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Apr 05, 2026

Pogacar clinches record‑tying third Tour of Flanders, eyes historic Monument sweep

AI Summary
Tadej Pogacar secured a record‑equalling third Tour of Flanders win, moving to 12 Monument victories and second on the all‑time list. With a potential Paris‑Roubaix triumph, he could become only the fourth rider to win all five Monuments. The race also featured a dominant performance by women's champion Demi Vollering.

On Sunday, Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar captured his third Tour of Flanders title, matching the historic record after dropping his main rival Mathieu van der Poel with 18 km left to ride.

Van der Poel had been chasing a fourth victory in the Monument, but Pogacar, fresh from a Milan‑San Remo win last month, completed a flawless spring‑classic double.

The triumph raises Pogacar’s Monument tally to 12 victories, cementing his place second on the all‑time list behind Eddy Merckx. Having won all three of his races this season, a Paris‑Roubaix win next weekend would make him only the fourth rider ever to claim all five Monuments.

Describing the race as “crazy” and “super‑hard”, Pogacar told Belgian TV that limited racing opportunities increase the pressure to win, but he was “more than happy” with how the day unfolded and will head to Roubaix “motivated” while trying to enjoy the cobbles.

Last year’s Roubaix debut saw Pogacar finish runner‑up to Van der Poel, who secured his third consecutive victory there.

Double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel secured third place, ahead of fellow Belgian Wout van Aert, after more than six hours covering 278 km of Flanders’ hilly, cobbled terrain.

The event unfolded as a showdown among four of cycling’s biggest stars. Pogacar’s decisive move came on the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, 57 km from the finish, where he shed all rivals except Van der Poel and Evenepoel.

Evenepoel was subsequently left behind on the next climb, the Paterberg, eventually finishing over a minute after Pogacar.

After riding together for roughly 40 km, Pogacar launched his race‑winning attack on the final climb of the Oude Kwaremont, gaining a six‑second edge that expanded to a comfortable margin at the line.

In the women’s race, European champion Demi Vollering mirrored Pogacar’s tactics, breaking away on the Oude Kwaremont and winning by 19 seconds, with a 45‑second gap to second‑placed Pauline Ferrand‑Prévot.

Vollering’s victory marks her third Monument win, adding to two Liège‑Bastogne‑Liège titles, while Lotte Kopecky finished fourth.