Jan Bakelants once again impressed by Tadej Pogacar: "He comes to a race and whatever he does, it's always right"
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar ultimately broke Mathieu van der Poel the last time up Oude Kwaremont, but former professional Jan Bakelants saw a strong Dutchman regardless. As for Paris-Roubaix which should favor Van der Poel more, he still isn't fully convinced about Pogacar's chances.
"This Tour of Flanders was predictable in some ways, but it was still incredibly exciting. How strong must Tadej Pogacar be to drop Mathieu van der Poel by such a distance on the Oude Kwaremont? It is impressive what he does. It is as if they are playing on PlayStation at UAE," the former professional looks with admiration at the reigning world champion in his column for Het Laatste Nieuws.
"He comes to a race and whatever he does, it's always right. That seems easy with such a spearhead in the team, but they do it. I haven't seen engines like those of Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel in the past 25 years. They do things that are impossible for ordinary mortals."
Pogacar's palmares now includes eight Monuments, but it doesn't seem to stop there. "He finds two more Monuments this season perfectly suited to him, with Liège and Lombardia. Paris-Roubaix is not, but who knows, we might be talking completely differently next Sunday. It is precisely because that race does not immediately suit him on paper that I do not put him as the absolute top favourite, but equal with Van der Poel, Van Aert and Pedersen."
Mathieu van der Poel could have achieved a record-breaking fourth victory at Tour of Flanders on Sunday. If only there wasn't a certain Tadej Pogacar in his way. Still, Bakelants saw a strong Van der Poel at work. "He may not have the record of four victories at the Tour of Flanders for the time being, but you could hardly call him bad. In the end, there was only one rider better than him."
"He was always with Pogacar on the short, steep slopes. Every now and then I even got the impression that he was playing with it. That slalom on the second climb of the Oude Kwaremont, that was signature Van der Poel. With a few good pedal strokes he rolled four men up there. Impressive. When I hear that he had to take antibiotics for three days due to a cold after the E3 Saxo Classic, it is very impressive that he does this."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Front24208-11-2026
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