Dylan van Baarle reveals Pogacar's apology after Tour des Flandres spat

Talking on the Live Slow Ride Fast podcast, runner-up at the Tour des Flandres Dylan van Baarle has mentioned that after the spat at Tour des Flandres' finale, Tadej Pogacar has apologized to him. In a video recorded after the finale of the race, Pogacar was heard saying the words 'fuck you? as he was visibly upset at the result post-race.

Van Baarle said that the day after the race he had received a message on Instagram from the Tour de France champion saying "Sorry, but I was frustrated and I wish you the podium". This came after the finale of the Tour des Flandres where van Baarle went on to finish second whilst Pogacar was left out of the podium in fourth place after a lull in the pace saw the leading duo of van der Poel and Pogacar to be caught inside the final kilometer.

"He doesn't have my number, but sent it via Instagram. That was really cool... He thought I had deviated from my line and locked him up on purpose. But he was probably frustrated that he screwed up himself. I was probably the first one he met after the finish," van Baarle added.

With this episode behind, both riders will now take different paths throughout the rest of the spring. Whilst van Baarle will be riding Amstel Gold Race and then Paris-Roubaix, eyeing his first monument win once again, Pogacar will be focusing on the Ardennes classics where he'll be one of the men to beat at Flèche Wallone and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.