recon suggests the Slovenian is poised to do something special on that climb again.

170KM TO GO

The gap seems to have peaked at four minutes. It's come down the last 10km to about 3-45. 

If anyone is to challenge the Van der Poel / Pogačar duopoly, it’s Mads Pedersen. He’s in the form of his life and has enjoyed a brilliant spring, culminating in a stunning long-range solo attack to win Gent-Wevelgem.

Though under no illusions that he’s still not at the level of the two favourites, he was still speaking ambitiously prior to the race, about how he needs to go about finding a way to beat them both, and not just settling for being best of the rest.

160KM TO GO

We have cobblestones! There's still a while until the first cobbled climb, but the riders are on the first flat cobbled sector of the day.

The pace is up a little in anticipation, and has spelt the end of Walker and Reynders fruitless escapade. The gap to the leaders has gone down a bit too, to 3-40.

The Tour of Flanders wasn’t initially on Filippo Ganna’s schedule, but he’s ridden so well this spring that it’d feel remiss for him to not give it a go. At Milan-Sanremo he was the only man to match Van der Poel and Pogačar, while he proved he could do it on the cobbled climbs too at E3 Sao Classic, where he finished third.

The leaders are greeted by huge cheers as the pass through Oudenaarde. It’s enough to induce goosebumps! 

150KM TO GO

Only about 10km to go until the first ascent of the Oude Kwaremont. The pace is off for now, allowing the break's lead to grow a bit back up to nearly four minutes, but that's sure to change as they get nearer to the climb.

Van Aert might enter this Tour of Flanders on the back of a devastating defeat at Dwars door Vlaanderen, but talking to the press prior to the race, he’s drawn the positive from that race. To finish second, his form was up from earlier in the spring, while the way his Visma-Lease a Bike tore the race up in the crosswinds could be a blueprint for thow they might try to challenge Van der Poel and Pogačar today, with their very strong team also featuring Matteo Jorgenson.

We have a first abandon of the day - Nolann Mahoudo of Cofidis.

We're nearing the Oude Kwaremont now, and there's a huge battle in the peloton. 

OUDE KWAREMONT

The break are on the climb, and are getting cheered on by huge crowds lining the roads several people deep.

Alessandro Romele has gone clear from the rest of the break on the climb.

140KM TO GO

The leaders reach the top of the Kwaremont, their lead about 4-15.

There's been a crash in the peloton on the Kwaremont. It seems the biggest name down is Nils Politt.

UAE Team Emirates and Alpecin-Deceuninck are right up at the front on the climb; as are Mads Pedersen's Lidl-Trek.

It's a steady pace the peloton is travelling at but it has been thinned out, with riders making their way back up after the disruption caused by the crash.

The breakaway on the Oude Kwaremont.

Ganna has a mechanical. This was the right time to have on, as we're in a lull before the 2nd climb - the Eikenberg, coming up in just over 5km.

130KM TO GO

The post-Kwaremont slowing allowed the lead to grow up to over 4-30, but it's set to come down again now as the pace in the peloton is up again.

The peloton on the Oude Kwaremont.

Mechanical problem for Lennert Van Eetvelt. This has been a rough Ronde dedut for the Belgian.

Crash in the peloton. Jhonatan Narváez was involved but is back up and riding.

CRASH

Another crash, and this time some big names are involved - including Van der Poel.

Van der Poel is back up and has 2 teammates leading him.

John Degenkolb seems the worst affected of the dozen or so riders down. Tim Wellens was also involved.

Van der Poel's teammates face a challenge trying to get him back into the peloton as quickly as possible. They still have about 45 seconds to make up.

EIKENBERG

Jonas Abrahamsen leads the peloton onto the day's second climb.

Van der Poel is brining through teammates. He's down to just Planckaert.

Van der Poel and Planckaert have made it to the peloton again on the Eikenberg - but are right at the back. There's a long way between here and the front of the group, which has been strung out on the climb.

WOLVENBERG

There's barely any respite at the moment, as the leaders start to climb the Wolvenberg almost immediately after the Eikenberg.

Adrien Petit has abandoned. 

HOLLEWEG

They're now onto the Holleweg cobbled climb.

Meanwhile back in the peloton, Van der Poel has moved his way through the bunch back up towards the front. Panic over.

Matteo Trentin has accelerated on the Holleweg, getting a gap of a few bikelengths with a few other riders.

They haven't got a gap, though.

Tim Wellens is still in the race despite his crash earlier. He's still in a group lagging behind the peloton, however.

John Degenkolb is the latest to pull out, after he went down in the crash.

JAGERIJ

Now onto the Jagerij cobbled sector. The break's lead has come down significantly these past few kilometres, to 2-30.

MOLENBERG

The break are on the Molenberg. The peloton are 2-30 away, and the race is on for the best positions for that climb.

Edward Planckaerts is dropping out of the peloton, no doubt tired after his work for Van der Poel.

The peloton are onto the Molenberg, an Astana rider attacking.

Van der Poel is 3rd wheel, Pogačar 5th wheel.

110KM TO GO

Over  the top of the Molenerg, the peloton are now under 2 minutes from the leaders.

Davide Ballerini is the Astana rider off the front of the peloton.

Matteo Jorgenson appears to be trying to sneakily get away, but has been marked closely. 

Ballerini has been joined by Jonas Rutsch...and now Stefan Küng.

Küng's a very dangerous rider to allow up the road this early. And now Tiesk Benoot is about to join them. This is an interesting development.

Vito Braet is the Intermarché - Wanty rider in this group, not Rutsch. 

More are trying to bridge over, including an Alpecin rider and a Lidl rider.

The Küng group has about 15 seconds on the peloton. 

Küng is committing to this move, leading the quartet on the cobbled Paddestraat sector. Their lead over the peloton is growing, up to 40 seconds.

100KM TO GO

1-08 is the gap between the day's break and the chasing quartet, and 1-52 to the peloton.

Another chase group has formed, involving Filippo Ganna.

Ganna is with Trentin, Hoole and Hermans, and they're coming after the Küng group.

The Ganna quartert are 10 seconds ahead of the peloton, and 50 seconds behind the Küng group.

The Küng group now has 6 riders, with Vercouillie and Roosen dropping back into having been dropped from the lead group.

UAE Team Emirates have been sparked into action by all these attacks, and are leading the peloton at a fast pace.

The presence of Hermans in the Ganna group means Alpecin aren’t obliged to chase. Teams are trying to work over Pogačar and his UAE team.

Hoole's presence also means Mads Pedersen's Lidl-Trek have presence in this group. Neither he nor Hermans are helping Ganna and Trentin though, sat on their wheel as a marking job.

The Ganna group has joined the Küng group. They're 40 seconds ahead of the peloton, and are putting the pressure on Pogačar. 

BERENDRIES

The brief respite from the climbing is over, as the break take on Berendries.

Ganna and Küng are taking the race to Pogačar, but the Slovenian doesn't look at all stressed. He's just nodded to this teammate with the calm pression of someone perfectly happy with the race situation.

90KM TO GO

The chase group should catch the leaders soon, with only 15 more seconds left to close. The peloton are a further 45 seconds adrift. 

The bridge has been made, we have a new lead group of 14.

Though Hoole and Hermans are passengers in this lead group, there's still strong cohesion, and they're mostly invested and working well together.

VALKENBERG

UAE lead the peloton on the Valkenberg, just under a minute behind the leaders. 

The pace in the lead group is too much for Alessandro Romele, who has dropped out suffering from what appears to be cramp. 

Usefully for Ganna, he now has Ineos teammate Swift to help pace him, from the original break. Trentin too has a domestique, in Haller.

Van der Poel has needed a bike change. We're on a relatively long stretch in between the last climb, Valkenberg, and the net, Berg Ten Houte, so he should be able to rejoin without many problems.

Here’s the Küng group, before Ganna and co joined them.

Jules Hesters has crashed going around a corner.

80KM TO GO

The gap between the leaders and the peloton is growing, up to 1-15. At one point does this become a danger to Pogačar and Van der Poel?

BERG TEN HOUTE

We're climbing again, this time up Berg Ten Houte.

The peloton are climbing it now, Van der Poel right towards the front despite his mechanical a few kilometres earlier. 

The pace is slow enough in the peloton for a rider from Cofidis to attack and get a gap.

Alexis Renard is the Cofidis rider.

Renard has dropped back. He no doubt would have liked some company to help pacing.

70KM TO GO

UAE are riding hard in the peloton, keeping the gap at 1-15. They have 3 men at the front, but after that might be light - Wellens is out of contention having crashed earlier. 

Morgado, Vermeersch and Politt are the 3 UAE riders. 

Pogačar remains remarkably calm, even taking a moment to teasingly imitate Morgado’s bobbing head style as he rides hard for him at the front of the peloton.

Here's the group out in front at the moment, Swift at the front leading for his Ineos teammate Ganna at the back. 

Politt's taking a big turn in the peloton, and has reduced the gap by about 10 seconds inthe last few kilometres to about 1-05.

60KM TO GO

Only a few kilometres to go until the 2nd ascent of Oude Kwaremont. The stage seems set for the first Pogačar attack of the day.

Visma and Lidl have taken over at the front of the peloton on the fast, flat stretch after the Hotond. The battle for positioning onto the Kwaremont starts here.

Pogačar is looking quite isolated now in the peloton. It might be time for them to take things into his own hands, his teammates having done so much work chasing the Ganna group.

OUDE KWAREMONT

Here we go, the leaders have begun Oude Kwaremont for the second time. Their lead's coming down, to 47 seconds.

Küng is leading the front group, which already is getting smaller with Swift and others dropped.

POGACAR ATTACKS

The peloton are on the Kwaremont, and Pog's made his move!

Van der Poel is out of position and having to make up ground.

He's with Pog now though, along with Van Aert, Jorgenson and Pedersen.

Those 5 have gone clear.

These 5 are flying up the climb, picking up and dropping riders dropped from the leads group.

Pogačar accelerates again, but Van der Poel, Van Aert, Jorgenson and Pedersen are still with him as they crest the climb.

Pogačar is continuing to do all the work after the top of the climb - and he has to, as the other 4 with him all have teammate up the road.

The front group is down to just 7 after the Kwaremont: Ganna, Küng, Beot, Trentin, Hoole, Ballerini and Haller.

PATERBERG

Now it's time for the Paterberg.

The peloton have rejoined the Pog group, who weren't working together.

VAN DER POEL ATTACK

Van der Poel  attacks out of the peloton on the Paterberg.

Pogačar is on Van der Poel's wheel on the climb.

50KM TO GO

Pederse has joined them on the descent.

Van Aert, Jorgenson and Stuyven are about to join them as well.

There are still 30 seconds between the lead group and the chasing 6 of Van der Poel, Pogačar, Pedersen, Van Aert, Jorgenson and Stuyven.

Here's Pog causing the initial selection on the Oude Kwaremont.

Unlike earlier, this time Pogačar is receiving help from the others, with Stuyven and Van der Poel taking turns.

Three more have joined the Pog/MVDP group: Neilson Powless, Arjen Livyns and Yevgeniy Fedorov.

The next climb is the race's hardest, and surely most iconic - the Koppenberg. The cobblestones here are on a whole other level of difficulty, with riders regularly having to walk up. This could be where the decisive attacks are made.

KOPPENBERG

The leaders are on the Koppenberg.

Pogačar is accelerating, Van der Poel and Pedersen with him.

Küng is leading the race on the climb, but Ganna is dropped. 

Pogačar and Van der Poel have also dropped Pedersen, and are catching riders from the break.

Küng is with just Benoot and Ballerini at the front of the race now. Behind, Van der Poel, Pog, Ganna, rrentin, Hoole and Haller have formed a group.

Those two groups are about to come together. 

The two groups have come together, but nobody is interested in working.

Pedersen takes advantage of the slowing down to attack.

More riders have joined this group, including Van Aert - who attacks too.

Pog and Van der Poel have shut both these moves down.

Pogačar is as strong as ever today, but does have a problem in that he is isolated.

MARIABORRESTRAAT

Van Aert accelerates again on the cobbles.

He's brought back, and Benoot counters.

POGACAR ATTACK

Pogacar attacks again, and he has a small gap.

Van der Poel and Van Aert are with him.

40KM TO GO

Now more riders join up to them. Still the race remains open.

Pogačar attacks them on the flat this time! But even he can't get a gap on this terrain.

TAAINBERG

Pogacar is back on the front as they climb the Taainberg.

He's gone clear with Van der Poel and Pedersen.

The trio reach the top of Taainberg together, a few seconds ahead of Van Aert, Benoot, Jorgenson, Küng and Stuyven.

Visma have strenth in numbers in this chase, making up 3 of the 5 riders, but can they close down such a strong trio? For now, the gap is 10 seconds.

Pedersen is taking his turn at the front - you'd have through he be better off sitting on their wheel, especially with his teammate Stuyven in the group behind.

25 seconds behind the Visma chase group is a 4-man group, consisting of Ganna, Trentin, Haller and Ballerini.

It remains about 10 seconds between the first and second groups. Visma are doing well to keep themselves in contention, for now.

Here's a shot of Pogačar flying up the Koppenberg.

There are only 3 more climbs left: Kruisberg, Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg. Pogačar will still be very anxious about dropping the other two, who you'd expect would have his beating in a sprint.

Van Aert has set off after the leading trio on his own, jumping out of the chase group.

He's thought better of it now though, and back in the group. They're only 8 seconds behind.

OUDE KRUISBERG-HOTOND

They're climbing again, Pogačar leading the front trio.

Pedersen is losing the wheel.

Van der Poel is clinging on.

Van Aert has attacked out of the chase group, and only has Stuyven with him.

Pogačar and Van der Poel reach the top together, Pedersen 10 seconds behind. 

Van Aert and Stuyven have just joined Pedersen.

Behind them, Jorgenson, Benoot and Küng are together.

Behind them, the Ganna / Trentin / Haller / Ballerini group remains together. 

11 seconds for the leading two over the chasing three.

Here's Van der Poel and Pogačar going over the Paterberg together. They've been inseparable so far - will that continue to be the case on the upcoming final ascents?

The 3 chasers have returned to the 2 leaders. That's a surprise development - Pog and Van der Poel haven't simply blown the field away as they have in previous races.

The pace has slowed since the two groups reformed. 

Jorgenson, Benoot and Küng are still 30 seconds away, but could yet come into contention if the pace in the lead group remains this slow.

20KM TO GO

Here we go, they're about to start the Oude Kwaremont for the final time. Can either Pog or Van der Poel go clear this time?

The chasers have halved the gap, to 15 seconds.

ATTACK WOUT VAN AERT

Van Aert's attacked, just at the foot of Oude Kwaremont.

Pogačar is leading the chase, but has given him a few seconds.

OUDE KWAREMONT

We're on the cobbles of the climb now, and Pog accelerates

Van der Poel is losing thr wheel...

The gap's growin, Pog's going clear!

Van der Poel looks spent, he's dropped back to the other chasers.

Van Aert is leading the chase, Van der Poel on his wheel, Stuyven and Pedersen just a bit behind.

Pogačar has a gap, but the other 4 are all still together. If they work together, this isn't over yet.

Van Aert's still leading the four chasers, he looks so much stronger today.

The gap is about 10 seconds. The chasers need to work together or the race is going to disappear ahead of them.

The gap is being reported as 18 seconds.

The gap is growing, now up to 25 seconds. 

PATERBERG

Pog's on the final climb now, the Paterberg.

Van Aert leads the chasers on the climb.

Pedersen takes over at the front.

The four chasers are still together as they crest the top. Still this race isn't over.

 Pogačar's lead didn't grow on the Paterberg It's still about 25 seconds.

25 seconds in 12km sounds summermountable in normal circumstances, especially in a group as strong as this four-man group. But this is a one-of-a-kind rider they’re up against.

10KM TO GO

The gap's going up rather than down. It's 30 seconds as we enter the final 10km

Here’s Pogačar soon after going clear on Oude Kwaremont after his attack - which may well turn out to be the race-winning move.

The chasers don’t look fully committed, and the gap is thus creeping up. It’s now at 34 seconds. 

7km to go, 35 seconds is the gap.

5KM TO GO

The gap continues to grow - 45 seconds as they enter the final 5km. Pogačar looks destined for victory!

50 seconds now, with 4km to go.

3km to go, and it's still 50 seconds.

Further behind, Jorgenson has been dropped by Benoot and Küng. They're racing for 6th place.

Everyone in the chase group will now be sprinting the podium places. All 4 of them have podium finishes here already on their palmares, apart from Stuyven, but that's the best they can hope for now.

1KM TO GO

Pogačar is on the finishing straight.

Stuyven has attacked out of the chase group in a bid for 2nd place.

Here comes Pogačar...

POGACAR WIN THE TOUR OF FLANDERS

Victory for Pogačar!

Stuyven didn't go clear, and is leading out the sprint for 2nd.

Pedersen starts his sprint.

2nd for Pedersen, 3rd for Van der Poel, 4th for Van Aert and 5th for Stuyven.

Benoot beats Küng in the 2-up sprint, for 6th and 7th respectivley.

Now here comes the peloton.

Ganna wins that sprint for 8th. He's recovered well, having been in the break so much earlier.

So Pogačar has done it again. He adds a second Tour of Flanders title to his two Liège–Bastogne–Liège and four Il Lombardias, to put him on to 8 monuments - joint 6th on the all-time list.

That's more than Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara, and Mathieu van der Poel - all for a guy who is first and foremost a Grand Tour rider. His claim to be the greatest of all time strengthens again today. 

Though his final winning margin was 1-01, Pogačar far from had everything go his own way today. The other teams did a great job of putting him under pressure early, and managed to isolate him. He attacked constantly, only to be rejoined by his rivals time and time again,before finally going clear for good on the penultimate climb of the race.

Mads Pedersen can be very happy with his runner-up finish. That’s the third time he’s made the podium here, and equals his record best performance here from 2018. He did another brilliant race, but is unfortunately a victim of being part of a generation of some of the best classics riders we’ve ever seen.

Less happy with his third-place will be Van der Poel. He’s used to winning this race, and though he continues his extraordinary run of 6 successive editions making the podium here, this is his lowest finish since his debut in 2019. 

He didn’t look quite his usual self on the Oude Kwaremont, not only failing to stick to Pog’s wheel, but also not able to clear of the other chasers. Perhaps he was affected by his crash earlier in the day?

Wout van Aert might have been disappointed to miss out on the podium in the final sprint, but can take great heart in how well he rode today. On the final climbs, he looked ever stronger than Van der Poel. Despite all his problems this spring, he seems to have come good on the plan to peak for this week - and should be in the mix next week at Paris-Roubaix.

As for the rest of the top ten, many of the usual suspects were once again there. Fifth-place is Jasper Stuyven’s second best finish at the Tour of Flanders; sixth for Tiesj Benoot sees him make the top ten here for the fifth time in his career; and seventh place for Stefan Küng extends his run to three top ten finishes in the last four editions.

Thanks for joining us today, for a thrilling Tour of Flanders that more than lived up to the billing. 

The best thing is we’ll get to do it all again this time next week, when all the main protagonists from today will again assemble for the next cobbled monument - Paris-Roubaix. All eyes will be on Tadej Pogačar - he’s conquered the cobbles of Flanders, but can he do the same at the very different proposition of the Hell of the North? It’s going to be one of the highlights of the season finding out, so be sure to join us for it!