1 month ago
Tadej Pogacar won a record-equalling 3rd Tour of Flanders connected Sunday aft nan world champion dropped his main rival Mathieu van der Poel pinch 18km to ride.
Van der Poel was himself aiming for a grounds 4th triumph successful nan 2nd Monument of nan season, but alternatively Pogacar made it 2 from 2 successful nan prestigious one-day classics having won Milan-San Remo past month.
Pogacar now has 12 Monument victories, putting nan 27-year-old rider clear successful 2nd successful nan all-time database down only Eddy Merckx pinch 19.
The double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel held connected for 3rd up of chap Belgian Wout van Aert aft 278km and much than six hours riding astir Flanders, pinch its punchy climbs and galore cobbled sections.
In what was billed arsenic a conflict betwixt 4 of nan biggest stars successful cycling, Pogacar erstwhile again proved he is simply a trim supra nan others, though Van der Poel – 1 of nan top cobbled classics specialists of each clip – pushed him each nan way.
Pogacar had dropped each his rivals barroom Van der Poel and Evenepoel pinch an acceleration connected nan 2nd of 3 ascents up nan Oude Kwaremont climb pinch 57km to race.
Evenepoel was dropped connected nan very adjacent climb, nan Paterberg, and though he kept wrong a fistful of seconds astatine first, he would gradually drift backwards, finishing much than a infinitesimal aft Pogacar.
Pogacar and Van der Poel rode together for nan amended portion of 40km earlier nan Slovenian put successful his race-winning move connected nan last thrust up nan Oude Kwaremont. He crested that pinch a six-second advantage, but Van der Poel’s guidance was surgery and he would only suffer much clip earlier nan finish.
