LIVE Tour of Flanders 2025 | The countdown to the start of Flanders' Finest has begun!

It’s finally time for Flanders’ Finest! On Sunday, cycling fans can enjoy the Tour of Flanders, where the favorites will go head-to-head on the legendary cobbled climbs. Mathieu van der Poel is hoping to defend his title, but he’ll need to take on the relentless Tadej Pogacar. And with plenty of outsiders looking to seize their chance, anything can happen. After the men’s race, fans are in for a real treat with the women’s edition — featuring nearly the entire world elite. You can follow it all and more right here in this live blog!

Last year, after Wout van Aert crashed out during Dwars door Vlaanderen, Van der Poel stood alone as the top favorite for the Tour of Flanders. And he absolutely lived up to that status: a blistering attack on the slippery Koppenberg — where he was one of the few who could keep riding — was enough to drop his rivals. It marked his third victory in the race, making him a joint record holder in the High Mass of cycling.

This year, Van Aert emerged unscathed — at least physically — from Dwars door Vlaanderen. But the biggest threat comes from Tadej Pogacar. The world champion has been on a tear all season, and after missing out on victory in Milan-San Remo, we're guessing he’s more than eager to take revenge on his Dutch rival. He wants to repeat his 2023 performance, but he’s not the only contender. Mads Pedersen, Filippo Ganna, Matteo Jorgenson, Stefan Küng, Biniam Girmay, and Neilson Powless are just a few of the names hoping to pull off a surprise amid a field full of elite riders.

The battle will unfold on the iconic climbs leading toward Oudenaarde. The real action kicks off after about 120 kilometers, and in the final 150 kilometers, the riders will tackle the Eikenberg, Berg Ten Houte, Taaienberg, Paterberg, Koppenberg, and of course the Oude Kwaremont. That last climb appears three times on the course and is considered the key decider in the race. After the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont — and one last trip over the Paterberg — it’s anyone’s guess who will cross the finish line first.

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No Vollering, but plenty of firepower in the women’s race

Sadly, we won’t see a classic showdown between SD Worx-Protime and Demi Vollering in the women’s race. The FDJ-SUEZ team leader has opted not to start in Oudenaarde, instead choosing to focus on the Ardennes races. That puts the spotlight squarely on Lotte Kopecky, the 2022 and 2023 winner. But last year, she was outperformed by the powerhouse Elisa Longo Borghini, who also won Dwars door Vlaanderen this week — cementing her place as the top favorite on Sunday. Kopecky wasn’t at her best there, so Sunday promises a thrilling battle.

The world champion won’t be going it alone in her bid for a third title. Anna van der Breggen will support her as co-leader, and Lorena Wiebes — already a seven-time winner this season — will also be lining up. But the competition is fierce. Alongside the Italian champion, big names like Puck Pieterse, Kasia Niewiadoma, Chloé Dygert, Marlen Reusser, Marianne Vos, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, and Lucinda Brand are all expected at the start. It’s shaping up to be an exciting and wide-open race!

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Read also

Pogacar understands Vollering's reaction and supports van Aert: "It's the cancer of our current society"

Tadej Pogacar analyzes Mathieu van der Poel, but says: "If I can choose between staying home with Urska or racing against Mathieu, I would rather stay home"

Pidcock and Q36.5 receive another wildcard on top of their Giro spot, last year's stunt team 'extremely disappointed' by Vuelta selection

EF sports director after Powless beat van Aert: "They know Neilson well at Visma, they are familiar with all his data"

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