For a few moments – in hindsight, the briefest of moments – it looked like the Tour of Flanders was going to be battle between ‘The Big Four’ of one-day racing: Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert. Then after Van Aert dropped on the penultimate Kwaremont, it looked like three. Then, shortly after, two. Then one. Of course.
Pogačar’s record-equalling third Tour of Flanders was another display of world champion’s superior ability. And again it looked easy, something he denied at the finish: “All races are difficult, in my opinion. When you go to the biggest race of the year, you never can expect it to be easy.”
Fine it might not have been easy peasy, but that’s because Pogačar knows how to use head as much as his legs to stamp his authority at the biggest races.
“Tadej told me that he didn't want to let me come back, so that was unfortunate for me,” Evenepoel told Rouleur at the finish in Oudenaarde. It was always likely that the Belgian’s participation, with his aerodynamic prowess on the flat, would influence how De Ronde played out.
How it happened
Once he was dropped on the penultimate Paterberg, the Olympic champion spent a good part of an hour narrowing his gap to Pogačar and Van der Poel on the flat, only to lose time on the climbs. We didn’t need to hear Evenepoel’s analysis at the finish to know that Pogačar didn’t want him to return to the front. It was clear in the way the world champion was riding with Van der Poel up ahead. That part makes sense, there is no benefit to Pogačar in Evenepoel returning. But what about the benefit to Van der Poel?
Pogačar isn't particularly subtle. He knows how, when and where to race to his strengths in every contest. At Flanders it’s the Kwaremont. Van der Poel said as much at the finish: “It's already the third time now that he does this (2023 and 2025). I was just on the limit on the first part of the Kwaremont. But on the flatter part, I had the feeling that I came closer a little bit, and I hoped to come back, but then he accelerated again on the last part and I completely cracked. So I just struggled to finish.”
Race to your strengths
Van der Poel raced to Pogačar’s strengths, not his own. Why did he pull with the defending champion, knowing the inevitable Pog storm Kwaremont that he would have to weather. If, instead, he had sat on Pogačar’s wheel, he would have recovered as much as possible between the cobbled assaults. It would also have allowed Evenepoel to come back, who would have been an ally to the Dutchman if and when they were both dropped by Pogačar. What better weapon to claw Pogačar back than one of the best time triallists ever? Just ask Mattias Skjelmose at last year’s Amstel Gold Race.
To top it all off, Van der Poel has the best sprint of the three – a sprint that has won him two of his three Flanders titles. It was a strange decision for a rider, who is known for tactical nous. His form is clearly as good as ever.
“I have my best level so far. I did one of my best ever performances again,” Van der Poel said at the finish. “So if there's one guy that's stronger, that's how it is, and I cannot do more than this.”
He won’t have long to wait for the next one. Pogačar might be the king of Flanders, but Van der Poel is on for four consecutive titles at Paris-Roubaix. The Hell of the North is on Sunday.
