Pogacar dominates on Oude Kwaremont and wins the Tour of Flanders, van der Poel finishes third after crash

Tadej Pogacar won the Tour of Flanders! The Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates - XRG was the strongest after a great race in which the final was decided early. On the last passage of the Oude Kwaremont, he broke away from his previous competitors. He arrived solo in Oudenaarde: behind him, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) finished second, ahead of Mathieu van der Poel, who came third after a crash early in the race.

The day of the highlight of the Flemish spring had arrived: the Tour of Flanders! Over almost 270 kilometers, the riders had to tackle the cobbled hills with iconic and resounding names such as the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg. The field of participants - a real treat - was led by top favorites Mathieu van der Poel, world champion Tadej Pogacar, Mads Pedersen, and Wout van Aert. All four could be expected to provide fans with a beautiful and thrilling finale.

Although the riders set off from Bruges under a clear blue sky, there was a strong wind from the east. This was disadvantageous in the opening phase, which meant it took a long time for a leading group to form. After many attempts, Elmar Reinders (Jayco-AlUla), Alessandro Romele (XDS-Astana), Connor Swift (INEOS Grenadiers), Sean Flynn and Timo Roosen (Picnic PostNL), Rory Townsend (Q36.5), Marco Haller (Tudor) and Victor Vercouillie (Flanders-Baloise) finally managed to break away from the peloton.

Max Walker (EF Education-EasyPost) and Jens Reynders (Wagner Bazin WB) failed to stay with the group and desperately attempted to catch up. However, the two could not count on the mercy of the men in front and remained stuck behind, one and a half minutes behind the leading group. In the peloton, Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto) crashed. The Belgian - making his debut in the Tour of Flanders - suffered no serious damage and quickly returned to the peloton.

Read more below the video!

Van der Poel crashes but manages to return

The teams of top favorites Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) took responsibility for controlling the leading group. They gave the eight leaders a maximum of four minutes. Meanwhile, Walker and Reynders were steadily losing ground on the leaders. They were caught by the peloton with 159 kilometers to finish.

The peloton's nervousness increased as they approached the first cobblestones and hills. The race was about to get serious. The battle for position just before the Oude Kwaremont led to a crash involving Matteo Trentin (Tudor) and Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates XRG), among others. The slope remained quiet except for the enthusiastic audience.

The first passage of the Oude Kwaremont did not bring much, but there was a nervous peloton. The run-up to the following slopes resulted in two serious crashes. Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto) and Jhonatan Nárvaez (UAE Team Emirates XRG) were the victims of the first crash. At the next crash, none other than Mathieu van der Poel was involved. Although the Dutch rider was virtually unscathed, he and his teammates had to make a great effort to get back into the peloton.

Read more below the video.

Ganna, Benoot and co break away

Partly due to the chaos, the race had begun. Davide Ballerini (XDS Astana) broke away on top of the Molenberg. The Italian was joined by three strong riders, including one from Visma | Lease a Bike: Tiesj Benoot. The other two were Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) and Vito Braet (Intermarché-Wanty). Behind them, Filippo Ganna launched a counterattack.

The Italian from INEOS Grenadiers was supported by Daan Hoole (Lidl-Trek), Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck), and Matteo Trentin (Tudor). Ganna's group joined forces with Benoot's, and the newly formed group quickly caught up with the rest of the early breakaway riders. It was all hands on deck in the peloton for Pogacar and company, who had already seen Narváez and Tim Wellens drop back.

Read more below the video!

Everything explodes on the Oude Kwaremont

The fourteen men at the front rode steadily on, and there was a moment of calm in the race. But it was all calm before the storm because slowly but surely, the first passage of the Oude Kwaremont came into view. And as expected, Pogacar accelerated. He rocketed up the hill like an express train: Van Aert and Matteo Jorgenson followed immediately, and Pedersen and Van der Poel also caught up later. It was a wonderful group that was better than the rest of the pack.

But no one wanted to continue, causing the other favorites to return to the foot of the Paterberg. Then, it was Van der Poel's turn. That was an even more significant acceleration because only the world champion was with them. The tough Pedersen managed to return in the end, and the Visma duo, with Jasper Stuyven joining them, was also able to catch up again. With two duos now riding in the favorites group, Arjen Livyns, Yevgeniy Fedorov, and Neilson Powless still managed to catch up.

The Koppenberg was approaching fast by now. Last year, Van der Poel pulled away on the Koppenberg, but this time, Pogacar accelerated. Van der Poel followed, as did Pedersen. Once again, the Visma men had a hard time, and Pedersen also lost ground among the leaders. The two favorites continued and quickly caught up to the leading group: Benoot, Ballerini, and Küng. Ganna and Trentin also caught up to the two top riders, bringing the leading group to seven. But then the group came back together: the race was like a yo-yo.

Read more below the video!

'Big three' live up to favorites status

There was a less demanding stretch after the grueling trilogy of the Kwaremont, Paterberg, and Koppenberg. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but on the Steenbeekdries and Taaienberg, it was evident again who was the best in the race. Pogacar pulled away again on the latter climb, and Van der Poel and Pedersen could keep up. Van Aert and co were once again a gap ahead, but unlike the previous times, it seemed to be lasting this time. The big three raced at full speed to the Oude Kruisberg, where the leader of UAE Team Emirates accelerated from foot to summit. That was too much for Pedersen, who had already returned several times.

This time, however, he did not. Van Aert and Stuyven caught up to the Dane, making it two against three. And once again, the group merged. Five men at the front: two from Lidl-Trek and three loners. They rode to the Oude Kwaremont like that. Van Aert anticipated the chaos to come and attack before the foot of the climb. However, he was caught on the first cobblestones by an unleashed Pogacar. Van der Poel followed for a while, but the Dutch rider had to let him go. The world champion shot away, and Van der Poel could not keep up. The others caught up with him again, and it became a chase after the solo rider.

Read more below the video!

Pogacar alone on the Paterberg, Van der Poel and co. chase

Pogacar continued at full speed after the Oude Kwaremont and continued alone to the Paterberg. The four chasers refused to work together, allowing the lone leader to extend his lead. With a 30-second lead, he began the final climb. The gap did not get any smaller, so the Slovenian began the final ten kilometers with a nice lead. Pogacar versus the rest: the fast riders behind him were certainly not out of the running.

However, it was clear that the chasers had lost their momentum. On the flat roads to the finish line, the wind blew uncomfortably in his face, but the front runner was stronger. His competitors did not come any closer; he extended his lead. This is how Pogacar achieved his second victory in the Tour of Flanders, just as he did two years ago. Behind the unbeatable Slovenian, Pedersen sprinted to second place ahead of Van der Poel. Van Aert just missed out on the podium.

Results Tour of Flanders 2025 - elite men

Read also

Van der Poel involved in major crash at Tour of Flanders, UAE team severely affected

"We're not going to do the conga line just because Wout finishes in the top 10"; what does Visma | Lease a Bike need to do to win the Tour of Flanders?

Adrie van der Poel on Mathieu's physical and mental strength: "At that point, there wasn’t much I could do anymore"

Van der Poel’s fourth victory is just a matter of time, say Boonen, Museeuw and Cancellara: “Until Sunday, I’m still the record holder”

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get every week the latest news about CYCLING in your inbox!

Subscribe