Tour of Flanders, first assault of the battle of the cobblestones between Van der Poel and Pogacar

After several months of increasing hype, the moment has finally arrived to see Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar face off on the cobbles of the Tour of Flanders, which will take place next Sunday, April 6th. The former, seeking to enter the legend of the race, and the latter trying to prove that he is capable of beating the best classics rider of recent times on his own turf. Come and enjoy.

The magical cobblestone week begins with the Tour of Flanders 2025

The Tour of Flanders, De Ronde van Vlaanderen, the second monument of the season. Almost a national holiday for the Belgians to celebrate the cycling religion that is predominantly practiced in that country. This year's edition of the 2025 race is shaping up to be one of the great days of this campaign, still in its early stages.

If the mystique surrounding its cobbled walls every year wasn't enough, the anticipation has been growing steadily with the development of the classics campaign: Van der Poel's victory in Milan-San Remo, Mads Pedersen's good form, Pogacar's announcement that he will compete in both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, or the downfall of Wout van Aert who has been dreaming of these races for years and just before their start suffered his most bitter defeat.

Favorites to win the Tour of Flanders 2025

RECOMENDADO

How to make the most of short outings

Why does Van Rysel have such cheap premium bikes?

Does the current UCI limit for bicycle weight make sense?

What is the difference between mountain and road saddles?

What benefits does bicarbonate have for cyclists?

What Pogacar took for cramps in Roubaix

Lately, the total dominance of Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel in the major classics has made it very easy to make predictions, however, with both of them in the race, the outcome is completely uncertain.

In any case, if one had to choose between the two, Mathieu van der Poel would have a slight edge as he competes on his favorite terrain: the cobbles. Besides, the maturity shown during the Milan-San Remo race and, why not, the desire for revenge after the defeat inflicted by the Slovenian in the 2023 edition of this race undoubtedly make Mathieu van der Poel the top favorite.

But Tadej Pogacar is Tadej Pogacar and his chances of victory should never be underestimated in any race he participates in, especially since he already knows how to win the Tour of Flanders, so he will not hesitate to try to repeat the same tactics from two years ago. In his favor, we must also add the team that UAE Team Emirates-XRG has assembled to support him, with lieutenants of the caliber of Mikkel Bjerg, Jhonatan Narváez, Nils Politt, or Tim Wellens, a guarantee of being competitive in a classic like the Tour of Flanders.

As the third contender, we have chosen Mads Pedersen, who showed in Ghent-Wevelgem that he is in optimal form to face De Ronde. However, during this classics season, he has also had days where he has not been able to read the race correctly and has had to resign himself to not achieving a great result. Nevertheless, we are talking about a cyclist who has been World Champion in great form. The question will be whether he will be able to hold on to the two monsters when they start their particular battle.

Let's mention Wout van Aert, who, theoretically, has been focusing his preparation for this specific week for months, seeking to settle the score with the cobblestone monuments where he has always been present, collecting a good number of podium finishes but no victories to his name. However, the dramatic outcome of Dwars door Vlaanderen suggests that neither his physical form is as it should be to compete against Pogacar and Van der Poel, nor does his mindset seem to be properly focused to face such a challenge. Nevertheless, Wout is a natural fighter and it wouldn't be surprising if he sought an alternative and crazy move to go all-in, which, with his class, could pay off.

In any case, Visma-Lease a Bike has probably already devised a plan B that necessarily involves the legs of Matteo Jorgenson, who seems to be in perfect condition to shine in this Tour of Flanders. Of course, we cannot forget the potential of their classics squad with riders like Affini, Benoot, or Van Baarle who could very well opt for a similar strategy to that of A Travers de Flandes, especially considering that the weather forecast predicts strong winds in the fields of Flanders.

Tour of Flanders 2025 Route

The beautiful Market Square of the equally beautiful town of Bruges will once again be the starting point for the 270 kilometers that make up the route of the Tour of Flanders 2025. This edition of De Ronde maintains, with minor unimportant modifications, the same layout as in recent years since the race changed its finish to Oudenaarde.

The race begins with a completely flat first part exposed to the harsh winds coming from the nearby North Sea, which, according to all weather forecasts for next Sunday, March 6th, will hit the course with force. 125 kilometers of wear and tear, fighting for the breakaway and to avoid crashes that could leave you out of contention before the arrival of the first climb.

The first ascent is not just any climb, as we will be facing the first pass of Oude Kwaremont, which always generates great tension due to the difficult approach at the beginning and the need to be perfectly positioned at a point where the race launches inexorably.

From here, there is still more than half of the race left, and the Tour of Flanders becomes an endless carousel of climbs, some cobbled and some not, flat cobbled sections, and the narrow, winding roads between characteristic Flemish villages with their irregular surface and that expansion joint in the middle of the road that becomes a nightmare when riding at full speed in the peloton and can send you crashing at the most unexpected moment.

After the first pass of Oude Kwaremont, there is a first block of tough climbs, although not excessively technical, such as the Eikenberg and the Wolvenberg, which are linked by several flat cobbled sections. However, at the end of this block, we find the first really serious ascent, the Molenberg, very short but with really broken cobbles and a tremendous slope, which, combined with the difficult approach and narrow entrance, always serves to provoke the first major selection, often more than on the climb itself in the flat section that follows at the top of the hill, exposed to the wind and where the windmill from which it takes its name is located.

After overcoming this section, the cyclists will be around kilometer 165, with over 100 kilometers still ahead. Before the final battle, there is a transitional zone that usually serves as a transition for the favorites, but those with options but not at the same level as the top contenders often take advantage to make a move. They have hard and selective ascents like Berendries and Valkenberg to help them make their way and position themselves perfectly for when the top riders start their engines.

However, we will have to wait until kilometer 214 for the start of the real fight for victory in the Tour of Flanders when the race faces the second ascent of Oude Kwaremont.

An ascent that will link with the fearsome Paterberg and, with hardly any rest, with the mythical and tough Koppenberg which, on this occasion, with little rain in recent weeks, the cyclists should find in perfect conditions to climb on their bikes and avoid the nightmarish images of half the peloton walking up its slippery ramps.

From here, the route barely has a meter of respite, and all are names that are part of the Tour of Flanders' lore. The linked Mariaborrestraat and Steenbeekdries, the Stationberg of the E3 Saxo Classic climbed in reverse; the tough and often decisive Taaienberg, and, as a dessert, the last and definitive pass through the classic combination of Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, with the latter crowned just 12 kilometers from the finish.

How to Watch the Tour of Flanders 2025

Eurosport and the Max platform will once again be the option to follow the broadcast of the Tour of Flanders. As they have done in recent years, the self-proclaimed "Home of Cycling" will broadcast the race in its entirety with coverage starting at 9:45, prior to the start flag at 10:00.

The race is expected to finish around 16:30. Additionally, on the Max platform, there will be a broadcast dedicated exclusively to the women's race starting at 15:00 and taking place simultaneously with the men's race.