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2022 Tour of Flanders: Things to know, riders to watch, schedule for the men's and women's races on Sunday

Mathieu van der Poel is favourite for the iconic one-day men's classic race on the Belgian cobbles with Wout van Aert missing through COVID-19, while Olympic champion Annemiek van Vleuten chases a hat-trick of wins in the women's event.

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The second road cycling 'Monument' classic race of 2022 is the 106th edition of the Tour de Flanders on Sunday (3 April).

First staged in 1913, 'De Ronde' has been held each year since 1919 and is the most prestigious of the six spring classics in the Belgian region. This year's race will start from the city of Antwerp, as it has since 2017, and will end in Oudenaarde after a total of 272.5 km, 20 more than in 2021.

Twelve months ago, Kasper Asgreen of Denmark took the biggest win of his career by upsetting defending champion Mathieu van der Poel in a two-man sprint. Rio 2016 gold medallist Greg van Avermaet completed the podium.

Over the past 105 editions of the men's race, a Belgian has won the 'Ronde van Vlaanderen' 69 times, the last one being 2012 road world champion Philippe Gilbert in 2017. Italy and the Netherlands are tied second with 11 wins each.

This time, the hopes of home fans had been with Wout van Aert , who was one of the favourites again after finishing second two years ago. But on Thursday it was announced that he would miss the event recon due to a sore throat.

And he withdrew on Friday morning after testing positive for COVID-19, telling his Jumbo-Visma team , "I immediately did two self-tests and they were both positive. I then did a PCR test, which showed that I tested strongly positive.

"The good news is that I only have mild symptoms, just a sore throat and a cold. My focus is on recovering now. I want to be fully recovered before thinking about the future again."

His withdrawal leaves arch-rival van der Poel and two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar leading the list of the contenders.

The women's race, held since 2004, is scheduled on the same day across a 158.5km route starting and ending in Oudenaarde. For the first time the female peloton will take the mighty Koppenberg, one of the most challenging climbs of the Flemish region.

Two-time Tokyo 2020 medallist Annemiek van Vleuten took a solo victory a year ago after a blistering attack on the Paterberg climb. The Dutch superstar, who also triumphed in 2011, will aim for a third success on the Flemish cobbles, but she will face a stiff competition from teammate Emma Norsgaard and 2012 Olympic champion Marianne Vos .

Read on to find out everything you need to know about the highlight of the Flanders classic series, including the riders to watch.

2022 Tour of Flanders men's route

Cobbled streets, narrow roads, and sharp climbs makes the Tour of Flanders one of the most exciting races of the year.

Riders will start from the Grote Markt in Antwerp before moving through various towns in the East Flanders region in Northern Belgium, including Sint-Niklas, Erpe-Mere and Zottegem.

After just over 100km the peloton will cross the first two cobbled sectors of Lippenhovestraat and Paddestraat then a longer flat section leads to the first ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, where fans will be allowed for the first time after two years of Covid restrictions.

A total of 17 brutal climbs or cotes mark the looping route around Oudenaard, featuring five cobbled sections, and with the Paterberg representing the punishing final ascent of the day before the last flat 13km.

2022 Tour of Flanders - male riders to watch

Mathieu van der poel (ned).

A former winner of the Ronde (2020), the Dutchman returned to competition at the recent Milan-San Remo where he finished third and showed that he's recovered from the back injury suffered during the MTB event at the Tokyo 2020 Games last summer. One week later the multi-discipline rider claimed his first success of this 2022 on stage 4 of the Settimana Coppi and Bartali.

Tadej Pogacar (SLO)

The Slovenian phenom aims to ride four of the five cycling Monuments in 2022 and will make his debut in the Belgian classic race. The winner of last year's Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Il Lombardia started the season strong by impressing at the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico, and also triumphing at Strade Bianche after a long-range solo attack on the gravel roads of Tuscany.

Kasper Asgreen (DEN)

The defending champion, along with Yves Lampaert, leads a strong Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team, who has won three of the past five editions of the Flanders.

Mathieu Van Der Poel followed by Kasper Asgreen at the 2021 Tour of Flanders

Anthony Turgis (FRA)

Second at the last Milan-San Remo, France's Total Energies rider has made the top ten for the past two years.

Alexander Kristoff (NOR)

The Norwegian veteran, now racing for Intermarch-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux, won the Flanders seven years ago and has made the top five three times in the past five years, coming third in 2019 and 2020

Mads Pedersen (DEN)

The 2019 World champion is a specialist of one-day races and can count on a strong Trek-Segafredo team, along with 2021 San Remo winner Jasper Stuyven and American rising star Quinn Simmons.

Tom Pidcock (GBR)

The MTB Olympic champion had a difficult start to the season on the road after stomach problems saw his skip Strade Bianche and abandon Milan-San Remo. After making a surprise recovery for Gent-Wevelgem, the Yorkshire-man is ready to lead the Ineos Grenadiers team along with fellow British rider Ethan Hayter.

Men's Road Race - Cycling Road | Tokyo 2020 Replays

2022 tour of flanders men's race: schedule (all times local cest, approximate after race start):.

10:00 - Riders roll out from the Grote Markt Antwerp

10:18 - Official race start from Zwijndrecht

12:46 - Riders pass through first two cobbled sectors - Lippenhovestraat and Paddestraat (168.8km to go)

13:33 - First ascent of the Oude Kwaremont (136.2km to go)

14:00 - Start of the second cobbled section in Holleweg (116.9km to go)

15:34 - First ascent of Paterberg (51.1km to go)

15:51 - Last cobbled section in Stationberg (38.7km to go)

16:23 - Third and final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont (16.7km to go)

16:47 - Finish in Oudenaarde

Riders in action at the women's race in 2021.

2022 Tour of Flanders women's route

The women's route starts at the Markt in Oudenaard with first cobbled sections after 45km.

A series of 11 short and steep climbs will follow in rapid succession: from the Wolvenberg (69km) to the Paterberg (145km), with the Kopperberg (114km) - the cobbled berg with a maximum gradient of 21.6%c - being the main ascent.

The 158.5km route will end with a final flat 12km section into the Minderbroedersstraat in Oudenaarde.

2022 Tour of Flanders - female riders to watch

Annemiek van vleuten (ned).

The two-time Olympic medallist at Tokyo 2020 in 2021 is the defending champion in this event. The Dutchwoman, who's started her season with a victory Omloop Her Nieuwsblad and a second place at Strade Bianche, is aiming for her third title on the Flemish cobbles.

Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA)

The Trek-Segafredo team leader, who won bronze in the last two Olympic road races, is a former winner of the event (2015) and will be supported by fellow Italian and reigning world champion Elisa Balsamo.

Emma Norsgaard (DEN)

The Movistar teammate of van Vleuten, Denmark's Emma Norsgaard recently won the one-day Le Samyn des Dames, which included a cobbled section, and is tipped to do well in Flanders, especially if the race should come down to a sprint.

Katarzyna Niewiadoma (POL)

The new course featuring the Koppenberg suits the Polish rider, winner of the 2019 Amstel Gold Race, who is known for her wild explosive uphill attacks.

Marianne Vos (NED)

Never rule out 2012 Olympic champion Marianne Vos . Despite a lack of recent racing, the Dutch multi-discipline rider finished second at Gent-Wavelgem for Jumbo-Visma, after illness prevented her from competing in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda. Now over her cold symptoms, Vos will certainly be one to watch.

2022 Tour of Flanders women's race: Schedule (all times local CET, approximate after race start):

13:25 - Riders roll out from the Markt in Oudenaarde

13:35 - Official race start

14:46 - Riders pass through first two cobbled sectors - Lippenhovestraat and Paddestraat (113.1km to go)

15:23 - Ascent of first climb, the Wolvenberg (89.6km to go)

16:34 - Ascent of the Koppenberg (44.6km to go)

17:17 - Ascent of the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg (16.7km to go)

17:44 - Finish in Oudenaarde

Peter Sagan celebrates winning the 100th edition of the Tour of Flanders on April 2016

Tour of Flanders previous winners

2021: Kasper Asgreen (DEN/Deceuninck-Quick-Step)

2020: Mathieu van der Poel (NED/Alpecin-Fenix)

2019: Alberto Bettiol (ITA/EF Educational First)

2018: Niki Terpstra (NED/Quick-Step Floors)

2017: Philippe Gilbert (BEL/Quick-Step Floors)

2016: Peter Sagan (SVK/Tinkoff)

2021: Annemiek van Vleuten (NED/Movistar Team)

2020: Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (NED/Boels-Dolmans)

2019: Marta Bastianelli (ITA/Team Virtu Cycling)

2018: Anna van der Breggen (NED/Boels-Dolmans)

2017: Coryn River (USA/Team Sunweb)

2016: Lizzie Armistead (GBR/Boels-Dolmans)

Tadej POGACAR

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Results and Highlights from the Tour of Flanders

Tadej Pogačar and Lotte Kopecky captured the wins at another thrilling edition of the Tour of Flanders.

107th ronde van vlaanderen tour des flandres 2023 men's elite

The Tour of Flanders is always one of the most thrilling of the Monuments and this year’s edition was no different. Both the men’s and women’s races brought some great excitement to the Belgian cobbles.

Men’s Race Recap

At 273.4 kilometers with six cobble segments and 19 climbs, the men’s Tour of Flanders—the second Monument race of the season—runs from Brugge to Oudenaarde in Belgium. This year was the fastest iteration of the race ever run, with strong tailwinds (and headwinds) breaking up the peloton from the start. The race was marred by many crashes, and the racing was some of the most exciting we’ve seen all season.

As usual, with Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in the mix, those were the riders to watch, but there were quite a few other contenders on the start line. Teams like Ineos-Grenadiers and Movistar made some early attacks, trying to test the peloton, but the early kilometers of the race were marked by small attacks that the peloton swallowed up. The wind also played a part, splitting the peloton and forcing top riders like Van der Poel to work at the front.

At 70 kilometers into the race, a crash took out several riders and split the newly-reformed peloton—but that wouldn’t be the only crash of the day. At 140 kilometers to go, a huge crash in the peloton took out many riders including Peter Sagan—racing his last Tour of Flanders before his upcoming retirement—and Tim Wellens. The crash was caused by a Bahrain rider who went onto the grass, then swung back onto the road into the peloton. Wellens was unfortunately forced to pull out of the race, as was Sagan. The Bahrain Victorious rider Filip Maciejuk was disqualified for causing the crash. (Sadly, another Bahrain rider caused other crash a while later, though with less catastrophic results—all bad news for another race favorite, Bahrain’s Matej Mohorič.)

You can watch the domino effect of the crash here:

Meanwhile, the crashes allowed a group of eight to continue to grow their advantage in a breakaway. Jasper De Buyst, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck, Daan Hoole, Elmar Reinders, Filippo Colombo, Jonas Rutsch, Tim Merlier and Hugo Houle. The group didn’t contain riders from Van der Poel, Van Aert or Pogacar’s teams—which means there was a lot of firepower in the peloton working to close that gap, though with eight big teams including Loton Dsny, Trek Segafredo and EF up in the lead, there were also plenty of teams who had no reason to work. The leaders grew their advantage to four minutes, but by 100 kilometers to go, the gap was closing, down to two minutes.

A smaller attack group with Mads Peterson and dark horse race favorite Stephan Küng along with seven others went after the leaders, splitting from the peloton and closing the gap to under a minute with 90 kilometers to go—a minute ahead of the peloton. By 77 kilometers to go, the chase group made contact with the breakaway, creating a 19-rider strong lead group, nearly two minutes ahead of the peloton containing many of the race favorites.

Another huge crash in the peloton at 70 kilometers to go took out Mohorič as well as Binian Girmay and Aime De Gendt.

107th ronde van vlaanderen tour des flandres 2023 men's elite

With 55 kilometers to go, attacks began to bring the big three—Van der Poel, Van Aert or Pogačar—back to the front of the race. UAE launched the attack, with Pogačar riding up the steep cobbled climb, riding Tom Pidcock off his wheel as Van Aert gritted his way up the hill, chasing hard. Pidcock and teammate Magnus Sheffield led Van Aert up the climb as Pogacar appeared to pretty much sprint away from the peloton, looking entirely unbothered by his monumental effort. As the climbs came fast and furious, he seemed comfortable attacking the narrow climbs alone.

Behind them, Van Aert and Pidcock were joined by Van der Poel, essentially creating a cyclocross superstar chase group. It wasn’t a surprise when they caught Pogačar and LaPorte, who had eased up slightly.

The lead groups hit the famed Koppenburg climb—but the real camera view was Pogačar, Van Aert and Van der Poel smashing the pedals together surging up the classic climb. Ahead of them, the lead group of 11 worked hard to maintain their lead on the three superpowers of cycling, with Neilson Powless, one of the few Americans in the race, in the mix in the lead group. The lead group continued to dwindle as the ‘big three’ powered up the climbs, picking up riders who’d been dropped from the lead group as they went. At 28 kilometers to go, Van der Poel attacked hard and Pogačar just barely made it on his wheel as Van Aert struggled to hang on and began to fall behind as more climbs loomed ahead.

Pogačar surged again, catching and riding through Pederson, who was caught by a chasing Van der Poel. With 17 kilometers to go, Pogačar was finally in the lead, opening a 13 second gap, though Van der Poel refused to give up while Pederson tried to hang on. A chase group with many of the original attackers along with Van Aert followed 40 seconds back.

While Pogačar was utterly uncatchable, Van der Poel never gave up the chase, stretching to 30 second behind Pogačar. Behind him, the large chase group with Van Aert, Pederson, Kasper Asgreen, Neilson Poless, Kung, Matteo Jorgensen and Fred Wright were a minute back, all in contention for the final spot on the podium.

It was no surprise when Pogačar sailed in for the win—in the fastest race time ever recorded—with Van der Poel smoothly coming in for second place. The real sprint came under a minute later, led out by Pederson, with Van Aert right on his wheel. The two finished in a photo finish, with Pederson just inching out Van Aert for third place.

“I could retire after today and be proud of my career, ” Pogačar said after the race. But thankfully, the young rider has no intention of retiring anytime soon.

107th ronde van vlaanderen tour des flandres 2023 men's elite

Tour of Flanders Results - Men’s Top 10

  • Tadej Pogačar (Team UAE Emirates)
  • Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
  • Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafedo)
  • Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma)
  • Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost
  • Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ)
  • Kasper Asgreen (Soudal-Quick-Step)
  • Fred Wright (Bahrain-Victorious)
  • Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar)
  • Matteo Trentin (Team UAE Emirates)

20th ronde van vlaanderen tour des flandres 2023 women's elite

Women’s Race Recap

The women’s iteration of the Tour of Flanders is slightly shorter, with only five cobbled sections and 13 climbs over 156 kilometers. Favorites included last year’s winner Lotte Kopecky along with two of her other SD Worx teammates, Demi Vollering and Marlyn Reusser. But it was Trek Segafredo that kept the race interesting, as did the Movistar squad led by Annemiek van Vleuten.

Unlike the men’s version of the Tour, the climbs start early on the women’s route, but the peloton managed to stay together early on. For the first 60 kilometers, the peloton largely stayed together, and was relatively calm. But similar to the men’s race, a big crash as riders came into Oudenaarde took out quite a few riders in the main peloton.

At around the halfway mark, Ally Wollaston of AG Insurance made the first effective attack of the day, creating a gap of 30 seconds. After another crash for the peloton, though, the SD Worx team started making moves towards the front of the race in order to protect their riders and start to lead the race. UAE Team ADQ and Trek Segafredo also started moving riders towards the front, anticipating SD Worx going on the attack.

20th ronde van vlaanderen tour des flandres 2023 women's elite

With two-thirds of the race completed, Elise Chabbey went on the attack, and Van Vleuten unfortunately had a crash from the back of the peloton. She got back up, but had to fix her chain and chase back on. Meanwhile, SD Worx, Trek Segafredo and UAE all sent riders up the road to chase the leaders.

Hitting the steep cobbled Koppenburg climb, the leaders were absorbed by the chasers, and the groups all shattered on the climb. Only two riders were able to get over the climb without dismounting—race favorite Marlyn Reusser along with UAE’s Silvia Persico—while Lorena Wiebes and Lotte Kopecky had to remount and run. Leanne Lipert dropped a chain and had to stop to fix it, forcing her to mount an inspired chase.

But by the top of the climb, only four riders remained at the front, all race favorites: SD Worx’ Wiebes, Reusser and Kopecky with Persico hanging on. Trek Segafredo, UAE, Canyon SRAM, Jumbo Visma, and SD Worx all had riders in the chase group, just 22 seconds down. The peloton behind them was shattered on the climb, and small groups were strung out across the course.

Wiebes was the first rider to drop from the lead group as they hit one of the several climbs left in the race. Reusser also dropped off the back, and Persico hung onto Kopecky’s wheel, avoiding her time at the front. Behind them, Kopecky’s teammates Vollering and Reuser with Shirin van Anrooij of Trek Segafredo and Kasia Niewiadoma of Canyon SRAM chased at 20 seconds down with 27 kilometers to go. They were joined by Juliette Labous and Elisa Longo-Borghini.

On the muddy, slippery climb at 18 kilometers to go, Kopecky attacked and dropped Persico, while the now seven-woman chase group fought their way up the slippery cobbles. From there, she was unstoppable, growing her gap quickly as she worked her way up the final climbs of the day. The chase group surged behind Persico, struggling to catch her on the climb, reabsorbing her on the tight cobbled ascent.

20th ronde van vlaanderen tour des flandres 2023 women's elite

As the kilometers clicked down, the chasers became more chaotic. In the chase group, the SD Worx riders clearly irritated the small chase group by refusing to do any work in order to protect the lead Kopecky had, while riders like Labous tried to close the gap.

Kopecky powered to the finish line as the six-woman chase group 45 seconds back started to set up for the sprint for the final two podium positions.

It has to be said: There’s something kind of awesome about hearing a remixed version of All I Do Is Win from a bystander as Kopecky sailed by just meters from the finish. And she had plenty of time to celebrate her win.

Behind her, the chase group began the long sprint to the finish line, led out by Vollering. Longo-Borghini came up the side, but it was Vollering who snapped up second place with Longo-Borghini in third.

It’s worth noting: The women’s Tour of Flanders race overlapped with the men’s race if you were trying to watch live, so if you did miss it while you were watching the men’s, definitely go back and watch the replay!

Tour of Flanders Results - Women’s Top 10

  • Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx)
  • Demi Vollering (SD Worx)
  • Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo)
  • Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ)
  • Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM)
  • Juliette Labous (Team DSM)
  • Marlen Reusser (SD Worx)
  • Shirin van Anrooij (Trek-Segafredo)
  • Anna Henderson (Jumbo-Visma)
  • Arlenis Sierra Canadilla (Movistar)

Molly writes about cycling, nutrition and training, with an emphasis on women in sport. Her new middle-grade series, Shred Girls, debuts with Rodale Kids/Random House in 2019 with "Lindsay's Joyride." Her other books include "Mud, Snow and Cyclocross," "Saddle, Sore" and "Fuel Your Ride." Her work has been published in magazines like Bicycling, Outside and Nylon. She co-hosts The Consummate Athlete Podcast.

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Tour of Flanders 2023: The Route

The Tour of Flanders sets off from Bruges this time and the riders get a first taste of cobbles after 109 kilometres. The pavé on the Huisepontweg precedes the first climb of the day, Korte Ast. Some 20 kilometres later the Oude Kwaremont makes its first appearance. By now, the riders are halfway.

After Oude Kwaremont De Ronde intensifies with a new obstacle every 10 kilometres or so. Via climbs up the Kortekeer and the Achterberg the route continues to the cobbles of the Holleweg and onto Wolvenberg. Kerkgate and Jagerij throw in more cobbles before a quartet of ‘hellingen – Molenberg, Marlboroughstraat, Berendries, Valkenberg – are all crammed together within 15 kilometres.

A relatively calm phase – with only Berg Ten Houte and Kanarieberg – now precedes the brutal finale.

The Tour of Flanders is on fire once the riders tackle the Oude Kwaremont/Paterberg combo for the first time. And on it goes to the Koppenberg, the cobbles of the Mariaborrestraat, Steenbeekdries and Taaienberg in rapid succession. To be precise, within 10 kilometres.

With 30 kilometres left the riders tackle the Kruisberg/Hotond before the Oude Kwaremont makes its last appearance inside the final 20 kilometres. The cobbled climb is 2,200 metres long and averages 4%, while the Paterberg is quite the opposite. Only 360 metres long, but definitely a killer with its average gradient of 12.9% and steepest ramp of 20.3%. This is a perfect spot to drop your rivals if you prefer to arrive solo in Oudenaarde.

Which is exactly what Tadej Pogacar tried to do last year. He dropped his opponents, yet one of them hung on. Mathieu van der Poel. The two reached the top almost half a minute ahead of the first chasers, Valentin Madouas and Dylan van Baarle. Those two kept on chasing and while Pogacar was sitting in the wheels of Van der Poel until 200 metres before the line, the two overhauled them. Van der Poel opened his sprint at that exact moment and Pogacar was boxed in. Van der Poel took the win, while Van Baarle and Madouas rounded out the podium.

Ride the route yourself? Download GPX Tour of Flanders 2023 .

Other interesting reads: results and start list 2023 Tour of Flanders.

Tour of Flanders 2023: route, profiles, more

Click on the images to zoom

Tour of Flanders 2023: route - source: rondevanvlaanderen.be

Tour of Flanders

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Tour of Flanders: Tadej Pogacar wins alone after stunning Kwaremont attack

Mathieu van der Poel second, Pedersen third in pursuit race across Flanders

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) took a spectacular lone victory at the Tour of Flanders after distancing Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and his other big-name rivals on the final climb of the Oude Kwaremont after an epic battle on the roads and climbs of Flanders.

The race appeared to have escaped the big three of Pogačar, Van der Poel and Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) after a group of 10 riders opened a 3-muinute gap after the attacks came with 100km to go. However Pogačar inspired a comeback and determined chase and then surged past last attacker Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) on the final time up the Oude Kwaremont.

The Slovenian time trialed to the finish, extending his lead into a headwind. The high-speed racing meant the 2023 Tour of Flanders set a new record average speed of 44.083 km/h. 

Van der Poel chased with all his heart and hung on to finish 17 seconds down on Pogačar. Pedersen edged out Van Aert to win the sprint for third place from the group of survivors from the attack.

“It’s a day I’ll never forget,” Pogačar said. “I can say I can retire after today and be proud of my career but I can be super, super happy and proud."

Pogačar is only the third rider to win the Tour de France and Tour of Flanders. He joins Eddy Merckx and Louison Bobet in the record books.

Pogačar and his rivals knew that the Oude Kwaremont was vital to his victory.

“I knew I had to go solo on the last time up the Kwaremont. I just gave it all. I almost cracked on the Paterberg but I knew it was going to be tough. It was the only way to go to the finish,” he said.

“The Kwaremont suits me the most, we hit it with speed and we suffer on the cobbles. Then it’s pure power to the top and it’s long. It favours me.”

How it unfolded

The last time the Tour of Flanders set out from Bruges in 2016, the grandest reception was reserved for the ‘Old Firm’ of Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara. This time out, the most raucous cheers on the Grote Markt were for the Big Three of Wout van Aert, Tadej Pogačar and defending champion Mathieu van der Poel. 

The names change, but the sense of occasion never does. The Ronde is eternal.

The speed of the race was incessant too once the peloton was flagged away from a chilly and overcast Bruges, with some 50km covered in the first hour. 

The initial flurry of attacks failed to generate a morning break, but they did contribute to a split in the peloton after 30km or so, with Van der Poel surprisingly among those caught out and left trailing at half a minute.

The Dutchman had his Alpecin-Deceuninck guard for company, and they eventually stitched the race back together, but only after a spirited chase and a significant effort. Several teams, Soudal-QuickStep among them, kept the pace high at the front to ensure they expended as much energy as possible in that pursuit.

The early drama didn’t stop there. Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ), third a year ago, was forced to abandon due to illness, while a crash in the peloton forced another split, with Pogačar now forced to chase back on. All the while, the speed scarcely relented, with the peloton averaging 49.3 kph after the first two hours.

A break finally forged after the early cobbles at Huisepontweg and 109km of fast racing. 

Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bingoal WB), Daan Hoole (Trek-Segafredo), Jasper De Buyst (Lotto-Dstny), Filippo Colombo (Q36.5) Elmar Reinders (Jayco-AlUla), Jonas Rutsch (EF Education-EasyPost) and Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) were the escapees, and they would have a lead of four minutes by the time they reached Oudenaarde for the first time with 160km to go.

Tension is never far at the Ronde, however, and before the first ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, the peloton was hit by a mass crash, caused when Filip Maciejuk (Bahrain Victorious) attempted to move up on the outside only to skid on a patch of wet grass and veer dramatically into the bunch.

The Pole somehow stayed upright, but the manoeuvre saw upwards of 30 riders crash, among the Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep), Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies), Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), Ben Turner (Ineos Grenadiers) and Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates).  Shortly afterwards, the commissaires announced the disqualification of Maciejuk, but it was scant consolation for Turner, Sagan and Wellens, who were forced to abandon the race.

Van Aert was also brought down in the incident, but the Belgian was immediately back on his bike. He had a bloody left knee but apparently without any lasting injury. Alaphilippe was walking gingerly and took a little longer to get going again, but he was brought back up to the bunch after the Kwaremont. Amid confusion, meanwhile, the break’s lead extended still further, reaching 5:10 on the Kortekeer with 125km to go.

The breathless opening phase of the race took a bizarre turn on that climb, where Team DSM massed at the head of the bunch, deliberately slowed to a near standstill and then attempted a collective acceleration. The effort did nothing to knock the Big Three off their stride, but the ensuing split did condemn Van der Poel and Alaphilippe to another stint of chasing. It was that kind of day.

The tension would never dissipate, nor would the pace. 

On the cobbles at Holleweg, another crash saw Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) and Tim van Dijke (Jumbo-Visma) come off. 

On the following Wolvenberg, with 114km still to race, Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) went on the attack in a bid to outflank the Big Three, drawing an interesting group with him. The move was swiftly snuffed out, but the intent was clear.

A new phase of the race began on the cusp of the last 100km on the Molenberg, where Kasper Asgreen (Soudal-QuickStep), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Jonathan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers), Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates), Fred Wright (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Nathan Van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma) and Florian Vermeersch (Lotto-Dstny) went clear, with Benoit Cosnefroy (AG2R Citroën) and Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) later joining them.

The strongmen in the group struck up a solid working alliance, with Küng to the fore, and they quickly began to zoom across to the break and build a sizeable advantage on the peloton over the Berendries and Valkenberg. By the time Küng et al caught the break on Berg Ten Houte with 77kmkm to go, they had two minutes in hand over a peloton living an uneasy truce ahead of the grand finale.

With Pogačar and Van Aert both represented out in front, the onus was initially on Van der Poel to marshal a chase, even though he had already lost a sizeable part of his teammates following their tough start. Silvan Diller was dispatched to set the tempo, but the front group’s advantage stood firm.

Jumbo-Visma briefly cranked into action, accelerating fiercely with 70km to go. The scramble for their wheels, inevitably, led to yet another crash, with Matej Mohorič clipping Biniam Girmay’s rear wheel. The ensuing pile-up saw both men forced out of the race, together with Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X).

The pace in the bunch abated once more soon afterwards, while the expanded front group continued to pile on the pressure. With 65km to go, they had 3:11 in hand on the peloton, an alarmingly big lead to hand to dangermen like Powless and Küng, not to mention a past winner like Asgreen.

Enter Pogačar

The complexion of this race changed all over again on the second ascent of the Kwaremont with 55km to go. 

UAE signalled their intent by setting a frenzied pace into the base of the climb, then Pogacar delivered his first blow of the afternoon with a searing acceleration that none of the contenders could even contemplate following.

Atop the climb, Pogačar had reduced the break’s lead to 1:40, while Van Aert and Van der Poel had formed a chasing group with Tom Pidcock (Ineos) and Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) in a desperate bid to limit the damage. They were still chasing over the Paterberg, where they trailed Pogačar by 15 seconds.

Pogačar eventually waited for the flat run towards the Koppenberg, but he would soon kick again on the steepest climb of the race. This time, only Van Aert and Van der Poel were able to follow his tempo. 

Finally, the Big Three were alone together, locked in a race-defining contest – even if the dangermen in front still had over a minute in hand.

Come the top of the Taaienberg with 37km to race, Pogačar, Van Aert and Van der Poel were within 40 seconds of the nine survivors in front – Asgreen, Van Hooydonck, Küng, Powless, Cosnefroy, Narvaez, Trentin, Vermeersch and Pedersen. 

The final haul over the Kwaremont and Paterberg, as ever and perhaps as scripted in cycling history, would prove decisive.

Yet the race took a turn on the rough cobbled Kruisberg. Van der Poel surged hard and suddenly Van Aert was struggling. Pogacar added a twist to the knife and  Van Aert was cast to the wind. 

Wisely, Pedersen had decided to anticipate the attacks yet again and went clear alone to fight off the Pogacar-Van der Poel steamroller coming up fast.  The catch came just before the Oude Kwaremont.

As the cobbled climb began, Pogačar surged again, leaving everyone behind. He quickly caught and dropped Pedersen and set off on a solo ride to victory. 

Van der Poel could see Pogacar on the flat road to the finish and couldn't close the gap.  But he had the speed to hold off the tired chasers. 

Pogačar had time to celebrate his historic and thrilling Tour of Flanders win, holding his head and then opening his arms in a moment of Classics consecration.   

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Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation , published by Gill Books.

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COMMENTS

  1. Tour of Flanders

    The Tour of Flanders (Dutch: Ronde van Vlaanderen), also known as De Ronde ("The Tour"), is an annual road cycling race held in Belgium every spring. The most important cycling race in Flanders, it is part of the UCI World Tour and organized by Flanders Classics.Its nickname is Vlaanderens Mooiste (Dutch for "Flanders' Finest"). First held in 1913, the Tour of Flanders had its 100th edition in ...

  2. 2023 Tour of Flanders

    The 107th edition of the Tour of Flanders one-day cycling classic took place on 2 April 2023, as the 14th event of the 2023 UCI World Tour. The race began in Bruges and covered 273.4 kilometres (169.9 mi) on the way to the finish in Oudenaarde. [1] It was the second Monument of the 2023 cycling season. The race was won by Tadej Pogačar of UAE ...

  3. 2021 Tour of Flanders

    The 105th edition of the Tour of Flanders one-day cycling classic took place on 4 April 2021, as the 12th event of the 2021 UCI World Tour. The race began in Antwerp and covered 254.3 kilometres (158.0 mi) on the way to the finish in Oudenaarde. [1]

  4. Tour of Flanders

    Tour of Flanders route. In 2024, the 108th Tour of Flanders returns to Antwerp which hosts the Tour alternately with Bruges. This year, the 279.8km course underwent several changes for safety ...

  5. Tour of Flanders

    The Tour of Flanders , also known as De Ronde , is an annual road cycling race held in Belgium every spring. The most important cycling race in Flanders, it is part of the UCI World Tour and organized by Flanders Classics. Its nickname is Vlaanderens Mooiste . First held in 1913, the Tour of Flanders had its 100th edition in 2016.

  6. Tour of Flanders 2022

    Tour of Flanders - how it unfolded. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) won a thrilling Tour of Flanders in the closing metres as a two-rider battle turned into a four-rider sprint in Oudenaarde ...

  7. 2022 Tour of Flanders

    2022 Tour of Flanders men's route. Cobbled streets, narrow roads, and sharp climbs makes the Tour of Flanders one of the most exciting races of the year. Riders will start from the Grote Markt in Antwerp before moving through various towns in the East Flanders region in Northern Belgium, including Sint-Niklas, Erpe-Mere and Zottegem.

  8. Race history for the Tour of Flanders/Ronde van Vlaanderen

    Tour of Flanders winners 1913-2020. Race Home. Race history. Preview. Route. Start list; Mathieu van der Poel beats Wout van Aert in the October edition of the Tour of Flanders after the race was ...

  9. 2020 Tour of Flanders

    The 104th edition of the Tour of Flanders one-day cycling classic was held on 18 October 2020, as the 20th event of the 2020 UCI World Tour.The race started in Antwerp and finished in Oudenaarde, Belgium, covering a distance of 241 km. Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands won the race, just ahead of Belgian Wout van Aert.. The race was originally scheduled on 5 April 2020, serving as the ...

  10. 2023 Tour of Flanders

    Tadej Pogačar and Lotte Kopecky captured the wins at another thrilling edition of the Tour of Flanders. By Molly Hurford Published: Apr 02, 2023 9:53 AM EST. Save Article. Tim de Waele // Getty ...

  11. 2022 Tour of Flanders route

    Image 1 of 1. The route of the 2022 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Flanders Classics) The route for the 106th edition of the Tour of Flanders follows the format that's now been entrenched since ...

  12. 2022 Tour of Flanders

    The 106th edition of the Tour of Flanders one-day cycling classic took place on 3 April 2022, as the 12th event of the 2022 UCI World Tour.The race began in Antwerp and covered 272.5 kilometres (169.3 mi) on the way to the finish in Oudenaarde.. Teams. Seventeen of the eighteen UCI WorldTeams and seven UCI ProTeams participated in the race, of which only Team DSM, with six riders, did not ...

  13. Tour of Flanders 2023: The Route

    Tour of Flanders 2023: The Route. Slideshow 1/21. Sunday 2 April - The High Mass of Flemish cycling is played out in front of roaring crowds. The route adds up to 273.4 kilometres and takes in 19 - often cobbled - 'hellingen'. The brutal Oude Kwaremont/Paterberg combo precedes a flat 11 kilometres long run-in to the line in Oudenaarde.

  14. Tour of Flanders news and race results

    Lotte Kopecky successfully defends Tour of Flanders title as SD Worx claim 1-2. With number one on her back, the Belgian won her third Classics race this spring with a powerful show of strength ...

  15. Tour of Flanders 2023 route

    Start list. Tour of Flanders 2023 route map (Image credit: Ronde van Vlaaderen) The 273.4km Tour of Flanders route over the cobbles and hills of Flanders towards Oudenaarde has few alterations ...

  16. 2007 Tour of Flanders

    The 2007 Tour of Flanders cycle race was the 91st edition of this monumental classic and took place on April 8.. The day's break formed at kilometer 29 and included José Vicente García (Caisse d'Epargne), Laurent Mangel (AG2R), Enrico Franzoi (Lampre), Maarten Tjallingii (Skil-Shimano), Aleksandr Kuschynski (Liquigas), Evert Verbist (Chocolade Jacques) and David Boucher (Landbouwkrediet).

  17. Tour of Flanders

    Saturday March 30th, it's up to you! Register now and give it your all on the iconic Flemish climbs that will be shaken to its foundations one day later. More info. The Tour of Flanders, also known as Flanders' Finest, is the cycling highlight of the Flemish spring. On Sunday 31 March, Flanders will be the epicentre of cycling....

  18. Tour of Flanders: Tadej Pogacar wins alone after stunning Kwaremont

    The high-speed racing meant the 2023 Tour of Flanders set a new record average speed of 44.083 km/h. Van der Poel chased with all his heart and hung on to finish 17 seconds down on Pogačar.

  19. 2006 Tour of Flanders

    The 2006 Tour of Flanders was the 90th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic, taking place on 2 April 2006.World champion and last year's winner Tom Boonen was the favourite before the start and he won the second time in a row. He won the sprint from Leif Hoste, after both escaped 33 km before the finish.. World champion Tom Boonen would win his second Tour of Flanders in row

  20. 2008 Tour of Flanders

    The 2008 Tour of Flanders cycle race was the 92nd edition of this monumental classic and took place on April 6. The course was 264 km long and went from Bruges to Meerbeke.. Pre-race favorites included Fabian Cancellara (winner of Milan-San Remo and Tirreno-Adriatico), Alessandro Ballan (defending champion), Tom Boonen (winner in 2005 and 2006) and Leif Hoste (second-place position in 2004 ...

  21. 2004 Tour of Flanders

    The 88th Tour of Flanders bicycle race in Belgium was held on 4 April 2004. It was the second leg of the UCI Road World Cup . German Steffen Wesemann won the monument classic ahead of Belgians Leif Hoste and Dave Bruylandts .

  22. 1998 Tour of Flanders

    The 82nd running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on Sunday 5 April 1998. Belgian Johan Museeuw won his third victory in the monument classic . [1] [2] The race started in Bruges for the first time and finished in Meerbeke ( Ninove ).