Pogacar dominates the 2026 Tour of Flanders after breaking the race, with Van der Poel and Evenepoel completing the podium

The Tour of Flanders 2026 has once again demonstrated why it is one of the most unpredictable races on the calendar, with a script that has been written through tension, incidents, and tactical movements long before the final resolution.

Pogacar sets the pace, selects, and seals the Tour of Flanders 2026

The day began with the usual pattern of the Flemish classic, a large breakaway that quickly found a margin while the teams of the favorites opted to control without taking premature risks. The breakaway consisted of Silvan Dillier (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Kamil Gradek (Bahrain Victorious), Luke Lamperti (EF Education-EasyPost), Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers), Luca Van Boven (Lotto-Intermarché), Dries De Pooter (Jayco-AlUla), Julius van den Berg (Picnic-PostNL), Edoardo Zamperini (Cofidis), Frederik Frison (Pinarello-Q36.5), Eric Antonio Fagúndez and Jambaljamts Sainbayar (Burgos-Burpellet BH), Victor Vercouillie (Flanders-Baloise), and Hartthijs de Vries (Unibet Rose Rockets).

However, that balance was shattered earlier than expected at a point completely unrelated to the decisive terrain. An activated level crossing split the peloton into two blocks and completely altered the race dynamics. Key names like Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel were in the front group, while other contenders, including Mathieu van der Poel, were held back. The intervention of the commissaires, ordering a reduction in pace to allow for reunification, prevented the race from breaking apart artificially, but did not eliminate the tension that was generated from that moment on.

From there, the race entered a much more nervous phase. Positioning became critical in every sector of cobblestones, with crashes and mechanical problems wearing down important domestiques and leaving several leaders increasingly exposed. UAE took on much of the responsibility at the front, progressively hardening the pace while other teams tried to anticipate in intermediate climbs to avoid arriving at the decisive stretch at a disadvantage.

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The real selection began much earlier than usual. In the chain of walls leading up to the finish, the group of favorites began to take shape almost naturally, without a definitive attack but with a pace that eliminated any options for riders reaching their limits. Pogacar, Van der Poel, Evenepoel, and Van Aert ended up together at the front after a phase of the race in which everyone tried to gauge their strength without yet showing all their cards.

This balance lasted little. On the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, Pogacar decided to change the tone of the race with a move that was not an explosive attack, but a sustained acceleration that ultimately broke the resistance of several rivals. Van der Poel managed to stay on his wheel at first, while Evenepoel began to show signs of fatigue after several previous attempts to close gaps. Van Aert, for his part, ended up giving way in the final meters of the wall, falling out of the direct fight for victory.

The race then entered a much more tactical phase. Pogacar and Van der Poel collaborated at the front, aware that any doubt could open the door to a comeback from behind. Evenepoel tried to rebuild his race solo, managing to reduce differences in some favorable sections, but each transition to new cobblestone sectors played against him. Behind, the chasing group ended up fragmenting, with Van Aert and Pedersen focused on limiting damage.

The passage through the Koppenberg and the subsequent chain of climbs definitively consolidated that hierarchy. The accumulated fatigue began to be decisive, and each pull at the front marked visible differences. The feeling was clear, the race was going to be decided between the two men who had dominated the entire spring.

Another 'Ronde' please

Pogacar drops Van der Poel on the last pass of the Kwaremont and wants to win again with the rainbow jersey.#RVV26 pic.twitter.com/AKIb2v4hYF

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) April 5, 2026

The outcome was confirmed in the last kilometers towards Oudenaarde, where Tadej Pogacar left no option for a reaction. After opening a gap in the decisive stretch, the Slovenian consolidated his advantage even on the flat, extending the differences until the race was sealed. Mathieu van der Poel, despite pushing hard in the chase, could not reduce the distance, while behind, the fight for the podium positions became fragmented, with Remco Evenepoel already out of the fight for victory and Wout van Aert prevailing in his particular duel with Mads Pedersen.

With the victory assured, Pogacar even allowed himself to enjoy the last kilometer, raising his arms in solitude in Oudenaarde to sign an uncontestable victory. The reigning champion repeated his exhibition and confirmed his dominance in the Flemish walls, thus adding his third Tour of Flanders and reinforcing his status as the absolute reference in the classics.

Top 5 – Tour of Flanders 2026

1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) – 6:20:07
2. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) – at 34 s
3. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) – at 1:11
4. Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) – at 2:04
5. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) – at 2:48