Mathieu van der Poels conquers Tour des Flandres in epic performance

The Alpecin-Fenix rider was the winner of the Tour des Flandres after a race of survival upon Tadej Pogacar's aggressive racing. Mathieu van der Poel, just a few weeks after his return to the peloton, has won the second monument of the season in a race that provided for an immense spectacle.

The early breakaway consisted of Max Kanter (Movistar Team), Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux), Sebastien Grignard (Lotto Soudal), Stan Dewulf (AG2R Citroën Team), Manuele Boaro (Astana Qazaqstan Team), Tom Bohli (Cofidis), Luca Mozzatto (B&B Hotels - KTM), Mathijs Paasschens (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB) and Lindsay de Vylder (Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise). The group was caught in the second passage over the Oude Kwaremont, as the race broke up completely.

With 70 kilometers to go another group went up the road containing the likes of Mads Pedersen and Zdenek Stybar inbetween a large number of riders. Their gap reached a minute which was the cause for some concern, but as the Oude Kwaremont came near the chase was furious and upon Tadej Pogacar's first attack, the gap to both leading groups was closed, as he was followed closely by Kasper Asgreen.

Shortly after Dylan van Baarle and Fred Wright attacked after the Paterberg and built a gap, as the Koppenberg saw a new attack from Tadej Pogacar which took only Mathieu van der Poel and Valentin Madouas follow, as Asgreen struggled with a mechanical. The trio joined up front and worked together.

Pogacar attacked twice up the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg, but was unable to drop van der Poel, making for both riders in front, collaborating towards the finish. The duo worked together until the final kilometer, when they went into a game of cat-and-mouse and the gap started to close behind to Madouas and van Baarle. The lull in action went all the way into the final 200 meters when van der Poel launched as the duo behind closed in.

The Dutchman was the strongest in the sprint, as Pogacar was blocked behind the duo Van Baarle finished second and Madouas stuck in third place for brilliant results for the duo.