Defending champion Tadej Pogacar secured a monumental third Tour of Flanders victory in commanding style, breaking away from rival Mathieu van der Poel with 18 kilometers remaining in the grueling race.
At just 27 years old, the Slovenian world champion has now matched the record of three Flanders wins, joining an elite group that includes Van der Poel and six other legendary cyclists. This latest triumph follows his victory at Milan-San Remo in March, marking a perfect start to his Monument campaign this season.
"It was a really crazy race today. I don't know what to say—super hard from I don't know which kilometer," Pogacar told Belgian television after his victory. "I don't race too much, so when I race there is pressure to win. So far everything went perfect for me, so I can be more than happy."
Pogacar's Flanders success brings his total Monument victories to 12, placing him second only to the legendary Eddy Merckx, who holds 19 wins across cycling's five most prestigious one-day events.
The 278-kilometer race through Belgium's challenging cobbled terrain saw early drama when the peloton was forced to halt at a level crossing as the signal turned red. Despite the interruption, a determined chase group—including Pogacar and Belgian favorite Remco Evenepoel—managed to slip across the tracks in pursuit of the leaders.
With 57 kilometers remaining, Pogacar, Van der Poel, and Evenepoel launched a decisive attack on the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, leaving the rest of the field behind. Evenepoel eventually fell back on the subsequent Paterberg climb, setting up a thrilling 40-kilometer duel between the two reigning champions.
The decisive moment came on the final climb up the Oude Kwaremont, where Pogacar unleashed a powerful surge that Van der Poel couldn't match. Cresting the climb with a six-second advantage, the Slovenian extended his lead to deny his Dutch rival what would have been a record-breaking fourth Flanders victory.
Evenepoel, making his Flanders debut, demonstrated impressive resilience to secure third place ahead of fellow Belgian Wout van Aert.
Pogacar now turns his attention to next weekend's Paris-Roubaix, where victory would make him just the fourth rider in history to complete the full set of Monument wins—joining the exclusive club of Merckx, Rik van Looy, and Roger de Vlaeminck.
"Coming next week to Roubaix, I can go motivated, but I try to enjoy the cobbles," Pogacar added, acknowledging the challenge ahead against Van der Poel, who has dominated the last three editions of the "Hell of the North."
The race's dramatic level crossing incident may have further consequences, with Belgian authorities reportedly considering action against riders who crossed against the red signal, though this did little to diminish Pogacar's historic achievement on cycling's most demanding cobbled stage.