It seemed like a rehearsed choreography, the finish of the Tour of Flanders last Sunday. Or a time trial. In the Minderbroederstraat, the straight and rather atmospheric asphalt road in Oudenaarde where the finish line traditionally hangs, Tadej Pogacar crossed the finish line first. Only. The number two, Mathieu van der Poel, followed at 34 seconds. Even on his own.
This was followed by numbers three, four and five. Always alone, always with at least half a minute difference. The speaker had time to announce each rider and the audience applauded politely.
The five solo finishes were a perfect reflection of the merciless elimination race that was this Tour of Flanders. Tadej Pogacar, at the age of 25 already the best cyclist of all time, shook off his main rivals one by one this Sunday, sometimes with playful ease – even though he had rarely started in the classics in recent years with so many strong challengers.
With his victory in Flanders, Pogacar has a score of three out of three this season: three races, three victories. Earlier this year he won the Italian classics Strade Bianche and Milan-Sanremo. It would make you desperate. But that’s not how his shaken off rivals looked afterwards. They looked rather resigned. In the press tent behind the finish they emphasized the good performance of themselves and their team and the superiority of Pogacar. As Mathieu van der Poel put it: “I did what I could, but Tadej was the strongest again.”
The Tour of Flanders started earlier than ever this year: on the Molenberg, with 104 kilometers to go. On the narrow climb full of higgledy-piggledy cobblestones, Pogacar’s UEA Team Emirates team accelerated so hard that only about fifteen men remained at the front. That group included Pogacar’s four main challengers: Van der Poel, Mads Pedersen from Denmark and the Belgians Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert.
56 kilometers and a swept early flight further, the next selection took place. During the second climb of the Oude Kwaremont, most of the leading group went overboard. For a moment, near the church in the village of Kwaremont, the five favorites rode together. But before the top of the more than two kilometer long climb had been reached, Van Aert and Pedersen had already been released. Three riders left: Pogacar, Van der Poel, Evenepoel.
On the next slope, the Paterberg, Pogacar again caused an elimination: Evenepoel was eliminated. A number of times the Olympic time trial champion, who rode his first Tour of Flanders, seemed to be able to return, but Pogacar did not want that – so Evenepoel always just missed out. On the third and final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont the exit of Pogacar’s last competitor: Van der Poel. Pogacar soloed the last 13 kilometers to the finish.
Self-relativization
Pogacar was very pleased with the race afterwards. The match had “met all expectations” and “everyone had put their balls on the table”. He loved racing at full speed. Pogacar complimented his competitors. In the thirty-five kilometers that they were in the lead together, Van der Poel had “raced well and honestly, as always” and Evenepoel had “ridden a brilliant race.” His rivals and he, Pogacar concluded, lift each other “together to a higher level.”
And those rivals themselves? They served up a generous portion of humility and self-reflection in the press tent. “I’m at my highest level ever this season, today I delivered one of my best performances ever,” said Van der Poel. “But if one guy is stronger, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
And so it went on. Remco Evenepoel (third): “The demolition work of Pogacar was… impressive. Coming third is the result I had hoped for.” Wout van Aert (fourth): “In the end it’s every man for himself.” Mads Pedersen (fifth): “If I could do better, I would finish higher.” Van der Poel, again: “If one is better, you have to be honest with yourself and accept it.”
Almost at a lonely height
With his victory in Flanders, Pogacar is now equal with seven other riders who also won the Tour three times. Among them Van der Poel, the Belgians Johan Museeuw and Tom Boonen, and the Swiss Fabian Cancellara. If Pogacar wins a fourth Round, he will single-handedly be the record holder. No one doubts that that will happen.
Did Pogacar think his rivals still enjoyed competing against him? “I don’t know,” was his answer afterwards. “Maybe some do and others don’t.” Didn’t he think that they are now somewhat desperate, despite all the good cheer shown afterwards? “Well, I have had three days of racing this season. Do you know how many other competitions there have been this year?”
