That's two from two in 2026 for Tadej Pogačar – or three from three if you include unofficial sixth Monument Strade Bianche – as he wins his third Tour of Flanders on just his third race day of the season.
The world champion successfully defended his 2025 title with a confident and assured ride, along with luxury domestique Florian Vermeersch who was instrumental in forcing the elite selection on the Molenberg more than 100 km from the finish. All the pre-race favourites also made it, including debutant Remco Evenepoel, who also looked comfortable in the group, and reacted well when Pogačar made his first serious move on the second time up the Oude Kwaremont, leaving only three in the lead.
However, the newcomer to the cobbled Monument had his inexperience exposed on the Paterberg when Evenepoel essentially dropped himself after an early acceleration, leaving Pogačar and Van der Poel alone to fight over glory. The leading duo stayed together for about 35 km until the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, where Van der Poel let go near the foot of the infamous cobbled climb.
There was little more Van der Poel could do in the end – except perhaps to not have ridden at all with Pogačar. But the three-time winner limited his losses on the climbs rather than try to react to his rival's blistering accelerations, conceding that second was the best he could do in the face of the world champion's domination.
Evenepoel held onto the podium in his first Tour of Flanders, with Wout van Aert finishing fourth, and Mads Pedersen coming home fifth.
[race_result id=5 stage_id=0 count=10 gc=0 year=2026]
How it happened
- The day began with nerves and a few crashes, until a breakaway formed after about 50 km of racing into a headwind. The 13-rider move comprised Silvan Diller (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Kamil Gradek (Bahrain Victorious), Luke Lamperti (EF Education-EasyPost), Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers), Luca van Boven (Intermarché-Wanty), Dries De Pooter (Jayco-AlUla), Julius van den Berg (Picnic-PostNL), Edoardo Zamperini (Cofidis), Frederik Frison (Pinarello-Q36.5), Eric Antonio Fagúndez (Burgos-Burpellet BH), Jambaljamts Sainbayar (Burgos-Burpellet BH), Victor Vercouillie (Flanders Baloise), Harttijs De Vries (Unibet Rose Rockets).
- Almost 30 km later, the peloton was briefly split by a level crossing and UAE’s Mikkel Bjerg appeared reluctant at first to drop the pace when directed to do so by a commissaire, but as the rules stipulate, the first part of the peloton had to let the second – which included Mathieu van der Poel – rejoin the pack.
- The break was, though, allowed to extend its advantage from about three minutes to close to six. But strong though they were, their days were numbered.
- For the first few climbs, the action in the peloton was reserved for the run-up as teams sought to position leaders up near the front. The first time up the Oude Kwaremont – of three – then the Eikenberg were taken at a leisurely pace in the bunch.
- However, it was all change on the Wolvenberg, where Johan Jacobs pre-empted any attacks from the favourites with an acceleration that birthed 10 jittery kilometres.
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