2025 Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen) - Men

Tadej Pogacar And Mathieu Van Der Poel Set For Tour Of Flanders Showdown

Tadej Pogacar And Mathieu Van Der Poel Set For Tour Of Flanders Showdown

Pogacar and Van der Poel face off in Sunday’s Tour of Flanders, a 270km cobbled battle with history, grit, and Monument glory on the line.

Apr 5, 2025 by AFP Report
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Come rain or shine, 750,000 fans are expected to line the roadside on Sunday for cycling’s most revered one-day race—the Tour of Flanders—as Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel prepare to battle for Monument glory.

The wiry all-rounder Pogacar won the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and world championship in 2024, while Van der Poel, 10 kilos heavier than the Slovenian, is the most dominant one-day racer with multiple titles in mountain bike and cyclocross.

Pogacar Seeks Redemption, Van Der Poel Eyes History

Pogacar has also confirmed his start in next Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix, which features 54km of cobbles and no climbs. Van der Poel won both Flanders and Roubaix last year and has seven Monument wins—same as Pogacar.

If you’re in the U.S. or Canada, sign up to watch the Tour of Flanders live on FloBikes. It’s one of the best races of the year. And if you’ve never seen it before, you’re in for a treat.

The last time they clashed, Van der Poel came out on top at Milano-Sanremo in March.

"Mathieu is one of the best sprinters in the peloton," said Pogacar. "Flanders is a very different race. But if there’s a sprint, I’ll do my best."

While Pogacar won in 2023, Van der Poel is one of only seven riders to have won Flanders three times—and could become the first to win a fourth.

In this epic 270km struggle through lush Flemish terrain, Van der Poel's power could be an advantage over the long haul and across the 18 cobbled sectors. Pogacar, with his explosive climbing ability, will look to attack on the 17 short, punchy hills.

Belgian Pride, Monument Prestige, And A Festival Atmosphere

Belgian hopes typically rest on Wout van Aert, who has struggled since his Vuelta win last year, but Pogacar isn’t ruling him out.

"Wout seems pretty good to me. He's on the pace. He’ll be in there on Sunday," said Pogacar.

Other in-form riders to watch include Denmark’s Mads Pedersen and Filippo Ganna of Ineos.

First raced in 1913, the Tour of Flanders was created to reflect Flemish grit and resilience. The winner is often a tactically savvy, all-in rider who leaves everything on the road.

Van der Poel has won in 2020, 2022, and 2024 and was twice runner-up. After his Milano-Sanremo win in March, he labeled Pogacar the favorite. "There are many more hills here for him to attack on. It’ll be hard, but then it always is," said the 30-year-old Dutch star.

Flanders Transforms Into A Party As Monument Tradition Continues

After the 114km mark, riders face a cobbled climb every 8km, gradually thinning the pack. The hillsides become party zones packed with beer tents, food stalls, and thousands of roaring fans.

Pogacar said of his 2023 win that he could retire happy after soloing to victory thanks to a flurry of devastating attacks. He skipped the 2024 edition to chase a Giro-Tour double, last achieved by Marco Pantani in 1998.

The Tour of Flanders is one of cycling’s five Monuments—alongside Milano-Sanremo, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the Tour of Lombardy. But many purists rank Flanders the highest for its narrow climbs, fierce crowds, and raw spectacle.

Shuttle buses and extra trains are running across Flanders for what many call the unofficial world championship.