Defending champion Tadej Pogacar received a record-equalling third Tour of Flanders in imperious style after dropping Mathieu van der Poel 18km from the end.
The 27-year-old has now received each Monument races this season, having triumphed at Milan-San Remo in March.
Sunday’s victory attracts Pogacar degree with Van der Poel and 6 different cyclists on three wins on the Belgian occasion, having additionally received in 2023.
He now has 12 victories in Monuments – the 5 most prestigious one-day occasions in males’s highway biking – placing him clear in second within the all-time record behind solely 19-time winner Eddy Merckx.
“It was a extremely loopy race in the present day. I do not know what to say – tremendous laborious from I do not know which kilometre,” Pogacar instructed Belgian tv.
“I do not race an excessive amount of, so after I race there’s stress to win. Thus far the whole lot went good for me, so I may be very happy.
“Coming subsequent week to Roubaix, I can go motivated, however I attempt to benefit from the cobbles.”
On his Flanders debut, double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel held off fellow Belgian Wout van Aert for third within the 278km race, which options punchy climbs and a lot of cobbled sections.
With 57km left to race Pogacar, Van der Poel and Evenepoel dropped the remainder of the sphere with an acceleration on the second of three ascents up the Oude Kwaremont.
Evenepoel was left behind on the following climb, the Paterberg, and steadily drifted away from the main pair, who’ve received six of the final seven stagings of this occasion.
Pogacar and Van der Poel rode collectively for practically 40km earlier than the previous put in a race-winning push on the ultimate journey up the Oude Kwaremont.
Having crested the climb with a six-second benefit, the Slovenian world champion pulled away to disclaim his Dutch rival a document fourth win within the occasion.
Pogacar has now received all three of his races this season, and if he finishes first in Paris-Roubaix subsequent weekend, he’ll turn out to be simply the fourth man to win all 5 Monuments after the Belgian trio of Merckx, Rik van Looy and Roger de Vlaeminck.
He completed second on his debut on the occasion final 12 months and can face fierce resistance from Van der Poel, who has received the final three Roubaix contests.
