Boonen, Cancellara, van der Poel and... Pogacar - World Champion becomes record holder at the Tour of Flanders, but can make history in 2027

Tadej Pogacar’s triumph at the Tour of Flanders 2026 is no ordinary victory. It’s a statement in cycling history. With his third success in 'De Ronde', the Slovenian joins seven other current record holders in the race.

Matching these names is not just about reaching a number. It’s entering into a dialogue with history. In the darkest years of the 20th century, as Europe lived under the shadow of war, Achiel Buysse emerged. His victories in 1940, 1941 and 1943 speak not only of talent but of resilience in near-inhuman conditions. Buysse embodies a raw, uncompromising cycling, where simply surviving the race was already a feat.

Soon after, Italy’s Fiorenzo Magni took that epic to another level. He won three consecutive editions between 1949 and 1951, a streak nobody has matched. Nicknamed the “Lion of Flanders,” his figure is wrapped in legend: a rider able to race through injury, to suffer more than anyone to win more than anyone.

The sport evolved, and with it came more defined specialists. In the 1970s, Eric Leman embodied that transition. His three wins (1970, 1972 and 1973) showcased a rider capable of mastering the cobbles with intelligence and consistency, at a time when the Classics increasingly demanded specific skill sets.

In the 90s, Flanders once again had a clear master: Johan Museeuw. An absolute idol in Belgium, he turned the bergs and pavé into his natural habitat. His victories in 1993, 1995 and 1998 are part of a broader hegemony in the Classics, where his name is directly associated with the word “domination.”

With the turn of the century, cycling entered an era of power and spectacle. Tom Boonen took that transformation to the limit. Charismatic, explosive and beloved by fans, he won in 2005, 2006 and 2012 by imposing his brute force and finishing speed. He was the natural heir to the Flemish tradition.

Alongside him, though with an opposing style, Fabian Cancellara was hitting the headlines. The Swiss didn’t wait for the sprint. He attacked from distance and blew races apart solo. His victories in 2010, 2013 and 2014 redefined how one could win in Flanders, blending power, strategy, and an extraordinary capacity to time trial alone.

The current generation has in Mathieu van der Poel one of its leading exponents. His victories in 2020, 2022 and 2024 reflect a modern, explosive, and technical cycling, where the ability to decide in seconds makes the difference. His recent duels are already part of the sport’s collective memory.

The extraordinary part of his feat is not just the number, but the route taken. Unlike almost all the names he now shares company with, the Slovenian is not a pure Classics specialist, but instead a rider who grew up on the Grand Tours and stage-races. By the time he won his first Flanders, he had already won two Tours. Currently, he has four in his palmarès as well as a Giro d'Italia title.

His third Tour of Flanders win is not a full stop but a signal. It marks a rider who is breaking traditional categories. Where once there were climbers, classics men, or time triallists, now stands a complete rider.

Pogacar is already on the list. The difference is that his story, unlike that of many he now equals - with the exception of Mathieu van der Poel - is still being written. In 2027, both can be the first rider to take a fourth victory on the queen of the Flandrien classics.