Tour of Flanders 2026: Pogacar triumphs in battle of giants

fotobureau Cor VosOn the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, with 57 kilometres to go, Tadej Pogacar accelerates and only Remco Evenepoel and Mathieu van der Poel are able to match his move. On the Paterberg, the Belgian is dropped, while the world champion shakes off the Dutchman on the final Oude Kwaremont. Pogacar thus wins the Tour of Flanders for the third time, becoming joint record-holder. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 2026 Tour of Flanders

1. Tadej Pogacar (slo) 6:20:07
2. Mathieu van der Poel (nld) + 0:34
3. Remco Evenepoel (bel) + 1:11
4. Wout van Aert (bel) + 2:04
5. Mads Pedersen (den) + 2:48
6. Jasper Stuyven (bel) + 4:28
7. Florian Vermeersch (bel) s.t.
8. Matej Mohoric (slo) + 4:30
9. Christophe Laporte (fra) + 5:22
10. Gianni Vermeersch (bel) s.t.

Race report

There’s plenty of interest in making the day’s break. It takes 27 kilometres before Silvan Dillier, Connor Swift, Luca Van Boven, Frederik Frison, Dries De Pooter, Kamil Gradek, Eric Antonio Fagúndez, Victor Vercouillie, Luke Lamperti, Edoardo Zamberini, Hartthijs de Vries, Julius van den Berg and Jambaljamts Sainbayar break clear. The group of thirteen opens up a lead of over 5 minutes, partly because the peloton is held up by a closed level crossing.

On the Molenberg, the gap drops below 3 minutes as UAE Emirates raise the pace in the peloton, reducing the group to seventeen riders: Tadej Pogacar, Florian Vermeersch, Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel, Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven, Tim van Dijke, Christophe Laporte, Matteo Trentin, Rick Pluimers, Gianni Vermeersch, Michael Gogl, Matej Mohoric, Stan Dewulf, Magnus Sheffield and Samuel Watson.

They catch the breakaway on the approach to Berg Ten Houte. The peloton is over 1 minute behind at that point. That gap gradually widens.

On the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, with 57 kilometres to go, Pogacar accelerates. Van Aert immediately jumps onto his wheel, and Evenepoel, Pedersen and Van der Poel soon join them. But at the summit, Van Aert and Pedersen are facing a gap.

On the Paterberg, Evenepoel is dropped as well. He crests 4 seconds behind Pogacar and Van der Poel, while Van Aert follows at 20 seconds and Pedersen at 25 seconds.

As he hits the Koppenberg, Evenepoel is still 4 seconds behind. By the summit, another 16 seconds have been added.

Evenepoel refuses to give in and is almost back on with 42 kilometres remaining when Pogacar accelerates again. On the run-in to the Taaienberg, the two leaders edge second by second further away from the world time trial champion, and that trend continues towards the Oude Kruisberg.

Pogacar drops Van der Poel on the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont. He reaches the summit with a lead of 6 seconds over the three-time winner, and adds another 9 seconds on the Paterberg.

In the flat closing kilometres Pogacar keeps extending his lead. He crosses the line 34 seconds ahead of Van der Poel and over a minute in front of Evenepoel

Other interesting reads: route and start list 2026 Tour of Flanders.