photo credits @ Tour of Flanders
Tadej Pogacar added another sensational solo victory to his palmarès at the Tour of Flanders. The cobbled Monument looked set for a thrilling finale after Pogacar reached the top of the Kwaremont with just 15 seconds on a stellar quartet of chasers, but four failed to catch one as the Slovenian ripped away to write another grand chapter in his extraordinary career.
After making multiple attacks in the final third phase of the Tour of Flanders, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) was able to make the last one stick. The world champion attacked a select group of superstars on the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, before soloing to glory on the famous finish in Oudenaarde.
As he denied Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) what would have been an unprecedented fourth Flanders title, Pogacar made it one each in Monument battles against his great rival this season. Van der Poel finished 3rd behind Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) with Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) just off the podium
Pogacar launched the decisive attack 19 km from the finish on the Oude Kwaremont, the second-to-last climb of the day, and never let the advantage slip away. The three-time winner of the Tour de France thus took revenge for his defeat in the spring classic Milan-San Remo two weeks ago, when he lost out in a duel with Van der Poel and ultimately finished third.
Stefan Küng was unable to intervene in the battle for victory in a spectacular final stage. The Thurgau native, who was considered one of the favorites, showed an active race, went on the offensive over 100 kilometers before the finish and then belonged to a strong leading group for a long time.
Race Highlights
It took 40 kilometers of racing before a small breakaway group containing Elmar Reinders (Team Jayco AlUla), Alessandro Romele (XDS Astana), Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers), Sean Flynn (Team Picnic PostNL), Timo Roosen (Team Picnic PostNL), Rory Townsend (Q36.5), Marco Haller (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), Victor Vercouillie (Team Flanders-Baloise) finally escaped the peloton.
From there, the group opened up an advantage of around four minutes by the time the race approached the first of the day’s cobbled climbs, the Oude Kwaremont.
A crash on a seemingly innocuous stretch of wider straight tarmac with 126km to go took down a bevy of riders including John Degenkolb (Team Picnic PostNL) and multiple Alpecin-Deceuninck riders including team leader Van der Poel, Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirate-XRG also saw Tim Wellens distanced.
Soon after, Van der Poel chasing the race became strung out on the Eikenberg under pressure from Jonas Abrahamson (Uno-X), leaving the Dutchman with a big effort to get back to the sharp end of the peloton.
With Van der Poel now back in the peloton, the leaders hit Kwaremont cobbles for a second time, with Pogacar making his move accelerating off the front but was marked by Wout van Aert, along with his Visma-Lease a Bike team-mate Matteo Jorgenson, Van der Poel and Pedersen. But as they rounded the corner onto the Paterberg the peloton caught them again.
The regrouping was short-lived though because Van der Poel attacked with Pogačar in his wheel initially distancing the other favourites before they recovered over the top of the climb.
Pogacar attacked repeatedly before he eventually distanced Van Aert on Taaienberg leaving just the Slovenian Pedersen and Van der Poel up front.
On the Oude Kruisberg, more pressing from Pogačar distanced Pedersen leaving just the two pre-race favourites alone out front.
But on the descent to the bottom of the Kwaremont Van Aert, Pedersen and Pedersen’s team-mate Jasper Stuyven caught back up to the front two. Van Aert anticipating an attack from the others on the final ascent of the Kwaremont went early opening a sizable gap. But as the cobbles started Pogačar caught and passed Van Aert and for the first time in the race moved clear of Van der Poel.
His gap quickly yawned out but with Van Aert chasing it stabilised around 12 seconds by the time they reached the top and headed to the Paterberg. As they crossed the top of the steep final climb the Slovenian had 24 seconds in hand.
But as the race headed into a headwind the group of four behind still had a notional advantage but they were unable to match the World Champion and he kept stretching his advantage.
Stuyven led out the sprint for second and his team-mate Pedersen rewarded him by winning it with Van der Poel behind taking third on the podium.
