Pogacar pulverized records on his way to a second Tour of Flanders victory, but van Aert is the big moral winner

Pogacar's adventure began at about 55 kilometers from the finish. On the second passage of the Oude Kwaremont, the world champion blasted off, and only Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson, and Mads Pedersen could stay on his wheel until the top. It was impressive to watch, and the statistics confirm just how impressive it was: Pogacar set a new record on the cobblestone section of the climb. He completed it in 2:49 minutes! By comparison, Van der Poel took 2:14 minutes during his 2022 victory.

Officially, Pogacar now shares the record with the four men who could stick to his wheel, but their performances should also be mentioned. Especially that of Van Aert. The Belgian from Visma | Lease a Bike has been scrutinized in recent months, especially after his dramatic second place in Dwars door Vlaanderen. But he could not keep up with the best Tadej Pogacar on the Oude Kwaremont. The 30-year-old Flemish cyclist eagerly awaits Paris-Roubaix, a race that suits him better than the Tour.

On the Koppenberg, he went full throttle again, which also resulted in a new record. With 1.38 minutes, he set a new record: ten seconds faster than van Aert. But those were not the only records: he also set a new Strava KOM on the Oude Kruisberg. In the last passage of the Oude Kwaremont, he left his opponents behind, although he was almost 20 seconds slower than in the previous passage. Not surprising, given the course of the final: the world champion rode at full speed on almost every hill.

What was perhaps most impressive was his average speed: 45 kilometers per hour over 268 kilometers, good for a ride of almost 6 hours. It will come as no surprise that it was the fastest Tour of Flanders ever. The last 38 kilometers were covered at an average of 44.2 kilometers per hour, including the Hotond, Oude Kwaremont, and Paterberg. Kasper Asgreen had the best time there when he went on an adventure with Van der Poel in 2021. But Pogacar completed the ordeal 40 seconds faster and, most importantly, on his own.