Tour of Flanders 2026 preview, profiles, favourites & predictions - Is Tadej Pogacar the ULTIMATE favourite? Can van der Poel, Van Aert or Evenepoel challenge him?

The second monument of the season will take place on the 5th of April. That is the Tour of Flanders, the queen of the Flandrien classics and the one in which the riders go through the most big cobbled 'bergs' in the region. We preview the race ahead; with the race estimated to start and finish at 09:20 and 15:20CET.

The 'Ronde van Vlaanderen' was created in 1913 and won won by Paul Deman in its first edition. It is the greatest race in a region where cycling is king, marked by the cobbled climbs and traditional landscapes. Seven riders share a three-victory record, including top figures of multiple generations such as Johan Museeuw, Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara and Mathieu van der Poel. But so many other top riders have won here...

Rik van Steenbergen, Rik van Looy, Tom Simpson, Eddy Merckx, Roger de Vlaeminck, Jan Raas, Adrie van der Poel, Eddy Planckaerts, Michele Bartoli, Peter van Petegem, just to name a few... In the more modern cycling we've had Tom Boonen (2005, 2006 and 2012); Fabian Cancellara (2010, 2013 and 2014) and Mathieu van der Poel (2020, 2022 and 2024) win on three occasions... Between them legendary figures such as Stijn Devolder, Alexander Kristoff, Peter Sagan, Philippe Gilbert, Niki Terpstra, Alberto Bettiol, Kasper Asgreen... And the newest addition to the palmarès: Tadej Pogacar. In 2023 the Slovenian won with a solo attack over Mathieu van der Poel and in 2025 he did it once again in a race that featured a spectacular finale.

278..5 kilometers on the menu this year. The distance will make for a brutal race, the Tour of Flanders has always been a race for the riders who are capable of performing on a bike at top level for a large number of hours and this year that capacity will be put to the limit. The start in Antwerpen will then see just a bit over 135 kilometers that are mostly set to be calm, approximately half of the race. However in the second half everything changes, as the Oude Kwaremont will open things up with 136 kilometers to go.

From 130 to 80 kilometers to go there will be a long succession of bergs and cobbled sectors that will thin down the peloton. Usually, we will see tactical attacks by this point, lots as teams look to anticipate the main favourites of the race into the Kwaremont-Paterberg-Koppenberg combination where the race inevitably breaks up. In the peloton however, there will be a lot of flat roads and it will be early enough in the race that there will be some domestiques to keep the pace high.

The crucial section of the race starts with the second passage over the Oude Kwaremont. Kwaremont, Koppenberg and Paterberg come in quick succession and this trio of ascents will not only destroy the peloton, it will also provide opportunities to launch potentially decisive attacks. They come with 55.5, 51.5 and 45.5 kilometers to go. Not many riders will survive the peloton afterwards, and with a thinned down group decisive attacks can also come after as the chasing power will not be so meaningful.

The Koppenberg particularly is the most difficult climb in the race and one where the climbers can actually make an impact, as it is not an explosive effort. The 600 cobbled meters average 13% and max out at 21%, a gruesome anaerobic effort which has its hardest gradients close to the base.

Mariaborrestraat (40Km to go), Taaienberg (38.5Km to go) and Oude Kruisberg (26.5Km to go) follow afterwards and provide further launching pads for dangerous attacks. After a small descent the race will enter it’s final sectors.

For the third and last time, the Oude Kwaremont. A grueling berg with inconsistent gradients, it summits with 16.5Km to go.

And after a short section, the final berg of the race is always one that may see the differences, the Paterberg. Short but sharp, essentially a one-minute all-out effort after around 6:30h of hard racing where slipstreaming is not a factor. A climb most will know like the back of their hand but no-one can fake good legs in, it will summit with 13 kilometers to go.

As every year, the run-up to Oudenaarde then is quite excruciating. Pan-flat after the small descent from the Paterberg, it is a place where attacks can still happen, but whatever happens depends on what will happen over the ascents.

The riders find slight risk of rain throughout the day and a wind that will have some significant intensity coming from the west. Early in the day, this will mostly come as a headwind, although there will be some crosswind sections where attention will be required before reaching the main part of the race.

The riders will have a tailwind run-in to the finish in Oudenaarde, which favours attackers and those who make the difference on the day's climbs.

Tadej Pogacar - The defending champion and in my opinion the clear man to beat. Flanders is not much of a tactical race anymore, and last year's exhibition from Pogacar was a good example: He simply attacked every climb since the Koppenberg until he dropped all of his rivals. The good thing (for UAE) about this tactic is that it only needs to control the race until the Koppenberg, and with supporting men in Florian Vermeersch and (if he finds his positioning) António Morgado, that shouldn't be a problem.

I simply can't see through his chances of winning because his climbing only gets better and I don't think even a peak van der Poel will be able to follow him on seated efforts such as the Koppenberg or Oude Kwaremont, they are not explosive climbs and Pogacar has the advantage.

Mathieu van der Poel - But this is not to say van der Poel isn't at his best, he is. He has even been putting out record wattages, and in Middelkerke - Wevelgem he didn't seem to go 100% in his effort. Yes his E3 near-defeat was worrying, but influenced by the wind, he was nowhere near being challenged when he attacked. Alpecin have no team however, so they actually do have to depend on UAE wanting to control things, because if it gets tactical van der Poel will have to do more chasing then his rivals for sure.

Wout Van Aert - The Visma rider is not at the climbing level of the other two, we must be realistic, even if he looks to have timed his form to perfection. Very positive performances in Wevelgem and Dwars door Vlaanderen clearly set him up as favourite number three, but a man who does depend on his endurance skills and potentially a final sprint - even if this wouldn't favour him clearly. Dropping the 'big two' isn't happening, and whilst he can outsmart them between climbs, Pogacar and van der Poel are not known for cracking or abstaining from chasing. So it really narrows down what Van Aert can do to win. But as has been argued, his best chance may be to try and follow the best yet again but if he succeeds, refuse to work and look to create chaotic race situations, even if it creates him some enemies. Visma, with Per Strand Hagenes and Christophe Laporte, do have the men to attack the race from early on and make it tactical, they have to use them and create alliances.

Remco Evenepoel - The ultimate wildcard, as I've written before. Yes it is his debut, but it's 2026. We've seen Pogacar do it and almost win, and then debut at none other than Paris-Roubaix and almost win. When you're an 'alien' it doesn't actually matter much whether you know what you're racing, these are riders that are simply better at cycling in general. Evenepoel in this case is formidable in short and sharp climbs, he is great on long races, and he is massively dangerous for solo attacks. He is also capable of allying with one of the riders above to potentially bring back a Pogacar, or a van der Poel... It can make for a different finale then last year.

But Evenepoel isn't just a contender for the podium, in Catalunya his form looked very good and he is very motivated to race in front of his fans here. He is real danger, because his rivals know of his solo attack ability, van der Poel and Pogacar have to shut down his every move and he is a rider that often attacks on the flat which brings danger onto the status quo of the 'big two' dominating the race on the climbs. Furthermore BOR have a very strong lineup and I believe that if he can be well guided by Gianni Vermeersch than positioning may not be an issue either.

We've got Soudal - Quick-Step who will be backing up Dylan van Baarle and Jasper Stuyven, two men who usually thrive in the endurance-based races; Lidl-Trek who've got Mads Pedersen who doesn't have his best form however will always be a factor, but with added freedom perhaps to Mathias Vacek; Bahrain - Victorious who have Alec Segaert and Matej Mohoric teaming up; Uno-X who have a similar duo in Jonas Abrahamsen and Rasmus Tiller...

Magnus Sheffield and Romain Grégoire looked quite strong at Dwars door Vlaanderen and can be factor on the climbs of Flanders with certainty; Whilst the likes of Aimé de Gendt, Michael Valgren and perhaps Toon Aerts are also worthy outsiders to consider.

A few men can also hope for a 2024 scenario so as to improve their chances of finishing in the Top10. The conditions are not right for that, but any groups that makes it to Oudenaarde will have some of these riders as contenders to win the sprint. There are some heavyweight sprinters such as Soren Waerenskjold and Paul Magnier who are expected to struggle however can surprise; and more experienced classics specialists such as Biniam Girmay, Matteo Trentin, Ben Turner, Davide Ballerini and Ivan García Cortina. Arnaud de Lie is always a factor but in his current form it is hard to see it happen.

*** Tadej Pogacar
** Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel, Wout Van Aert
* Florian Vermeersch, Gianni Vermeersch, Per Strand Hagenes, Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven, Jonas Abrahamsen, Alec Segaert, Magnus Sheffield

Pick: Tadej Pogacar

How: Solo win, and I will say perhaps the winning attack will be on the Koppenberg this time around.