Coming out in the Koppenberg 45 kilometers from the finish, the Dutchman won the Tour of Flanders for the third time in his career.
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When Mathieu van der Poel decides to win a race, there are few who can stop him. However, many riders tried their luck on this 108th edition of the Tour of Flanders, Sunday March 31. From Matteo Jorgenson to Mads Pedersen via Ivan Garcia Cortina, the attacks followed one another over the cobbled Flandrian mountains, but nothing and no one seemed to be able to stop the Dutch world champion, the big favorite for victory.
Men’s race: Van der Poel starts alone
At the start of the climb of Koppenberg, Ivan Garcia Cortina, in the lead, was forced to dismount after a mechanical problem and was overtaken by Mathieu van der Poel who left his competitors behind. The majority of the Dutchman’s pursuers were forced to dismount because of the rain which made the road very slippery. Only Matteo Jorgenson remains on his bike but the American loses ground on Mathieu van der Poel.
With a fifth victory in a Monument, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) notably equals Bernard Hinault, Philippe Gilbert, Michele Bartoli as well as one of his rivals, Tadej Pogacar. All sprinkled with a world champion title, at only 29 years old.
