How can Van der Poel and Van Aert beat Pogacar in the Tour of Flanders? "Attacking before Pogacar is impossible"

Will eternal rivals Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel join forces to defeat Tadej Pogacar? That’s the question Eurosport analysts are debating in their Kop over Kop podcast: how else can the Slovenian world champion be beaten? According to Michel Wuyts, the ultra-aggressive Pogacar will have to hit a wall at some point.

This weekend marks the real start of the cycling season, with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. Naturally, it was the perfect moment for Eurosport's analysts to take a deep dive into the upcoming spring classics. It didn’t take long before the conversation shifted to the biggest names in cycling.

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Pogacar won the last battle between the big three in the Tour of Flanders

Van Aert and Van der Poel could work together, but that won't happen anytime soon

All three riders will compete in multiple spring classics. Pogacar is opting for a more Flemish-oriented schedule in 2025, including E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem, and the Tour of Flanders. As of now, the Big Three are only set to face off together in Flanders, just as they did in 2023. That race delivered a spectacular showdown, where Van Aert was the first to drop, and Pogacar emerged as the strongest.

According to Sander Valentijn, the podcast host, Pogacar is the one to watch. He is the biggest monkey on the monkey rock. "Can I just say that Pogacar is simply at an advantage nowadays in a race like the Tour of Flanders?" Valentijn begins. "And is it up to the other two to join forces and work together?"

Bobbie Traksel agrees with the first part but not the second. "First, they have to be able to stay with him—that’s the main thing. After that, maybe they could help each other out a bit, but I don’t see it happening between Van der Poel and Van Aert anytime soon."

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Van der Poel was quick to attack last year

Attacking before Pogacar is impossible 

Jeroen Vanbelleghem also doubts that Van der Poel and Van Aert will be able to work together effectively. "It’s very difficult to do that. Plus, UAE rides with a single clear leader, and the rest of the team is incredibly strong. They’re all fine with that because they know Pogacar wins more than half the races he enters."

"So they do everything to support their leader if other riders try to attack early," Vanbelleghem continues. "If someone attacks early, UAE will bring them back. Then Pogacar will make his move exactly when he needs to. I think trying to attack before Pogacar is nearly impossible. The key for Van der Poel and Van Aert is to follow him. Then hopefully we can get an epic man-to-man battle."

Last year, the excitement in the Tour of Flanders didn’t last long, as Mathieu van der Poel made his winning move early. That scenario seems less likely in 2025, with Pogacar and Van Aert also on the start list. "Flanders and Roubaix weren’t exciting last year. He was already gone with an hour and a half to go. That’s why it’s great that Pogacar is racing—he won’t let Van der Poel ride away solo on the Koppenberg," says Jeroen Vanbelleghem. However, he is less certain about whether Van der Poel or Van Aert could drop Pogacar in the same way. Bobbie Traksel also believes Pogi is the clear favorite, awarding him the most stars in the rankings. According to the Eurosport analysts, the Slovenian world champion is the man to beat.

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A moment of overconfidence is coming

This analysis is also shared by Michel Wuyts in the HLN podcast ‘Wuyts & Vlaeminck’. "He stands head and shoulders above the rest," Wuyts says about Pogacar. "I don’t think he’s just checking off races; he’s just ultra-hungry and wants to win everything. But at some point, there will be a moment of overconfidence—when he finally hits the wall."

And will he actually race Paris-Roubaix? "I find it hard to believe that someone would recon those cobbles just for fun. I’m convinced he’s still considering it. I think he’ll make his final decision before the Tour of Flanders. If he does race Roubaix, he’ll likely cut back on the rest of his schedule and skip Flèche Wallonne," predicts the Belgian analyst.

Read also

Pogacar is unfazed by UAE Teammates’ attack on Vingegaard: "I get the questions"

Thomas criticizes Red Bull, Roglic and basically half the cycling world: "Is this how it's going to be from now on?"

"Tadej just had his breakfast," says Alaphilippe, who shares his opinion as the Pogacar of his time: "It makes me sad"

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