"Mathieu van der Poel is in the best shape of his life" - Johan Bruyneel doesn't see Tadej Pogacar taking the win at Tour of Flanders 2025

This afternoon in Belgium, one of the most exciting races of the year is taking place as the 2025 Tour of Flanders is being held. The two standout favourites pre-race are none other than Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar, with an epic rematch from their recent Milano-Sanremo battle expected.

When it comes to splitting these two cycling superstars, experts are finding it difficult to pick a winner. In the opinion of former team boss Johan Bruyneel in his preview however, it's Van der Poel, winner of Milano-Sanremo that just gets the nod. "It's Pogacar versus Van der Poel and it seems like everybody else doesn't count," begins the Belgian. "But that's not the way bike racing works especially at the Tour of Flanders because it could also be a tactical race, although I think that these two guys are a level above everybody else."

"If things go as normal and there's no circumstances where there's a breakaway that can't be reeled in or if there's no nobody of the favourites held up by a crash, I'm not going to pick Pogacar, I'm going to pick Mathieu van der Poel!" Bruyneel predicts.

Although some see Van der Poel being unable to match a potential Pogacar attack on the Oude Kwaremont, Bruyneel believes that the Dutchman is in such good form at the moment that he should be able to follow. "Van der Poel in the best shape of his life," he insists. "He already won Milano-Sanremo. Pogacar tried to drop him there on the Cipressa and on the Poggio, not steeper climbs but longer efforts. This is different. These are shorter climbs. They're steep, but this is Van der Poel's preferred terrain. This is his backyard."

"If you look at the track record of Mathieu van der Poel, he did the Tour of Flanders six times. He won it three times, he was two times second and one time fourth when he crashed. There's nobody in the peloton right now who has a better track record than Mathieu," Bruyneel explains further. "People say: 'Pogacar dropped him two years ago in 2023.' That's true, but there's two reasons why I think that's not going to happen."

"Number one: As I said, I think Van der Poel is in better shape than then. And secondly, a guy like Van der Poel, I think also was a bit of a... I'm not going to say tactical mistake, but he was kind of surprised a little bit by the first attack of Pogacar and the way I know Mathieu and his character, his pride, I can't see him let that happen a second time," Bruyneel concludes.