"I would love to see Wout van Aert win" - Michael Boogerd shares thoughts on Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel and Remco Evenepoel into Flanders clash
Cycling
Tomorrow is Tour of Flanders day, one of the most important of the year. The riders will take on the queen of the Flemish classics and we will have Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert all seemingly starting with their best form. Former pro rider Michael Boogerd has shared his thoughs on all four riders.
“If there’s one race that suits Mathieu [van der Poel], it’s the Tour of Flanders. I hear people saying he is becoming less dominant, but if you look at the numbers he produced in the E3 Saxo Classic, I disagree," Boogerd argued to De Telegraaf. The three-time winner looked at his best at the E3 Saxo Classic, despite nearly being caught, and then didn't seem to go all-out in his Middelkerke-Wevelgem move where he joined Wout Van Aert.
"He rode 446 watts for 90 minutes and, according to him, it was even better than he has ever done over that kind of duration. Then you are not in bad shape, if you ask me," his compatriot argues. Van der Poel's team is modest in comparison to his rivals however he is experienced and talented enough to overcome that hurdle.
The man to beat is going to be Tadej Pogacar, who has in the speed climbs the advantage taking into consideration recent history and how he won the race last year on brute climbing attacks over and over again. At the Tour of Flanders, he has to do what he wasn't able to do at Milano-Sanremo: Hold the wheel of the World Champion.
“He simply wasn’t at his very best, and beforehand van der Poel himself had already said that if he were one percent below his top level, Pogacar would drop him. In Flanders, he will have to cling to Pogacar’s wheel on the Oude Kwaremont. If he can do that, he can win the Tour of Flanders for a fourth time.”
A soft spot for Wout Van Aert
Behind the 'big two' are two other riders who can realistically be considered for victory. One is Visma's leader Wout Van Aert, coming in with stellar form and confidence from his most recent performances.
“Honestly, I would love to see Wout van Aert win it, because he is a tremendous rider. Maybe this will be his time. I have to say that, compared to the last two years, he looks stronger," Boogerd believes. "Maybe that ankle injury this winter was not even such a bad thing, and after some rest he now seems to be in very good shape.”
Lastly the trio are joined by Remco Evenepoel who is making his debut, but the former Amstel Gold Race winner isn't too confident about his chances. “It is brave that he is giving it a try. You can only praise him for that, but he will find it difficult to position himself".
"The Tour of Flanders is such a nervous race on those narrow roads and climbs. On the other hand, he should be able to handle this very well, because the character of the course does suit him. And when you look at his palmarès, he has a great track record in one-day races.”
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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